Coastal Cravings

As an important port, Hoi An was once at the crossroads for trade that spanned Asia and Europe. Chinese and Japanese merchants settled here, stirring their ingredients into the pot. Significantly, the town’s evolving dining scene has extended its tendrils towards its coastal extremities with oceanfront options encompassing everything from high-end omakase to exemplary beach clubs. 

The siren song of the ocean is ever-present at Four Seasons The Nam Hai Resort, with the pounding of the East Sea surf a constant soundtrack at Hoi An’s most prestigious property. Therefore, it’s appropriate that the newest addition to the roster of fine dining options at the resort is Nayuu, an omakase experience that utilises premium Japanese seafood flown in from Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market as well as prime cuts of beef from Japan and Korea. Seasonally changing menus are overseen by Spanish-born, Tokyo-trained chef Alex Moranda, who prepares each dish kappo-style, cutting, slicing, grilling, and simmering his ingredients at the counter. Highlights of the experience include a sashimi selection starring peerless seafood and handcrafted nigiri sushi topped with the likes of Hokkaido scallops and briny creamy uni. Proceedings continue with diners engaging with Moranda as he selects cuts of aged beef, each cut distinct in flavour and texture. Grilled cuts include melt-in-the-mouth Kagoshima Wagyu tenderloin and aged-to-perfection Korean Andong Hanwoo beef. Nayuu has an enviable collection of premium regional sake from around Japan. Other drink highlights include a seaweed-infused Wakame Martini, and an Old Fashioned crafted with aged Sampan Rum, made just a few kilometres down the coast.

The chatter of customers and the noise of locally sourced Arabica beans being ground means that there’s rarely a quiet moment at the Sound of Silence. But the friendly vibe and the unimpeachable quality of everything on offer — from the various coffee-based drinks to the bakery items and brunch-forward offerings (think omelettes, egg dishes, fruit salads etc) on the food menu — squares with the meditative promise of the venue name. Indeed, with tables dotted throughout a lush tropical garden and a clutch of pews set right above the beach, it’s a favorite of Hoi An’s growing contingent of digital nomads. The selection of hand-drip coffees includes varieties from Vietnam and the Bolaven Plateau in Laos as well as from Ethiopia, Nicaragua, and Honduras.

A magnet for Danang’s beautiful people at its big city location, Esco Beach is bringing the party to An Bang Beach with its Hoi An outpost. Unveiled at the end of 2022, the beach club offers the same winning formula of sunny vibes, DJ beats, excellent cocktails, Vietnamese craft brews and well-executed casual cuisine as the original outpost. Yet, this being Hoi An, things are slightly less bling and a tad more refined. As such, luxuriously upholstered wicker chairs and sofas offer grandstand views over a garden studded with palm trees and out over the azure East Sea towards the distant Cham Islands. Sun loungers in the garden and on the beach offer plentiful tanning potential, while cabanas supply a little more shelter and privacy to groups and couples. Culinary offerings don’t reinvent the wheel, but pizzas, pasta, banh mi, and lighter dishes such as papaya salad with gambas and warm goat cheese salad hit the spot. So too do grilled items like Aussie black Angus tenderloin and fresh seafood like pan-seared seabass with crushed baby potatoes and braised leek in a butter dill sauce.

Beachside Italian joints don’t come much more solid than this stalwart, which continues to excel at its prime perch next to An Bang Beach. A long-time Hoi An favourite, Luna d’Autunno delivers hearty, unpretentious fare—wood-fired pizzas with bubbly crusts, fresh pasta, and generous seafood platters. The setting is relaxed but refined, with rattan furniture, soft lighting, and a sea breeze that pairs well with a chilled glass of vino. Whether you’re coming in off the sand for a casual bite or settling in for sunset dinner, Luna balances authenticity with a laidback vibe that keeps guests returning.