Tastes Of Hoi An

TODD LAWRENCE studies some (delicious) Vietnamese history.

EVEN THOUGH IT IS JUST HALF an hour by road from the modern city of Da Nang on Vietnam's eastern coast, Hoi An moves at a different pace. Once upon a time the most important trading hub in Southeast Asia, the riverside town had become a neglected backwater until UNESCO recognized its historic significance in 1999. Now Hoi An's narrow lanes, atmospheric buildings and romantic waterfront setting are the basis of a different economy — tourism.

PHOTOS THIS SPREAD Iced coffee two ways; Ice cream made streetside in metal molds.