Cao Lầu (Hội An Specialty Noodles)
Tell me lyes, tell me sweet little lyes
Cao lầu comes from the UNESCO heritage site of Hội An, and any list of top-tier Vietnamese noodle dishes should include it. It’s perhaps my very favorite noodle dish (although my top five Vietnamese dishes changes daily).
The basics of the dish are as follows: thicker, springy, rather gray-colored rice noodles made from rice soaked in lye (!) on a bed of lettuce, topped with pork, herbs, and bean sprouts. Little squares of the noodle dough are deep fried and thrown on top for a crispy, delicious flair. A little bit of broth comes on the side - dump it in and mix it up.
It’s a unique dish, and one that comes with a unique origin story.
These noodles were originally made only with lye made from plants found on the nearby Cham islands, and the water itself came from one specific well found in Hội An, the Bá Lễ well, which you can visit to this day if visiting wells is your thing.
Here are my three favorite spots around town that serve the iconic dish.
Mì Quảng Trí Hội An
Hours: 6:45am-1pm, 4:30pm-9:30pm
Address: 138 Bàu Cát 2, Phường 12, Tân Bình
https://maps.app.goo.gl/2JTFV57uTjXA5WNa7
This is a homey little housefront shop that’s a trek from the city center but they’re turning out the most fantastic, special mì quảng and cao lầu noodle bowls. Both dishes are fantastic. (Mì quảng is also in my top Vietnamese noodle dishes - check out my three favorite shops around the city.)
The cao lầu noodles are the most authentic I’ve had outside of Hoi An and prices are very reasonable. If you’ve got time to stop by this residential area for a meal, I highly recommend it. VERY unfortunately, the best way to get here is to drive on CMT8 street, which is always The Worst. Worth it, however, for this very special meal.
Note: I’ve included a picture of the mì quảng below. It’s the 2nd picture.
Mỳ Quảng Bà Mua (Chi Nhánh Quận 1)
Hours: 8am-9:45pm
Address: Hẻm 60A Lê Thị Riêng, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão, Quận 1
https://maps.app.goo.gl/hndZT1dQh5PS4SMc8
I dropped in for early lunch expecting to get mì quảng before I headed across the alley to Little Cam for a date, but was so pleased to see their menu also offers cao lầu! An easy choice.
They are fantastic and come with a larger-than-usual amount of very tender pork. The shop also serves iced apricot tea, which was an unusual but welcome change from the usual green tea. Parking is extremely limited and this branch of the shop is small, but it’s a banger.
Note: I haven’t been to any other branches; if you have, please share your experience in the comments.
Cô Ba Ân - Cao Lầu Hội An
Hours: 10:30am-2pm, 4:30pm-8:30pm
Address: 387/12 Đ. Cách Mạng Tháng Tám, Phường 13, Quận 10
https://maps.app.goo.gl/eHJstUcwP7X2ESBp7
This little shop is, again, located in a small alley off what is arguably HCMC’s worst street, CMT8, but it’s absolutely worth the hassle.
This is a slightly non-traditional version of the classic dish. The first thing you’ll notice here is that these bowls are ENORMOUS and have a ton of meat. Second, for the crunchies, they use fried wonton wrappers. The texture still works, and as a little bonus they stay crispier in the broth than the regular crunchies. Third, you can get it with either char siu, grilled pork, both, and/or a spring roll.
This spot also does a vegetarian version of the dish - another thing I’ve never seen anywhere else - but only on certain days of the month: the 1st and 15th of each lunar month. These are always vegetarian days for Buddhists. (It’s the second picture.) Check an online lunar calendar prior to visiting if you need that.
An honorable mention must go to one of my favorite Hue restaurants, Bếp Huế, which also does this dish very well, but I’ve already included it in a prior post.
Shops that serve Cao Lầu in HCMC are few and far between, so if you see it on a menu, I highly recommend giving it a shot.
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