Hoi An Street Food - Part 1

Cao Lau is the local specialty noodle dish in Hoi An. It is a bit like New York City pizza, it just can't be re-created elsewhere. The reason is actually the same as for NYC pizza; it all has to do with the water. Hoi An noodles are made with well water that has a unique mineral composition, so even if you get everything else right, it just won't taste the same.
My biggest complaint about Hoi An is the price of food. I expect to pay more in a restaurant, there is more overhead, but noodle stalls are supposed to be the cheap local's alternative. The price for the noodles at this stall was similar to all the restaurants. It turns out all the locals were Vietnamese tourists. Oh well...
It was over priced for a noodle stall, but it is nice to actually watch your dish being prepared, where you can see that everything is fresh. Behind closed restaurant doors you can never be sure how fresh your food is.
Cao Lau is not quite like Pho or Bun, there is actually little broth. It is more a bowl of noodles than a bowl of noodle soup. The rice noodles come with a healthy serving of sliced pork, and lots of fresh lettuce, basil and bean sprouts.

Cao Lau, Hoi An noodles with pork.