Best Cao Lau in Hoi An: We Found the Perfect Bowl!
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Hoi An is a great destination in Vietnam if you love food. Cheap food that is packed with flavor can be found all over the city.
But you most likely know all the Vietnamese classics, such as Pho and Banh Mi. They can be found worldwide, and so are not a totally new experience.
Although I think that the Banh Mi in Hoi An may be the best in the world.
So if you want a completely new culinary experience while you are in Hoi An, you have to try Cao Lau.
This is the signature dish of Hoi An and something that you will have a lot of difficulty finding in your home country.
We spent 1 month in Hoi An, and eating Cao Lau was my favourite meal despite all of the other options in town.
Unfortunately, there are some bad Cao Laus in Hoi An. Once a dish becomes popular with tourists, everyone starts making it, and they do not always do the greatest job.
But there is one spot that, in my opinion, is head and shoulders above everyone else and is definitely the best Cao Lau in Hoi An.
First off though, I will quickly let you know what exactly Cao Lau is.
What Is Cao Lau?
Cao Lau is a noddle dish that really exemplifies the history of Hoi An as a trading port.
Because Hoi An was a trading port for hundreds of years, there was a lot of influence on local cuisine from Chinese and Japanese traders.
Cao Lau consists of thick, chewy noodles in a rich broth, topped with seasoned pork, herbs, crispy rice crackers, bean sprouts and topped off with a bit of lime.
Because the noodles are very similar to udon noodles they are thought to be Japanese influenced. Whereas the pork is seasoned with five spices, which is thought to come from the Chinese influence.
Cao Lau noodles are made from a local rice and soaked in lye, which is made from the ash of a local tree, and mixed with special water from the local Ba Le Well.
Sounds odd! But this is supposed to be one of the secrets to the noodles’ special flavor.
The herbs are also super fresh because of the nearby Trà Quế Vegetable Village, which supplies tonnes of delicious fresh veggies to Hoi An every day.
Because of all the local ingredients involved, Cao Lau will never be the same outside of Hoi An. So you need to try it while you are in town!
TIỆM ĂN SÁNG CÔ NHỊ – The Best Cao Lau In Hoi An!
📍 Location: TIỆM ĂN SÁNG CÔ NHỊ (you’ll need a bike or scooter)
💸 Price: 25,000 VND per bowl about 1 USD!
⭐ Why Go: Authentic flavor, no tourists, true local experience
In my opinion, TIỆM ĂN SÁNG CÔ NHỊ has the best Cao Lau in Hoi An. You will most likely not find this location on other food blogs about Hoi An.
It is located right on the outskirts of town, and you will not accidentally stop in here. The stall does not look like much from the road, but they make some fantastic food here.
The only reason I found it was because we were staying a long way from the center of Hoi An. So I wanted to try to find a local place to eat and just started clicking around on Google Maps.
I randomly clicked on TIỆM ĂN SÁNG CÔ NHỊ or as we called it “The Cao Lau Lady” and I am so glad I found this place.
The restaurant is just a simple street stall with plastic chairs located next to a local market. But it is the perfect local food experience.
From the moment we arrived, the owner was smiling, laughing and waving for us to sit down. She does not speak any English, but she sure knows how to make Cao Lau.
Everything about the Cao Lau is perfect here. The noodles are nice and thick with just the right amount of bite to them. The herbs are always fresh and packed with a wide variety of interesting flavors.
I particularly loved the herbs in this Cao Lau because they use bitter herbs such as Chrysanthemum Greens, Vietnamese Coriander, and Common KnotGrass that are not often found in Western Countries.
The pork is sliced thin with a beautiful seasoning around the edges. Then you have the crunchy rice crackers to add another texture in the mix.
I also found the broth at the bottom to be packed with the right amount of seasoning.
Add fresh crunchy bean sprouts on top and squeeze some lime on top for some tangy acidity, and it is perfection.
I love dishes with a wide range of flavors and textures mixed together and this Cao Lau does it perfectly.
Because of the wide range of textures and flavors in Cao Lau the first thing you need to do is mix it all together so you can mix the broth with all the other ingredients. If you don’t, you will very quickly be told by a local mix, mix!
Even after visiting almost every day for a month, we were always told mix, mix mix! every time we received our bowl.
I highly recommend making the journey out to Tiem An Song. The lady who runs it is super friendly, her energy is amazing and it always made us so happy being there.
If her son Phuc is there, he speaks excellent English and is also super friendly.
Phuc is passionate about food and even runs his own food tours in Hoi An. So if you have questions about the food or want to go on a tour he is the man to talk to.
They also have many other great dishes, and for sure make some of the best street food in Hoi An.
We visited so many times that we ended up going on a motorbike trip up to Da Nang with Phuc and his mum. It was an awesome experience, and if we ever make it back to Hoi An our first stop will be at TIỆM ĂN SÁNG CÔ NHỊ.
Hoi An Market
📍 Location: Central Hoi An, along Trần Phú Street
💸 Price: Around 35,000–45,000 VND
⭐ Best For: Sampling multiple dishes in one visit
Another place that is popular to get Cao Lau in Hoi An is at the central market.
The Hoi An central market is right in the middle of the Old Town and you can buy quite good Cao Lau inside.
However, I do not think that this is the best place to get Cao Lau in Hoi An, even though many people say it is.
I personally did not like the market because as soon as I walked in, all of the ladies started calling out, waving menus and waving you to their stall.
I know that they are just trying to make money. But I never like the feeling that you are being pressured into eating.
Unfortunately, I think that the masses of tourists in the old town has changed the behavior of the people.
However, if you are in the old town and do not have your own scooter a Cao Lau will be ok here.
The food is not terrible at the market but it is just not amazing like at TIỆM ĂN SÁNG CÔ NHỊ.
Planning Your Hoi An Food Adventure
🛵 Joining a Hoi An street food tour – Phuc the son of the owner of our favorite Cao Lau vendor also does food tours. We have not done one but I am sure he would be an awesome guide as he is passionate about food and super friendly.
☕ Go To A Coffee Class to learn how to make some of Vietnams unique coffees. What I loved about Vietnamese coffee culture is that it is unique and totally different from other countries. During a coffee class you can learn all about the culture and how to make some of the drinks.
🍳Join A Cooking Class learn to make several Vietnamese dishes with a local family. Great way to truly understand what makes Vietnamese cooking so tasty.
Ready For Your Next Food Adventure In Hoi An?
Cao Lau is the most famous signature dish in Hoi An. But there is also plenty of other great food to try while you are in town.
In my opinion, Hoi An has the best Banh Mi in Vietnam; it is the perfect quick lunch if you are working online in Hoi An. We regularly rode our bikes into town to grab one for lunch; they are addictive!
During our time in Hoi An, we also ate tonnes of street food, pho, and drank lots of coffee. So make sure you check out our best street food, best pho and best cafe articles.
