A Hoi An, Vietnam food tour with travel kid LJ

Travelling has turned LJ into a bit of a foodie and her food-loving parents couldn't be happier!

She loves trying new foods and will pretty much try anything at least once. She's also really gotten into cooking shows and can't wait to have a full kitchen again.

One of our favourite things to while travelling is a self-guided food tour. Guided food tours can be expensive, but they're totally doable on your own for a fraction of the cost. We basically read a bunch of blog posts from people who did it before us, make a map on our phone with some key locations and notes about the dishes to try, then...spend the entire day eating!

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A food tour may not seem like a very kid-friendly adventure, especially if you have a picky eater, but it can actually be a fun and less intimidating way to get kids excited about trying new foods. And by keeping it cheap, you don't have to feel too bad if things don't go as well as planned.
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5 tips for a successful food tour with kids

1. Just order one dish at each places and share it. You don't want to get too stuffed too soon, waste a bunch of food, or send the kids into a sugar high when you get into the desserts.
2. Break up the day with other activities. This time we checked out a small museum. Other times we've taken a break for football, a game of Uno, some postcard writing or even a little math work.
3. Incorporate lots of desserts. When we plan a food tour every second or third stop is a dessert to keep the kid excited and motivated.
4. Minimize the walking and drink lots of water. Dehyrdated kids with sore legs are grumpy kids.
5. Be flexible and let the kids pick out some foods. If they see something that intrigues them, let them try it.

 
On a related note, LJ has been wanting to put together a food-themed video like some of her favourite travel vloggers, so we turned our most recent food tour of Hoi An into a little mommy/daughter project. 

Hoi An is definitely a foodie hotspot in Vietnam. There are loads of great restaurants and so much tasty street food. I’ve always loved Vietnamese cuisine so spending three weeks here has been great for my taste buds.

Take a look at what we've been eating! You can also find the dish names, locations and costs below.

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A cheap Hoi An, Vietnam food tour with kids

Sua dau nanh (sweet soy milk) with beans and ice - from a cart at the corner of Nguyen Truong To and Dinh Tien Hoang
Cost: 5,000 dong

Xi ma (black sesame sweet soup) - from a lady sitting on a stool on Nguyen Truong To between Ly Thuong Kiet and Thai Phien
Cost: 10,000 dong

Pho Bo (beef noodle soup) - from Pho Lien at 25 Le Loi
Cost: 40,000 dong

Banh mi (baguette sandwich) - from Banh Mi Phuong at 2b Phan Chu Trinh
Cost: 25,000 dong

Sugar donut - from a cart at the corner of Tran Phu and Bach Dang
Cost: 10,000 dong

Cao lau (Hoi An dish of noodles, meat, bean sprouts and greens) - from Hoi An Central Market
Cost: 40,000 dong

Ca phe trung (egg coffee) - from Passion Fruit Coffee at 9 Hoang Van Thu
Cost: 45,000 dong

Ca phe cot dua (coconut coffee) - from Passion Fruit Coffee at 9 Hoang Van Thu
Cost: 45,000 dong

Banh xoai (mango cake) - from the ladies selling them throughout the Ancient Town
Cost: 3 for 20,000 dong

Sweet potato cake - from the ladies selling them throughout the Ancient Town
Cost: 10,000 dong

Banh bao banh vac (white rose dumplings) - from White Rose Restaurant at 533 Hai Ba Trung
Cost: 70,000 dong 

Total cost for this family food tour: 320,000 dong (about $18 Canadian dollars)
A couple notes about the cost:

• With the exception of the mango cake, we only ordered one serving of each item.
• We brought our own water.
• This was for two adults and an eight-year-old child.
• During the day we also ate a coconut shake, a ginger tea and another icy milky bean dessert (not included above).
• There were no transportion costs as we were easily able to walk everywhere.​

A couple other must try restaurants in Hoi An

Bale Well

This place is in the Ancient Town and just look at that feast! There’s just one item on the menu…rice paper rolls that you stuff with spring rolls, Vietnamese pancake, veggies and pork satay…then dip in spicy peanut sauce!!!
Cost: 120,000 dong (about $7)/person

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Tra Que Water Wheel

This place is located 3 km from Hoi An in the village of Tra Que. This village surrounds a massive herb and veggie garden, which supplies many of the Hoi An restaurants and households. The restaurant overlooks these beautiful gardens. The view is lovely, the ambiance is friendly and relaxed, and the food is fresh and flavourful
Cost: 300,000 dong (about $17) for 3 dishes and 3 drinks

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