Cao lầu

History and Regional Versions

Cao lầu is a famous noodle dish from the ancient town of Hội An. Its origins are linked to the town’s history as a bustling international trading port in the 17th century, a time of strong cultural exchange between Japanese and Chinese merchants and local people. The name “Cao lầu” (高樓) means “upper floor,” stemming from the habit of wealthy merchants in the past who would sit on the second floor of restaurants to enjoy their noodles while overseeing their goods and ships at the port.

Cao lầu noodles are inspired by the thick udon noodles of Japan, but they use ash as an ingredient. The water used to soak the rice comes from the Bá Lễ well, famous for its cool, sweet water that is free from alum and salt. The ash used to soak the rice is collected from firewood burned on nearby Chàm Island. This unique combination creates light yellow cao lầu noodles with a distinctive chewy and crispy texture that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, making them unique to Hội An.

Thìa Gỗ’s version

The Cao lầu version at Thìa Gỗ is inspired by the original flavors of Hội An but specially adapted to be Muslim-friendly. While retaining the traditional char siu cao lầu technique, we use char siu beef marinated with five-spice powder, instead of pork.

How to Prepare

First, the dried cao lầu noodles are soaked in water until soft, then steamed to retain their characteristic chewy texture. The beef is marinated with minced garlic, five-spice powder, soy sauce, and sugar, then braised (to make char siu) over low heat until thoroughly infused with flavor and reddish-brown; the remaining sauce in the pan is reserved and simmered to make the savory concentrated broth. When serving, the chef places a handful of blanched bean sprouts and fresh herbs at the bottom of the bowl, arranges a sufficient amount of cao lầu noodles on top, followed by thinly sliced ​​char siu beef and a few pieces of crispy fried rice paper. Finally, a few spoonfuls of the rich, hot char siu sauce are poured over everything.

How to Eat

When enjoying this dish, diners use chopsticks to mix everything from bottom to top so that the cao lầu noodles, char siu beef, fresh vegetables, and sauce blend perfectly together, then savor the chewy, fatty, crispy, sweet, and spicy flavors.