Bale Well Restaurant - our favourite spot in Hoi An!

We spent 5 weeks in Hoi An and in that time we visited Bale Well 4 times. This spot became our Friday night dinner tradition, if a tradition can last a mere 4 weeks.

On our first Friday in Hoi An and first visit to Hoi An Old Town the plan was to go eat at Bale Well Restaurant. We were very hungry, had very little idea where we were going and if it wasn't for the gentleman who politely asked us if we were going to Bale Well, we would have missed it completely. The restaurant is hidden down an alley right outside of Old Town, and can easily be missed amongst the busy-ness, that is, one of Vietnam's most densely tourist-populated cities.

Bale Well, pronounced Bah-Leh-Well, is a breath of fresh air compared to most of the more "fancier" eateries in and around Hoi An Old Town. The fact that many locals dine here, the beers are less than a dollar (USD$) and the air smells like a good old South African braai made this entire experience even better!

The restaurant serves one thing and one thing only. A set menu, which comprises of:
- Bánh xèo (pancakes made from rice flour)
- Nem nướng (grilled pork sausage on a skewer)
- Thịt nướng (satay style pork skewers)
- Ram cuốn (prawn fried spring roll)
- Kimchi
- Salad leaves and herbs
- Rice paper

The idea and traditional way to eat all of this is to carefully make rice paper rolls stuffed with these various ingredients. After the second time there, we became self-proclaimed professionals (although, I'm not sure the locals would agree). Here's a video demonstrating our skills..

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