Hoi An House brings the colour and hospitality of its namesake Vietnamese city to a Halswell restaurant built for unhurried gatherings. The dining room is joined by a relaxed garden bar, giving diners an outdoor option for cocktails, local wine or cold beer before dinner. Table bookings and live online ordering show the venue working equally well for a sit-down meal or food collected to take home, while its function spaces accommodate celebrations and corporate groups.
Small plates make a varied opening round. Fresh summer rolls and crisp vegetarian spring rolls sit beside lemongrass chicken skewers, Hanoi pork meatballs, pork belly and salt-and-pepper squid. Dim sum, prawn tom yum and a hawker-style roll extend the choice, while roti flatbread and a seasonal stir-fry provide useful additions for the table. Because many starters are marked gluten free or adaptable for plant-based diners, a mixed group can share without being confined to one narrow section.
The Vietnamese specialties move from noodles and soups to richer slow-cooked dishes. The Hoi An Bowl and the Chop Chop bun bring rice noodles, vegetables and fresh herbs into focus, while the traditional noodle soup offers a warming alternative. A Vietnamese pancake, green peppercorn chicken and lemongrass chicken sit alongside caramelised beef short rib, beef shin red curry and a sizzling tofu plate. The Mekong fish salad adds a lighter, sharper counterpoint to those substantial mains.
A separate Thai section broadens the menu with pad Thai, green curry, fried rice, cashew stir-fry, chilli and basil dishes, honey crisp chicken and black-pepper hot plates. Several can be prepared with vegetables or adjusted for gluten-free diners, making the range more flexible than the meat-heavy headings first suggest. Fresh fizzy sodas support takeaway orders, while the restaurant's garden bar adds cocktails, wine and beer for guests staying in. Set menus and event enquiries complete its role as a social neighbourhood restaurant.
Address: 265 Halswell Road, Halswell, Christchurch 8025, New Zealand
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