Home-style recipes from around the world

EN
Hoi An cao lầu: thick rice noodles topped with herbs, pork, bean sprouts and fried wonton crisps
Prep1 hr 30 min
Cook1 hr 15 min
Serves4 servings
CuisineCentral Vietnamese
Southeast Asia

Cao Lầu: Hoi An's Dry Rice Noodles with Five-Spice Pork

A home recipe for Hoi An's signature cao lầu: thick rice noodles, five-spice pork, just a little braising liquid, fresh herbs and crisp fried wonton wrappers. Covers how to stand in for the local lye-water noodles, heat that keeps noodles from overcooking, braising the pork, regional notes, storage and choosing fish sauce.

Total: 2 hr 45 minLevel: Intermediate

Cooking flow

Cooking steps

STEP 11 / 6

Crush the aromatic marinade coarsely

10 min

Crushing lemongrass, garlic, turmeric and chile in a stone mortar into a yellow aromatic marinade
Crush the aromatics coarsely and add the five-spice powder and fish sauce

No heat is used. Finely chop 50 g of the white part of the lemongrass, 20 g garlic, 30 g fresh turmeric and 1 red chile, and crush them in a mortar into a paste with some texture left. Add 45 ml soy sauce, 30 ml fish sauce, 30 ml honey, 1 tbsp five-spice powder, the black pepper and the salt, and stir from the bottom.

Leaving the lemongrass fibers about 1–2 mm rather than making a smooth liquid keeps pockets of aroma when the pork braises. If it's hard to crush, add only 1 tsp of water. If you dilute it with too much water, it is hard to bring the marinade back to the thickness you want to coat the pork with. You are done when the marinade is yellow and the honey is not sitting at the bottom.

STEP 22 / 6

Marinate the pork in the refrigerator

1 hour

Large cubes of pork shoulder coated in the aromatic marinade, chilling in a shallow container in the refrigerator
Cut the pork into 5–6 cm cubes and let the marinade soak in in the refrigerator

Cut 600 g pork shoulder into 5–6 cm cubes and put them in a heavy bag or shallow container with the aromatic marinade. Turn to coat everything evenly, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. If you have time, leave it overnight, but no longer than 12 hours.

It is ready when the surface has changed from yellow to a reddish brown and the marinade clings to the corners of the meat. When the aroma of the marinade rises and the surface is an even reddish brown, marinating is done. At room temperature only the surface warms up, so refrigerate even for a short marinade. Don't discard the marinade left in the bag after you take out the pork; it is fully cooked together with the water in the next braising step.

STEP 33 / 6

Brown the surface, then braise over low heat

50–60 min

Pork with a browned surface simmering quietly in a pot with a little braising liquid over low heat
Brown the pork, then braise over low heat until the liquid has reduced by half

Put 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy skillet or a deep pot and heat over medium heat. Take the pork out of the container, lightly wipe off the surface marinade and add it to the oil. Turn the pieces over 5–6 minutes, giving the meat alone a thin browning on four sides. If the surface looks about to turn black, lower the heat to medium-low and push the meat to one side before it scorches.

Add the remaining marinade and 500 ml water and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spatula. Bring to a full boil once, lower to low heat, cover and simmer for 45–60 minutes. Keep the heat so the surface doesn't bubble hard and just quivers gently, and turn the meat only once during cooking. Turn off the heat when the liquid has reduced to about half and a bamboo skewer slides into the center of the meat without resistance. As a guide, the pork is done when a skewer goes in without resistance and the surface of the meat starts to come apart.

If it is still tough, add 50 ml water, put the lid back and extend by 10 minutes at a time. Boiling off only the liquid over high heat leaves the outside of the pork tight, so check tenderness first.

STEP 44 / 6

Fry the wonton wrappers for crunch

10 min

Frying 1 cm squares of wonton wrapper in oil until golden crisp toppings
Fried wonton wrapper pieces supply the crunch of cao lầu

Cut 8 wonton wrappers into 1 cm squares and heat the frying oil in a small pot to 170–180°C. Add the wrappers a few at a time and fry for 60–90 seconds, until the edges are golden brown and the bubbles are finer. Lift them onto a rack to drain and don't stack them until fully cool.

