A Gluten Free Guide: Hoi An, Vietnam
Hoi An is a beautiful town on Vietnam's central coast that is famous for its beautifully preserved ancient buildings, coloruful lantern-lit streets, and a rich tapestry of culture that feels like stepping back in time. Hoi An is full of bustling markets, coffee, pottery, and tailoring - and is a wonderful place to find a few hidden gluten free gems.
In this guide I will share the places that I ate, a gluten free map, tips to avoid gluten, and a few general travel suggestions on how to make the most out of your time in Hoi An.
Happy eating!
Morgan x
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Things to watch out for:
1. Soy Sauce and Marinades
Soy sauce is used in a lot of other sauces, sometimes making it difficult to communicate. There are some places that use naturally gluten free soy sauces, but I didn't want to explain and chose to avoid them all. Also watch out for some types of fish sauce, I found lots were gluten free but some contained wheat.
2. Pho & other broth based dishes
Something to watch out for is Knorr stock. While it's gluten free in the UK, the version they use in Vietnam contains wheat, and it's in alot of dishes!
3. Spring Rolls & rice paper
Fresh spring rolls (Gỏi Cuốn) typically use rice paper, which is gluten-free. However, fried spring rolls (Chả Giò) may use wheat-based wrappers or contain fillers like soy sauce or wheat starch.
4. Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Pancakes)
These delicious savory pancakes are often said to be made of rice flour, but unfortunately it's more common to find ones made with a rice & wheat flour mix. You can find completely rice based ones!
5. Bánh Mì (Vietnamese Sandwich)
Pretty straight forward - it's made with bread!
6. Noodles and Dumplings
Many Vietnamese noodles are made from rice, some noodles and dumplings (like hoành thánh) are made from wheat, or a mixture of rice and wheat. Make sure you confirm that the noodles are made from 100% rice!
7. Street Food and Snacks
Some street foods, particularly fried items, may use wheat-based batters or be cross-contaminated with gluten. Be careful as they might tell you it's ok!
8. Desserts
Traditional Vietnamese desserts like bánh bò or chè may include glutinous rice (which is gluten-free) but can also contain other ingredients like wheat flour. Always ask about the ingredients, and when in doubt, opt for simpler desserts like fresh fruit or rice puddings!
Vietnamese Translation Card!
One of the most useful things I used while in Vietnam was my Equal Eats Translation Card that says all my dietary requirements in Vietnamese. If you'd like to get one for yourself - you can find them here!
*this is an affiliate link!
Restaurants in Hoi An
This is the only 100% gluten free restaurant I found in Hoi An. And it's only changed recently too! It's sister restaurant in Hanoi has always been gluten free, and I think that they got a lot of gluten free travellers asking if they could eat their too so finally made the switch - and I'm so glad they did!
Bun Cha is a broth & rice noodle based meal, served with the most delicious fried spring rolls you'll even eat. They serve different varieties of Bun Cha with different meats, but whatever you pick you will enjoy.
Recommendation: Traditional Bun Cha Ta set meal & egg hot chocolate!
Other Dietary Requirements: Vege option available
One of the most popular restaurants in Hoi An, Miss Ly serves a variety of traditional foods from the area including the region's specialty - white rose dumplings. I found the lovely people Miss Ly very knowledgable about the ingredients in each dish, and were able to point out what I was able to have. Luckily one of those things is the white rose dumplings, at Miss Ly they are made with 100% rice flour!
Recommendation: White rose dumplings and & vege fried rice
Other Dietary Requirements: Vegetarian options available
Situated next door to each other, and sharing a menu (and I assume kitchen), there is a couple of gluten free options at LAGOM & Good Eats including mochi waffles & avocado on gluten free toast. If you are really hankering for gluten free bread, you can order it from Good Eats, 48 hours in advance. They also do incredible coconut coffee here, made with ice cream.
Recommendation: Waffles & coconut coffee
Other Dietary Requirements: Vegetarian options available
This is a western style cafe, just outside the old town that serves different types of bowls, burgers, toasts, & breakfasts. They have a couple of gluten free options, I went for the Falafel bowl which they swapped out the pita for avocado and fried my falafel in fresh oil. I loved this meal, and it's a nice spot if you a needing a break from Vietnamese food!
I also tried my first salt coffee here! It's not as scary as it sounds, I highly recommend giving it a go.
Recommendation: Falafel Bowl & Salt Coffee
Other Dietary Requirements: Vegetarian & vegan options available
Tok Restautant
This is the fanciest place we visited while in Hoi An. An upmarket Vietnamese restaurant in the middle of a rice field, To is a beautiful place to dine. They have what is gluten free marked on the menu, but after explaining cross contamination, they advised not having a couple of other things. I didn't mind because there was still a few bits I could choose from.
Definitely one for your list if you'd like a picturesque evening in a gorgeous setting.
Recommendation: Aubergine & vege crisps
Other Dietary Requirements: Vegetarian option available
Mate Restaurant was the place I felt most understood as a coeliac. The owner used to be a tour guide, and once saw a gluten free person on nhis tour get very ill from eating gluten. He said he wanted to open a restaurant that everyone can eat at. There is an extensive gluten free menu online, and whatever you order can be fried and made seperately. They even gave me my own bowl of gluten free soy sauce!
Recommendation: Honey Orange Crispy Chicken
Other Dietary Requirements: Vegetarian options available
A lovely little cafe in the farming area of Hoi An. Very much situated on it's own in the middle of a rice field, you can find a variety of smoothies made just from the ingredients of the farm itself. I went for a banana rice smoothie, and I loved it. It's a lovley place to have a break, and even wander to the abandoned farm building about 50 metres away.
Recommendation: Banana & Rice Smoothie
Other Dietary Requirements: Vegan options available
Other places I've been recommended
These are places I haven't tried but have been recommended. I cannot speak to their safety so please make sure you double check with the restaurant when eating there!
Gluten Free Map Hoi An