During a visit to Hoian, there are a wide range of local delicacies specific to Hoian that travellers should not miss to try: Cao Lau- Hoian’s signature dish, chicken rice, white rose and quang noodle. Indochina best tours
Cao lau- Hoian’s signature dish
Cao lau,which is a delectable dark pork broth with slices of juicy pork, fat yellow noodles and served with slices of and crispy croutons, green vegetables and bean sprouts, is the signature dish of Hoian. Only the water from one of the closely guarded ancient Cham wells hidden around Hoian is used to make the noodles.
What makes Cao lau so special?
- Water to make Cao lau must be from an ancient Cham well throughout Hoian
- Vegetables have to be locally grown at Tra Que vegetable village
- The ashes used to soak the noodles have to come from Cham Island
Where to try Cao Lau in Hoian?
It is recommended to go to Thanh Cao Lau (24 Thai Phien Street) if you are looking for local taste and local price. At this restaurant, you can enjoy a bowl of Cao lau at 25,000 VND (about $1). Although it opens all day, it will close very early in the noon and at night if it runs out of the ingredients.
Alternatively, walk down to Ms Vy’s Morning Glory restaurant at No 106 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street in the town center if you prefer the comfort of a restaurant with air condition.
Hoian Chicken Rice – Com Ga Hoian
Being delicious fluffy rice cooked in chicken stock with a hit of turmeric for color, thrown in a wok and enjoyed with boiled, coarsely shredded chicken, Hoian chicken rice – Com ga is a must-try dish in this ancient town. Torn into small pieces, chicken in this dish is then mashed with Vietnamese coriander, crushed onions as well as other spices. Clearly showing the delicacy of the cooker, this mixing step is really important. Before serving customers, they decorate the fragrant rice and springy chicken pieces with spicy chili sauce, pepper, salted onions, papaya and peppermint.
Where to try a dish of Chicken rice in Hoian?
In the center of Hoian: go to Com Ga Huong on the pavement outside 48 Le Loi Street, which opens daily at around 2pm and stops serving once the pot is over.
Outside center: try Com Ga Ba Buoi, a family-run restaurant set up in the 1950s at 22 Phan Chu Trinh. Even though depending on their mood, prices here vary for tourists, expect to pay around 30-40,000 VND ($1.3-1.7).
Miss Ly’s Cafe at 22 Nguyen Hue and Mermaid at 2 Tran Phu are other places to go.
White Rose Hoian
Being a kind of shrimp dumpling made from translucent white dough bunched up to look like a rose, White Rose is an appetizer named for its appearance when properly presented. The top of the carefully folded noodles are placed with ingredients such as pork and shrimp and topped with crispy shallot. The unique dipping sauce is a combination of shrimp broth, sugar, lemon and hot chilies. Drowned from the old Ba Le well, water must be filtered and purified for about 15-20 times before being mixed well with the rice paste to form such airy dough. cruise mekong delta
Where to try a plate of White rose in Hoian?
Go to Banh Bao Banh Vac at No 533 Hai Ba Trung Street to enjoy white rose for 4 USD/1 plate. Tran Tuan Ngai is the third generation secret keeper of the traditional white rose recipe, the secret recipe held by one family in Hoian who supplies all the restaurants.
Quang Noodle
White or yellow in color, the noodle is made from rice flour. Mixed with pork, shrimp and vegetables, it is also topped with spices and grilled rice paper. Quang noodle is such a complex combination of texture and flavors: the flavorful vibrant wide yellow turmeric noodles, roasted peanuts, sesame rice crackers and some kinds of fresh herbs. Unlike other kinds of noodle soups, Quang noodle is served with very little broth and almost like noodle salad serving with the broth or a dry noodle dish to harmoniously bring all the flavors together. Only when being served with a wide selection of herbs, such as coriander, onion, cabbage, mint leaves and houttunya, does Quang soft noodle soup taste best. It is the crushed peanut toppings on the noodles, the richness of the broth and the lack of it that make Quang noodle soups unique.
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