- Thick wheat noodles, soaked in lye water (the Hoi An method)
- Sliced pork (xa xiu style), bean sprouts, lettuce and herbs
- Crisp rice croutons for crunch
- A spoonful of rich pork broth, never a full soup
Cao Lau
Cao lau, Hoi An's thick noodle dish. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Cao lau is Hoi An's noodle dish and it genuinely exists nowhere else: thick, chewy noodles that legend says can only be made with water from the town's Ba Le well, tossed with slices of pork, bean sprouts, greens and crisp croutons.
The noodles are closer to Japanese udon than to Vietnamese rice noodles, a legacy of the Japanese merchants who traded here in the 1600s. It is served barely sauced, more salad than soup.
Key ingredients
Where to try it
- Cao Lau Thanh (26 Thai Phien, Hoi An): the locals' pick.
- Morning Glory (106 Nguyen Thai Hoc): the famous restaurant version.
- The central market stalls in Hoi An old town.