If you don't have a thermometer, drop in one corner of a wrapper: the right temperature is when it immediately produces fine bubbles. If hardly any bubbles appear the oil is too low and the crisps come out limp. On the other hand, if they turn dark brown in about 30 seconds they will taste bitter, so lower the heat before frying the next batch. Even if you use local fried noodles, keep them away from moisture until just before eating.

STEP 55 / 6

Boil the noodles and bean sprouts and adjust the braising liquid

15 min

Boiling thick rice noodles and bean sprouts in hot water while reducing the pork braising liquid to a small amount in a pot beside them
Follow the package time for the noodles and add the bean sprouts to the same water for the last minute

Take the pork out of the pot and rest it for 5 minutes, then warm only the braising liquid over low heat. If there is a lot of fat on the surface, skim a little with a spoon and reduce until the trail of a wooden spatula stays visible for a moment. The guide is about 200 ml for 4 servings, enough to divide into 2–3 tablespoons per bowl.

In a separate pot, boil the thick rice noodles according to the package. For dried noodles with no instructions, boil in boiling water for 7–10 minutes and check by tasting one strand until no hard core remains in the center. If you use udon, follow the package and don't overheat it so the surface turns mushy. Add 200 g bean sprouts 1 minute before the noodles are done, and cook them in the same water.

Lift the noodles and sprouts into a colander and drain lightly while still steaming. Rinsing with water for a long time makes the sauce on the surface cling less, so rinse briefly only if the noodles stick together. Slice the pork thinly, about 5 mm thick, and taste the braising liquid. If it is too salty, add water 1 tbsp at a time and warm it for just 30 seconds.

STEP 66 / 6

Layer the greens, noodles and pork

5 min

Plating: lettuce, thick rice noodles, pork, herbs, bean sprouts and fried crisps layered in turn, with a little braising liquid spooned over
Layer the toppings and finish with only a small amount of braising liquid left at the bottom of the bowl

Spread the leaf lettuce in the bowls and add the warm noodles and bean sprouts. Arrange about 5–6 slices of pork per person and spoon over only 2–3 tablespoons of braising liquid. Top with herbs such as mint and cilantro, scallions and the fried wonton crisps, and serve with lime and chili sauce.

If liquid runs all the way around when you tilt the bowl, you've added too much. In that case move the noodles to another bowl and reduce the remaining liquid in a small pot for only 2–3 minutes. Lift noodles, pork, herbs and crisp pieces together with chopsticks and squeeze lime just before eating, and the sweet-and-salty braising liquid is followed by sourness and green fragrance.

0 / 0
Ingredients

Ingredients

1 / 3

Pork and aromatic marinade

Ingredient Amount Substitutes & notes
Pork shoulder (in one piece) 600 g Pork leg works, but shoulder is better for keeping the meat moist after braising
Lemongrass 5 stalks (about 50 g trimmed) Use the white part. 50 g if using frozen chopped lemongrass
Garlic 20 g Crush before chopping to bring out the aroma
Fresh turmeric 2 tbsp grated (about 30 g) If you can't find it, 2 tsp turmeric powder
Five-spice powder 1 tbsp Start with this amount even if you want a stronger aroma, and adjust later
Soy sauce 45 ml 3 tbsp. Brands differ in saltiness, so decide on adding more at the end
Fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla) 30 ml If you don't like seafood, switch to the soy-sauce version described below
Honey 30 ml 2 tbsp. Or 25 g sugar dissolved in a little water
Red chile 1 Remove the seeds or leave it out for less heat
Black pepper 1 g Coarsely ground. Used on the surface of the pork
Salt 2 g Check the saltiness of the marinade; sometimes you add none after braising
2 / 3

