Monday 11 April 2011

Cau Lau, Hoi An

In terms of the food, Hoi An was probably my favourite stop on my whitsle-stop eating tour of Vietnam.


Here's a dish the town is famous for: Cau Lau.


A lunchtime noodle dish with thinly sliced bbq/roasted pork, a thin porky gravy-like sauce, various greens and herbs, and finally it's topped with crisp-fried squares of noodle dough for added texture.

The noodles are worth a special mention; they're supposed to be made using the water from one or two particular Hoi An wells. Don't ask me why. But they are made differently...the result is a light brown noodle, which has an almost nutty flavour and is pleasingly chewy and satisfying.


Served with some tasty condiments, and eaten squatting on a miniscule plastic stool, it makes an ideal lunch:



















My dining partner was clearly loving her bowl just as much:



3 comments:

Lynn said...

I loved Hoi An, AND Cau Lau - I ate a bowl on each of the four days we were there. Robyn at EA had recommended a vendor at the market, but we never found her, alas. The best version I had was at a little stall along the river just across the Japanese bridge...

chefscott67 said...

and that's the chili paste right there in the picture....

chefscott67 said...

and that's the chili paste right there in the picture....