Updated August 2022
Minh Hien in Hoi An is considered to be a vegetarian Mecca. With affordable prices and its indoor, outdoor feel, it is definitely a place you do not want to miss on your trip to Vietnam. Roughly opposite the very popular Café 43 on Tran Cao Van and, with little in the way of front walls, it’s a nifty place to ogle passers-by. A second restaurant and cooking class is situated not far from the Tiger Market. Here’s our complete guide to Minh Hien in Hoi An.
Minh Hien Overview
Restaurant
When a vegetarian restaurant manages to attract tourists and locals that are not usually keen on the vegetarian dishes, then you can easily say it does a great job. This is also the case of Minh Hien in Hoi An, which is considered to be one of the best vegetarian restaurants in the city.
It has affordable set menus that you can share with your friends but also a large choice a la carte. From the famous Rose Dumplings – a superstar in Hoi An – to a delicious Papaya Salad, Pumpkin Soup or local dishes like Spring Rolls, Cao Lau or Banh Xeo – the menu fits everybody’s taste. To top it off, they serve one of the best coconut coffees in town so make sure not to leave without having one.
Both restaurants have the same menu so it’s all about the vibe when it comes to choosing which one to dine at. The original is on a busy street, not far from the Old Town, whereas the second is often quieter. Try both for the ultimate Minh Hien experience!
Cooking Class
Visiting different touristic attractions is great but what really makes you soak up the culture when traveling is blending with the locals and getting a glimpse at how they live. One of the easiest ways to do that is to learn to cook a local dish.
Apart from enjoying amazing food at Minh Hien in Hoi An, you can also take a cooking class for 500,000 VND (20 USD). You can pick 3 dishes from the menu and learn how to make them yourself – talk about impressing your friends and family when you get back home! The cooking class lasts two hours and at the end of it you get to eat everything you prepared. You’ll also get the recipes via email so you can take a wonderful memory home with you.
Minh Hien has a bohemian feel 
Pumpkin and Peanuts
Review of Minh Hien in Hoi An
When you first get a glimpse at the menu, you can’t help but feel delighted by the classy offerings. Delicate pumpkin slices, firm yet succulent, with roasted peanuts as a superb textural contrast. Pork-free Cao Lau noodles swimming alongside the freshest mint, salad vegetables and mushrooms imaginable. Or sweet and sour straw-mushrooms, moderately fired up with chili, accompanied by tomatoes, shallots, onion and pineapple (the pineapple making sense for a change). The passion fruit juice is just perfect and the coffee a cut above many other restaurants.
Most cafes at these prices are the Vietnamese equivalent of fast food joints but at Minh Hien there is an attention to detail that really pays off. It comes without saying that when in Hoi An you really have to give Minh Hien a try, even if you are not a vegetarian. We guarantee you will keep coming back for more and your only regret will be not having gone there sooner.