Noodles and herbs

Ingredient Amount Substitutes & notes
Thick dried rice noodles 400 g Prefer thick flat noodles. If you can't find them, thick udon for 4
Bean sprouts 200 g Remove the root tails so they tangle with the noodles in the bowl
Green leaf or red leaf lettuce 200 g Wash, dry well and tear into bite-size pieces
Herbs such as mint, Thai basil and cilantro 50 g in total You can mix in shiso, mitsuba or basil, but the aroma changes
Scallions 30 g Sliced into thin rounds. Used as part of the herbs
Lime 1 Cut into wedges. Lemon works but the aroma is lighter
Chili sauce 20 g Serve it in the bowls of people who want heat. Don't mix it in beforehand
3 / 3

Braise and fried wrappers

Ingredient Amount Substitutes & notes
Water 500 ml Enough to come about halfway up the pork. Add 50 ml at a time if it runs short
Vegetable oil for browning 1 tbsp (15 ml) For searing the pork. Use an oil without a strong aroma
Wonton wrappers 8 Cut into 1 cm squares and fry. A stand-in for the local fried noodles or cao lầu crisps
Oil for deep-frying 300 ml Enough for the wrappers to float in a small pot. Strain after use and keep for other fried food
0 / 0

Finishing cao lầu as a dry noodle dish

When you lift the drained thick rice noodles into the bowl, the braising liquid left at the bottom just gleams. Pork coated in five-spice and lemongrass, bright green herbs, bean sprouts and fried crisps are layered on top, and you pick it all up with chopsticks. This is not a noodle dish where you drink the broth. A thin film of sauce clings to the surface of the noodles, and you taste the chew and the aroma as you bite.

Cao lầu is a rice noodle dish that represents Hoi An in Quang Nam province, central Vietnam. Thick noodles are topped with pork, leafy greens and herbs, bean sprouts and crunchy fried bits, and a little of the liquid the pork was braised in goes over the top. The local noodles are described in connection with the type of rice, the water and an alkaline water made from wood ash, so it is a dish that is hard to match exactly in a home kitchen.

So the home version narrows what we reproduce to four things: thick, clean-biting noodles, five-spice pork, a small amount of braising liquid left in the bottom of the bowl, and the contrast of herbs and fried crisps. Matching the thickness of the noodles and the amount of liquid first brings the impression closer than chasing the water and wood ash in your own way.

Compared with pho ga (in Japanese), where the bowl is filled with broth, the liquid plays a different role even though both are Vietnamese noodle dishes. Cao lầu is at its best when no liquid pools in the bottom of the bowl as you lift the noodles and toppings together.

What you get from this recipe

Serves 4. Allow 1 hour 30 minutes of preparation including marinating the pork, 1 hour 15 minutes of cooking, and 2 hours 45 minutes in total. The finished bowl has no soup poured in, and each portion gets 2–3 tablespoons of braising liquid. The base is thick dried rice noodles; if you can't find them, thick udon is the substitute.

Ingredients (serves 4)

The ingredients for cao lầu: pork shoulder, thick rice noodles, lemongrass, fish sauce, five-spice powder, herbs, bean sprouts and lime laid out on a kitchen counter
Gather the pork, thick rice noodles, aromatics and herbs for cao lầu

For noodles, check the package or name for "thick" or "flat" rather than choosing thin dried pho noodles. If you are making this just once, though, thick udon doesn't change the key points of the cooking. If you plan to make it a few times to test the local texture, look for dried noodles whose width and weight you can confirm, and don't force a purchase if only thin noodles are available.

Nuoc mam is Vietnamese fish sauce and nam pla is Thai fish sauce. Both create the saltiness and umami of the dish, but the aroma is not the same. Since this dish uses only a small amount, a bottle you already have is enough: measure 30 ml and don't buy a new one.

Fish sauce, soy sauce and wonton wrappers contain fish, soy and wheat depending on the product. If you have an allergy, rely on the ingredient labels at the time of purchase, including any labels about shared production lines. Marinade that has touched raw pork must not be reused as is for another dish; always bring it to a boil together with the pork before braising.

