Hoi An's Cao Lau dish featured in British newspaper.

The riverside port of Hoi An in central Vietnam has always been a melting pot of cultures and cuisines. It's a fascinating place that any travel enthusiast would long to explore.

Cao Lau is a reflection of Hoi An's ancient town in a single bowl of noodles. Unique to this town, the dish clearly reflects the influence of foreign merchants who sought their fortune in Hoi An. The origin and history of Cao Lau are still debated.

But it's also undeniable that the pale yellow noodles, with their slightly chewy texture and subtle woody aroma, and the rich, calcium-rich broth, similar to Japanese soba noodles, are a wonderful combination. Add to that the thin, sweet slices of stir-fried pork marinated in star anise and cinnamon bark—a variation from Chinese cuisine—and finally, the herbs, lemongrass, bean sprouts, rice crackers, and crispy fried pork skin, making Cao Lau an unmistakable Vietnamese dish.

Legend has it that, to achieve the characteristic chewy and flavorful noodles in a bowl of cao lầu, the broth used to mix the flour must be taken from the Ba Lễ well, famous for its purity in the town. More importantly, the noodles must be handmade and hand-cut.

Ngoc Anh