Restaurant
Mango Mango
Chef Tran Thanh Duc's riverside restaurant, open since 2008, serving inventive Vietnamese fusion dishes with views across to the Japanese Covered Bridge.
Morning Glory Original
Ms Vy's original restaurant in an old house on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, serving Hoi An and Vietnamese dishes from family recipes, with an open kitchen downstairs.
At a glance
- Type
- Hoi An and Vietnamese home cooking
- Area
- Ancient Town, Hoi An, Vietnam
- Price
- $$ · Mid-range
- Official site
- beta.tastevietnam.asia
Good to know
- Open kitchen
- Heritage building
- Reservations advised
Why we recommend it
Morning Glory is the restaurant that launched one of Hoi An's best-known food names. It belongs to The Taste Vietnam Group, founded and owned by chef and cookbook author Trinh Diem Vy, known to everyone as Ms Vy, who is credited with starting the cooking classes that grew into the town's many cooking schools. The restaurant is named after a leafy green vegetable, and it occupies a historic building at 106 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street in the heart of the Ancient Town.
The menu draws on Ms Vy's family recipes and on the street food and home cooking of Hoi An. Much of the cooking is done in an open kitchen on the ground floor, so you can watch dishes being prepared, while the upper floor has French colonial decor and a calmer atmosphere. Recent guides single out the cao lau, the town's own noodle dish, and banh xeo, the crisp rice pancake filled with shrimp and bean sprouts, and the menu also includes dishes such as duck breast braised in coconut juice with tangerine zest.
Morning Glory is a good place to try several local specialities in one sitting, especially if you are not yet confident ordering at street stalls. Cao lau, for example, is made with noodles kneaded using water from the old Ba Le well and served with char siu pork, crisp noodle pieces and herbs rather than a soup, and here you can order it alongside other regional dishes.
Prices are higher than at the town's street stalls and simple eateries, reflecting the setting and the sit-down service. The restaurant is busy at peak times, particularly in the evening, so booking ahead is advised. The group publishes a phone number for the restaurant and a general email address for enquiries.
The location is ideal for combining dinner with an evening walk. Nguyen Thai Hoc Street also has Tan Ky Old House and the Museum of Folk Culture at number 33, and the Japanese Covered Bridge is a short walk to the west. Ms Vy's group also runs Vy's Market Restaurant and Cargo Club in Hoi An if you want to explore more of her cooking during your stay.
Morning Glory Original FAQs
Who owns Morning Glory?
It belongs to The Taste Vietnam Group, founded by chef and cookbook author Trinh Diem Vy (Ms Vy).
Where is it?
At 106 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street in the Ancient Town.
What should you order?
Cao lau and banh xeo are often recommended, along with other Hoi An specialities.
Do you need to book?
Booking is advised, as the restaurant is busy at peak times, especially in the evening.
Can you watch the cooking?
Yes, much of the cooking happens in the open kitchen on the ground floor.
Is it expensive?
It costs more than street food stalls but is mid-range for a sit-down restaurant.
How do you contact the restaurant?
By phone on +84 235 2241 555, or email the group at [email protected].