Mot Drink Hoi An: The Herbal Tea Everyone in the Old Town Is Holding
Mot Drink Hoi An / Mot’s Tea – also written “Nuoc Mot” or simply “Mót” – is a cold herbal tea made from lemongrass, lime, lotus leaf, and a handful of traditional Vietnamese herbs, served in a glass topped with a fresh lotus petal. It costs 18,000 VND (under a dollar), it’s sold at a handful of small stalls in the Old Town, and it has become the drink tourists photograph before they even taste it. If you’ve scrolled past a glass of pale amber liquid with a flower balanced on the rim in your Hoi An search results, this is it.
| What it is | Iced herbal tea: lemongrass, lime, lotus leaf, licorice, ginger, chrysanthemum, honey |
| Where | Mot Hoi An, 150 Tran Phu Street, Old Town (the original; a few smaller copies have opened nearby) |
| Price | 18,000 VND (roughly $0.40–$0.80) |
| Hours | Around 9:00 AM–9:00 PM daily |
| Taste | Tangy, cooling, faintly medicinal on the first sip – most people like it by the second |
| Best time to go | Before 10 AM or after 7 PM, when the Old Town crowd thins out |
Read more: Is Hoi An Crowded? An Honest 2026 Guide (And How to Still Have It to Yourself)
What exactly is Mot Drink Hoi An?
Mot Drink is a cold herbal infusion, not a fruit juice or a soda, and that distinction matters because most first-time visitors expect something sweeter. The base is lemongrass and lime, cooked down with dried lotus leaves, chrysanthemum flowers, green tea, ginger, and a touch of honey for balance. Different stalls tweak the recipe slightly, but the core combination stays close to the original.
The name itself has a simple backstory. “Mot” (properly spelled “Mót” in Vietnamese) was the childhood nickname of Nguyen Huu Xuan, the young vendor who first started selling this drink to tourists walking through the Old Town years ago. He eventually opened a small shop under that name, and it stuck – both as a shop name and, informally, as the name locals and travelers now use for the drink itself, even at other stalls that sell something similar.
What separates Mot from the dozens of other herbal teas sold across Vietnam is the specific blend and the presentation. Vendors serve it in a clear glass with a fresh lotus leaf wrapped loosely around the outside and a lotus flower petal or bud resting on top, which is why it photographs so well and why it spreads quickly on social media every high season. It’s marketed and generally understood as a “detox” drink, though it’s really best described as a refreshing herbal cooler rather than a medicinal remedy.
What does Mot Drink taste like and is it for everyone?
Some travelers describe it as instantly refreshing, cooling, and citrusy with a mild sourness that cuts through Hoi An’s humidity. Others find the herbal, faintly medicinal edge unexpected if they were picturing something closer to lemonade or iced tea.
The good news is that it grows on almost everyone by the second or third sip, once the initial “this tastes like herbs” reaction passes. The lime and lemongrass dominate up front, the lotus leaf and chrysanthemum add a mellow, slightly floral finish, and the honey keeps it from tipping into anything too bitter. It’s served cold and lightly sweetened, closer in spirit to a chilled herbal iced tea than a soft drink.
If you’re the type of traveler who enjoys trying a country’s actual local flavors rather than the tourist-friendly version of them, Mot Drink delivers exactly that. It’s not designed to please every Western palate on the first try, and that’s part of its appeal – it tastes distinctly Vietnamese rather than adapted for visitors. Travelers who prefer something sweeter and more familiar might lean toward the coconut coffee or fresh fruit juices sold at the same stalls instead.
Where to find the original Mot in Hoi An
The original Mot shop sits at 150 Tran Phu Street, one of the busiest pedestrian streets running through the heart of the Old Town, close to the Japanese Covered Bridge and a short walk from the main riverside strip. It’s small, easy to miss if you’re not looking for it, and usually identifiable by the small cluster of people standing outside with a glass in hand.