Method: keep the noodles from overcooking and coat them with a little braising liquid

While the pork braises, wash and dry the herbs, and set out the pot for boiling the noodles and a small pot for the frying oil. The dish is plated while the noodles are hot, so set out the bowls, lettuce, scallions and lime first so the noodles don't soak up extra moisture.

Adjustments for avoiding mistakes

Don't chase the local lye water; match the thickness of the noodles

The noodles of Hoi An's cao lầu are explained in connection with the local rice, the water and an alkaline water made from wood ash. Those conditions affect the color and chew of the noodles, so simply boiling ordinary rice noodles won't match them exactly. Don't dissolve wood ash in water at home or add alkaline agents of unknown origin, because you cannot judge the safety of the material or the concentration.

If you only have thin pho noodles, cook them for the time on the package instead of shortening the time and leaving them hard, and make up the texture with the fried crisps and herbs; it is easier to eat. Look for thick dried rice noodles only if you plan to make this again. For a single batch, finishing it as a "Japanese home version" with thick udon is less likely to break the noodles and keeps the dry-noodle idea intact.

If there's too much braising liquid or it's too salty, bring it back instead of discarding

If the braising liquid is left like a soup, warm it over low heat with the pork taken out. Reduce until the trail of a wooden spatula along the bottom of the pot stays visible for about 1 second, then divide into 2–3 tablespoons per serving.

If saltiness hits first, add water 1 tbsp at a time, warm for 30 seconds and taste. If you add fish sauce because it has become diluted, only the saltiness returns after reducing. If the pork has taken on too much seasoning, boil the noodles unsalted, hold the braising liquid to 2 tablespoons, and serve the lime and herbs separately.

If the pork is tough, add liquid and give it more time

If a skewer catches in the center of the shoulder, this is not the stage for raising the heat and making char. Add 50 ml water, cover, extend over low heat by 10 minutes, and repeat until the skewer goes in without resistance. Even if the liquid has reduced, don't reduce it all the way before the meat is tender.

Pork leg cooks faster than shoulder. Check it after about 30–40 minutes, and when it is tender take it out and adjust only the liquid. Simmering it further after slicing draws out moisture, so slice only after it has rested.

Choose a mortar only if you want to keep some texture in the aromatics

You can make the flavor by chopping lemongrass and chile finely with a knife. A mortar, on the other hand, lets you stop before the fibers are completely crushed and decide by hand whether to keep some texture in the marinade or make it smooth. If you make herb sauces and spice dishes often beyond cao lầu, a granite mortar and pestle is worth considering. If you make this once, or already have a sturdy mortar, a knife is a fine stand-in.

What you can change in a home kitchen

To keep the cao lầu character, you don't need to replace everything with local products. Protect the thickness of the noodles, the aroma of the pork, the small amount of liquid, and the herbs and fried crunch first, then swap in what you can get, and you can tell for yourself what changed.

What to change Amount and handling How the result changes
Thick dried rice noodles to thick udon Same amount of udon for 4 servings. Warm only for the time on the package A wheat aroma and softness come in. The idea of keeping the liquid low doesn't change
Pork shoulder to chicken thighs Use 500 g chicken thighs and start checking the braise at 25–30 minutes The five-spice marinade suits it, but the pork's richness and the Hoi An classic feel get weaker
Fresh turmeric to powder 30 g fresh to 2 tsp powder The color stays, but the earthy aroma and bright pungency become lighter
Cilantro and Thai basil to shiso or mitsuba Swap the 50 g of herbs for the same amount The green aroma becomes Japanese in style. Keeping a little mint helps hold the cooling effect
Leave out fish sauce 30 ml soy sauce, 50 ml dried shiitake soaking liquid and 1 g salt The seafood umami is gone. Treat it as an alternative preparation for people with fish allergies
Decide the order of changes

If the noodles stay thin and only the meat is made local-style, it is hard to create the texture of a dry noodle dish. First match the shape of the noodles with thick udon, then check the differences in the order of fish sauce, five-spice powder and herbs, and you won't end up buying too many extra ingredients.

