Cao lau is easily my favorite Vietnamese dish, and it's so frustrating that you can only get it in Hoi An and surrounding area. The well water in the region is supposed to be the secret ingredient, and so far no entrepreneur in Saigon seems willing to challenge that perception.There are some Vietnamese who have heard about this dish their whole lives and never had it because they've never been to Hoi An. It's one of those things that people go to a lot of trouble to pack up and carry home with them on airplanes to deliver to homesick transplants or to the unititated. Which our friend in fact did last week -- his carry-on bag included the fixings for 10 bowls of cao lau for his family who had never had it before, the broth in a recycled water bottle and all the rest in plastic baggies ready to assemble.
The pork is braised and is generally attended to more carefully than in other dishes (no gristle!) The rice noodles are made with a special lye solution that give them more chewiness and texture. The fried pork rinds give it a lot of flavor like croutons in a salad. It's served with only a little bit of pork broth, so it's not really a soup like other noodle dishes, which is a nice change.
And I think I've got a lead on what might be one of the best possible versions. That's because we go there with our friend who is a life-long resident of Hoi An and a born ambassador and tour guide who knows everyone in town. We've been back to this place a few times, and I love it. I didn't write down the details, but they're there in the picture if you look closely enough. To any other travelers reading this, that's the place you want to track down.
-Robert
