New Delhi, July 12 -- It's only 6pm, and we've started thinking about dinner. The scenes give in as we stroll past food stalls and coffee shops bustling with locals and tourists alike, devouring soupy noodle bowls and fried snacks cooked over charcoal fires.

We are in Hoi An, a Unesco World Heritage site in central Vietnam, where you don't really need an excuse to eat. We skip the boutique stores and tailoring shops, and plonk ourselves on plastic stools to eat com ga, the ubiquitous chicken rice, and also a Hoi An speciality.

Com ga is everywhere in this ancient town, admired for its architectural splendour, and cultural vibe. Inside hidden alleyways, and behind designer stores, frantic vendors plate up this beloved staple by the clock...