A noodle dish born in a trading port, and its table culture

Hoi An is a town on the Thu Bon River in Quang Nam province, central Vietnam. UNESCO's World Heritage Centre describes it as a trading port that prospered from the 15th to the 19th century, linking East Asia, Southeast Asia and farther regions, with a townscape layered with Chinese, Japanese, European and other influences. The Vietnam Tourism Board's recipe materials likewise link cao lầu to Hoi An's history as an important trading port, introducing it as a dish where Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese echoes overlap.

You don't need to read this background simply as "mixing foreign dishes." When people and goods move in and out of a port, rice noodles, soy-based seasoning, pork cooking and the use of herbs meet in the same bowl and stay on in a form that suits the local water and ingredients. If you look at cao lầu as a combination of thick noodles, sweet-salty pork, little braising liquid, green herbs and fried crunch, trade history comes back to the decisions made in the kitchen.

There are accounts that the rice, the water and an alkaline water made from wood ash used in Hoi An matter for how the noodles are made. SBS Food's recipe takes dried thick rice noodles as the realistic substitute, noting that it is hard to make the same noodles outside Hoi An. Not being able to reproduce the local conditions at home does not mean the dish loses its value. If you make it so that you know what you kept and what you changed, the process of getting closer to the local plate is part of the pleasure.

In the Vietnam Tourism Board's guide to Hoi An's food culture, besides regional noodle dishes like cao lầu, places that make fish sauce, coffee, rice paper and rice wine, and the organic vegetable village of Trà Quế, are listed as food highlights. Serving plenty of herbs at the end is not just decoration; it keeps the role of ingredients that reach the bowl through the river, fields and markets. When you swap in shiso or mitsuba, don't leave the herbs out: keep the intention of putting a green aroma between the noodles and the pork, and the meaning of the substitution is clearer.

It is sometimes lined up with mì Quảng and pho as a central Vietnamese noodle dish, but what to look for when making cao lầu is not memorizing the type of soup. It is that the thick noodles lift together with the toppings, the braising liquid clings thinly to the surface, and the herbs and fried crisps change each bite. If those four are in place, even a home version with udon keeps track of what dish you are reproducing.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make cao lầu with thin dried pho noodles?

You can, but the springiness of the noodles and the feeling of lifting the toppings together get weaker. If you use thin noodles, follow the package time, don't soak them in water for long once cooked, and start with 2 tablespoons of braising liquid per serving. If you plan to make it again, choosing a flat noodle with some thickness is more effective than going thinner.

If I substitute udon, is it a different dish from cao lầu?

It isn't the local noodle itself, so it's not accurate to call it the same. Because it is hard to fully reproduce Hoi An's noodles with Japanese water and store-bought ingredients, this is a home-version substitute that matches the thickness and the small amount of liquid. If you want to avoid wheat, use thick rice noodles instead of udon and check the ingredient labels on the package.

Will dissolving wood ash in water get me closer to the local noodles?

I don't recommend it. There are sources in which an alkaline water from wood ash appears in the local method, but how to confirm the kind of ash, its concentration and its safety for food at home is a separate problem. Use store-bought noodles and match the thickness, the aroma of the pork, the small amount of braising liquid and the fried toppings.

What if I don't like the smell of fish sauce?

Replace the 30 ml fish sauce in the ingredient table with 30 ml soy sauce, 50 ml dried shiitake soaking liquid and 1 g salt. The fermented seafood aroma disappears, but umami and liquid remain in the braise. If you have a fish allergy, check not just the fish sauce ingredients but the labels on the wonton wrappers and seasonings, and wash equipment thoroughly if it is shared.

Can I store leftover cao lầu?

Cool the pork and braising liquid, divide into shallow airtight containers, refrigerate, and use within 2 days. Keep the noodles, herbs, lettuce, bean sprouts and fried crisps separate and prepare them fresh each time you eat. Reheat the pork and liquid in a pot until hot all the way through, and boil the noodles again. If you reheat noodles that have absorbed liquid as they are, they won't go back to the dry-noodle texture.

Sources