Saigon Cao Lau

This is Cao Lau. A pork noodle dish, native of Hoi An town in Central Vietnam. I've blogged this dish before. The rendition above is the Saigon take. I find this at the "What? You want a table for six? You'll be bloody lucky" - Quan An Ngon Restaurant at 138 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia street in District 1. It's the first time I've seen this dish sold anywhere outside Hoi An. I don't know when Quan An Ngon added it to the menu. I can't remember seeing it on previous visits. Their take ain't that great. Quite bland and nowhere near as enjoyable as the one I blogged from Hoi An, see below. Looks quite a bit different too, no?

So, a request. Does anyone know of anywhere else in Vietnam, outside Hoi An, where you can score Cao lau? Good Cao lau? Here's NoStarwhere's take and The Rice Bowl's.

Comments

[dc]

that's interesting, one of my friends when he visited Hoi An also commented that he'd never seen this dish outside of Hoi An until.... i took him to my favourite vietnamese restaurant and there it was on the menu!

Admittedly it wasn't the same he said, but i remember its contents being those hoi an noodles, black sesame rice crackers, prawn, pork with a shallow amount of sauce/soup semi-spicey.

but that can be found at Arthur Street, Cabramatta, NSW, Australia =D

[Triet]

I've seen it on the menu at the corner outdoor restaurant on the northeast corner of Ben Thanh market. The last time I had it there was in 2004, and I had just been in Hoi An about one week previous, so I don't remember it being amazing. However, drop by the market in the morning some time and see how it compares to what you just ate.

[Sharon]

But surely that's the thing about Cao lau? The noodles can only be made in Hoi An because the water used only comes from one special well in someone's courtyard. And if you don't have the noodles, it is not the same. Anyway it is a great excuse to go back to fabulous Hoi An. I am just trying to figure out how I could live there!

[Tu Cong Van]

This is a very famous dish, your pic is great. I was in Saigon last week but had no time to try all the dishes. I always enjoy my time there.

[mayamaya]

mmmmmm... that looks so good. ever since i watched the 2 part 'lonely planet' feature on vietnam so many years ago, i made a mental note to include it on my travel itinerary (whenever i have the time and wherwithal, of course), so i can taste all that gorgeous food :)

[MEalcentric]

Looks like Mi quang, no?

[NotAvailable]

I like this dish very much. There is at least one place in Saigon that serves this dish for a long time already. So bad I can remember the name, I think the street is Huynh Tinh Cua, the area near Tan Dinh market, but it really hard to find as you has to go into a small lane, quite like the "bun oc" location, but even harder to find :( Seems like mission impossible to me now but this spot serves quite good "cao lau", although not as tasty as the one in Hoi An.

[Benn]

Arthur Street, Cabramatta eh?

Now, only to find the exact spot?!