Because the drink has gone viral more than once, several smaller stalls nearby now sell something they also call “Mot,” using similar ingredients and the same lotus-petal presentation. They’re not necessarily bad – some are simply overflowing for the original when the queue gets long – but if trying the “real” version matters to you, Tran Phu Street is the address to look for, and it’s worth checking reviews before joining a queue at a copycat stand a few doors down.
Getting there from Bliss Hoi An Beach Resort & Wellness is straightforward. The resort runs a free shuttle bus into the Old Town several times a day, which drops you within easy walking distance of Tran Phu Street, so there’s no need to arrange a taxi or negotiate a Grab fare just to try one drink. Pairing the trip with a wider walk through the Old Town – old merchant houses, the covered bridge, the riverside market – makes far better use of the shuttle than a single stop.
How much does it cost, and what’s actually worth ordering?
At 18,000 VND per glass (2026 update price), Mot Drink is one of the cheapest “must-try” experiences in the Old Town, which is part of why it works so well as a between-stops treat rather than a planned meal. Prices can run slightly higher at the smaller copycat stalls that lean into the tourist foot traffic, so it’s worth checking the price displayed before ordering, especially during peak season.
Most shops sell only the one core drink, sometimes with small variations – a version with more lime, a stronger lotus-leaf infusion, or a slightly sweeter batch for kids. A few stalls also sell dried lotus seeds, herbal tea bags, and small snacks alongside the drink, which make reasonable souvenirs if you liked the flavor enough to want it at home.
Because it’s inexpensive and the portions are small, most travelers treat Mot Drink as a quick rehydration stop rather than a sit-down café visit – order it, drink it standing or on a nearby bench, and keep walking. If you’re looking for a proper seated coffee or juice break instead, our roundup of Hoi An’s best cafés covers spots with actual seating and a longer menu.
Best time to go if you want to skip the queue
Mot Drink’s popularity is its biggest downside. During peak hours – roughly 10 AM to 4 PM, and again in the early evening once the lanterns come on – the shop on Tran Phu Street regularly has a small line spilling onto the sidewalk, especially between November and March when the Old Town is busiest.
Going early works well, since the shop typically opens around 9 AM and the crowds haven’t built up yet, giving you a much faster in-and-out visit along with cooler walking temperatures. Late evening, closer to closing time around 8:30–9 PM, is the other quiet window, and it comes with the added benefit of seeing the Old Town’s lanterns fully lit.
If your schedule only allows a midday visit, treat the wait as part of the experience rather than a problem – it rarely stretches past ten or fifteen minutes, and it’s a good spot to people-watch on a street that’s already one of the most photographed in the Old Town. For a broader breakdown of when Hoi An gets genuinely packed versus when it’s manageable, our guide on whether Hoi An is crowded covers the full picture, not just this one street.
What’s actually in Mot Drink – and the health claims behind It
The ingredient list is longer than most travelers expect for something that looks like simple lemonade. A typical batch includes lemongrass, lime, dried lotus leaf, chrysanthemum flowers, licorice root, ginger, green tea leaves, and honey, simmered together and served over ice. Some vendors add cinnamon or dried tangerine peel for extra depth.
In Vietnamese herbal medicine, several of these ingredients are traditionally associated with cooling the body and aiding digestion – lotus leaf and chrysanthemum in particular are common in teas meant to be drunk in hot weather. That’s part of why the drink is often marketed as a “detox” tea locally, though it’s worth being clear-eyed about that label: it’s a pleasant herbal infusion with genuinely fresh ingredients, not a clinically proven remedy, and no single glass is going to reverse a day of street food and beer.
What it does deliver reliably is hydration with far less sugar than a typical soft drink or bubble tea, plus the psychological lift of trying something that’s actually local rather than an international chain’s version of “Vietnamese.” For travelers managing the heat and humidity of Central Vietnam, that combination – low sugar, cooling herbs, genuine hydration – is reason enough to make it a regular stop rather than a one-time photo.
Other Hoi An Drinks worth trying alongside Mot
Mot Drink is the most photographed local beverage in the Old Town, but it’s far from the only one worth your time, and pairing it with one or two others gives you a much fuller picture of Hoi An’s drink culture in a single afternoon.
