Page 236 - WDT INTERACTIVE

HOI AN

A cornucopia of Vietnamese food

Story & Photography By Kitty Morse

ne thing I didn’t expect to experience in Hoi An’s Old Quarter,
a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE site, was the divine quietude
of The Reach Out Teahouse. (https://reachingoutvietnam.
Ocom) This unique establishment is run by a crew of hearing-
impaired staff, and the main way to communicate is by sign language or
post-it notes.
I turned my back on Hoi An’s oppressive April heat and allowed the
café’s cottony calm to settle upon my shoulders. Whispering is de rigueur
in this oasis of serenity. My immediate impression was that of an opium
den as pictured in the classic movie Indochine starring Catherine Deneuve.
Patrons lost in solitary contemplation reclined on hassocks in the cool
penumbra. Here, the attraction was not mind-altering drugs, but ginger
and lemongrass lemonade, and organic green teas and coffees, all locally-
sourced. The fair trade products were available in the café’s gift shop in
keeping with its mission to support persons with disabilities.

236 WDT MAGAZINE WINTER 2018