Com Ga Ba Buoi

Com ga, chicken rice, is one of the dishes Hoi An is known for, and Com Ga Ba Buoi is one of the best-established places to try it. The shop has been serving it since the 1950s from 22 Phan Chau Trinh Street, on the edge of the old town, and it remains a simple local eatery where the focus is on one dish done well.

Hoi An chicken rice differs from versions elsewhere. The rice is cooked in the broth from poaching the chicken, which gives it flavour and a yellow colour from turmeric, and it is served topped with shredded chicken and herbs. At Ba Buoi the dish traditionally comes with a few extras that adventurous eaters appreciate, including cubes of congealed blood, so if you would rather avoid offal, say so when you order.

The setting is basic, with shared tables, and the shop gets crowded at peak times because it is popular with tourists as well as local people. Expect to share a table at lunchtime; it is a place for a good, cheap meal rather than a long sit-down dinner.

Recent food guides give the opening hours as late morning to mid-afternoon and again in the early evening, with a break in between, so check before you go, especially if you plan a late lunch. Prices are those of a local eatery, which makes it an easy choice for budget travellers and families.

Phan Chau Trinh Street has several other chicken rice shops, including places at numbers 8 and 16, so it is easy to compare styles if you are staying a few days. The street is also home to Banh Mi Phuong at number 2B, and it becomes a pedestrian zone in the evening, from 17:30 until 21:30 in summer and until 21:00 in winter, which makes evening visits more pleasant on foot.

Com Ga Ba Buoi suits travellers who want to try a classic Hoi An dish in an unpretentious setting. Combine the meal with a walk through the old town, whose main heritage sites on Tran Phu and Nguyen Thai Hoc Streets are a short distance away. If you enjoy it, try cao lau and mi quang next, the town's other signature dishes.