Egg coffee is the other drink most visitors ask about, and it couldn’t be more different – a rich, sweet, almost dessert-like coffee topped with a whipped egg-and-condensed-milk cream, best enjoyed sitting down rather than on the move. Our full breakdown of egg coffee in Hoi An covers where to find the better versions of it in town.
Fresh coconut water, sugarcane juice, and Vietnamese iced coffee (ca phe sua da) round out the list of drinks locals actually drink daily, sold from carts and small stalls throughout the Old Town and along the riverside. None of them carry the same social-media reputation as Mot Drink, but they’re worth working into a longer food-and-drink walk – our guide to Hoi An’s best places to eat groups several of these stops into one practical route so you’re not backtracking across town.
Quick comparison
| Drink | Taste | Price (VND) | Best for |
| Mot Drink | Tangy, herbal, cooling | 18,000 (2026 update) | A quick, photogenic local experience |
| Egg coffee | Sweet, rich, dessert-like | 25,000–45,000 | A sit-down café break |
| Fresh coconut | Mild, naturally sweet | 20,000–30,000 | Hydration on a hot walk |
| Vietnamese iced coffee | Strong, bittersweet | 20,000–35,000 | A caffeine stop between sights |
Enjoying Hoi An’s Drink culture without leaving the resort
Not every day of a Hoi An trip needs an Old Town run, and that’s exactly what makes staying at a beachfront resort work well alongside a food-and-drink-focused itinerary. After a morning spent tracking down Mot Drink and wandering Tran Phu Street, most guests are ready for something calmer by the afternoon, and that’s where the resort’s own dining venues take over.
Breakfast at Binh Minh Restaurant is where many guests build their day’s energy before heading into town – a full buffet with Asian and European options, fresh tropical juices, and Vietnamese coffee, served with an open view of the private beach rather than a busy street. It’s worth timing a Mot Drink trip for later in the morning after a proper buffet breakfast rather than skipping breakfast altogether for the sake of one small glass.
Once the sun starts dropping, the Cham Beach Bar is where a lot of the same “try the local flavors” curiosity that draws people to Mot Drink translates into an evening cocktail menu, with tropical mixes and mocktails built around fresh local fruit rather than syrup. For guests who’d rather stay closer to the water without heading down to the sand, the Pool Bar and the Sea View Rooftop Bar both offer a similarly relaxed, drink-in-hand way to close out the day.
If a day trip built around Old Town food and drink stops sounds like the right shape for your visit, it’s worth locking in the details ahead of time rather than figuring it out on arrival – our Hoi An travel package guide walks through how to combine beachfront stays with Old Town exploration in one booking, and you can check current rates and availability directly on the resort’s booking page.
Guests who’ve stayed at the resort consistently mention two things in their reviews without being asked: how fresh and varied the breakfast buffet is, and how much they appreciated the free shuttle making Old Town trips this easy – several call out the Vietnamese iced coffee at breakfast specifically as a favorite.
That combination of easy access to the Old Town’s food scene and a genuinely good in-house dining program is what makes a Mot Drink outing feel like a half-day addition to your stay rather than a whole separate excursion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mot Drink Hoi An safe for tourists to drink?
→ Yes. It’s a boiled herbal infusion served cold over ice at established stalls with steady foot traffic, which generally means higher turnover and fresher batches. As with any street drink in Vietnam, sticking to busy, well-reviewed stalls is the simplest way to stay safe.
How long does it take to try Mot Drink?
→ Ordering and drinking takes about 10–15 minutes, including a short queue during peak hours. It fits easily into a longer Old Town walk rather than needing its own dedicated trip.
Is Mot Drink the same as Vietnamese herbal tea sold elsewhere in Vietnam?
→ It’s related but distinct – the specific combination of lemongrass, lime, lotus leaf, and the lotus-petal presentation is closely associated with this one stretch of Hoi An, even though herbal teas in general are common across the country.
Can I bring Mot Drink ingredients home?
→ Some stalls sell dried herbal tea bags or lotus seeds as takeaway souvenirs, though the fresh version itself is best enjoyed on the spot rather than transported.
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