Cao lau in Hoi An: the thick noodles exist only here because of the water source

Cao lau is one of the three dishes you must try when visiting Hoi An — the other two are Quang noodles and chicken rice. But unlike Quang noodles, which you can find all over Central Vietnam, cao lau only tastes truly authentic in Hoi An. Reason: the ash-lye water from Ba Le well (an 800-year-old ancient well) is the secret to making cao lau noodles chewy, with their distinctive cloudy yellow color.

A bowl of cao lầu includes thick noodles (like udon but firmer), thinly sliced char siu pork, crispy fried noodle crisps sprinkled on top, fresh herbs, and very little sauce — just enough to moisten the noodles. Eat it dry, mix everything together, and dip in ground chili fish sauce.

Street food stalls in the old quarter cost around 30,000–50,000 VND. Remember to eat during the day — many of the best places only open at lunchtime and close early. If you visit Hoi An at night for the lanterns, come back the next day at lunch to eat cao lau.

📍 Great food area: Tran Phu and Nguyen Thai Hoc streets (in the old quarter) · 🥭 Goes well with: Lemon sugarcane juice · Corn chè