Eat · Ancient Town west (Covered Bridge end)
Cao lầu Thanh (Thái Phiên)
A small family shop that does little but cao lầu, Hội An's chewy pork noodle: go mid-morning to early afternoon, order one bowl each, and eat it the local way with a squeeze of lime and a spoon of chilli.
- One dish: cao lầu
- Family shop
- Mid-morning to early afternoon
- Order: Cao lầu
- Tables and stools
- Walk-in window: 07:00–11:00
- Queue risk: 11:00–13:00
- Bring cash
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 8Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…Order tailored clothes on your first day in town
- Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
- Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
- Vietnam ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal; lookalike sites charge extra.
- Vietnam ↗Crossing streets: walk slowly and steadily; motorbikes flow around you — do not stop or run.
- Vietnam ↗Carry Vietnamese đồng in small notes; many stalls and taxis are cash-only.
- Central Coast ↗September–December is typhoon and flood season on this coast: build a spare day into any plan and check the storm forecast before booking boats, passes or beach nights.
- Hoi An ↗Order tailored clothes on your first day in town: a good tailor needs 24–48 hours and at least one fitting before the final piece.
- Hoi An ↗October–November: the riverside streets flood most years; check the forecast and your hotel's street level before booking.
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Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, when you can walk in, what to order
Go now?
Open?
Hours not published
Easiest walk-in
07:00–11:00
Reservations
Walk-in, no reservation
Paying
Bring cash
Per person
₫35,000–60,000 (≈ US$2–3)2026 estimate · check
Walk-in windows
A walk-in lunch is only planned as primary when your arrival lands outside the “impossible” window.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
On the ground
How to order, tip and pay, allergies, and booking
Tipping
Sit-down restaurants: about 5–10%, less than the 15–20% US norm.
Allergies and diets
- NoVegetarian · Not possible here; vegetarian restaurants make a tofu cao lầu. · say: “Tôi ăn chay.”
- NoHalal
- YesGluten-free · Not safe: the noodles and croutons are made with wheat flour in many recipes. · say: “Tôi không ăn được bột mì.”
Paying
Bring cash
- Pay at the end; small notes.
- Cash.
Booking
- Booking
- Walk-in, no reservation
- Note
- Walk-in.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
Map and nearby
Where this place is, how to get there, and what is around it
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Nearby places
Eat nearby
More detail
Everything else we know about this place
How to order here, in full
How to order here
The order of play at the counter or table, what to say, how much to order and how to pay.
No shared language? Point at the dish or a photo of it. For a printed menu, translate a photo of it.
What to say
| In English | Say or show | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| How much is this? | Bao nhiêu tiền? | bow nyew tee-en |
| Too expensive | Đắt quá | dat kwah |
| Not spicy, please | Không cay | khom kai |
| Hello | Xin chào | sin chow |
| Thank you | Cảm ơn | gahm un |
| Delicious! | Ngon quá! | ngon kwah |
| Where is the toilet? | Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu? | — |
Extras, condiments and what costs extra
- Wet wipes and peanuts on the table are charged if opened (₫2,000–10,000 (≈ under US$1)).
Paying and tipping
Sit-down restaurants: about 5–10%, less than the 15–20% US norm.
- Pay at the end; small notes.
- Cash.
- Tipping: Not expected at stalls; tip boat rowers and guides a little; round up drivers.
At the table
- Sit down and hold up fingers for the number of bowls; there is nothing else to choose.
- Mix everything from the bottom before the first bite; the broth is at the bottom of the bowl.
- Ask prices at the market counters and riverside restaurants before sitting.
- Seafood by weight: agree the price per 100 g or per kilo, and see the fish weighed.
- Busy stalls with fast turnover are safer than empty restaurants.
What to order
Cao lầu
Thick yellow noodles, sliced pork, crunchy fried squares, greens and a spoon of rich broth; ₫35,000–60,000 (≈ US$2–3) (2026 estimate).
Trà đá (iced tea)
Often free or a few thousand đồng.
Price and paying
- Typical spend
- ₫35,000–60,000 (≈ US$2–3) (2026 estimate)
Paying, diet and allergies
Diet and allergies
Yes means there is something for you; ask means possible with care; no means go elsewhere.
- Vegetarianno
Not possible here; vegetarian restaurants make a tofu cao lầu.
Show: Tôi ăn chay.
- Halalno
- Gluten-freeyes
Not safe: the noodles and croutons are made with wheat flour in many recipes.
Show: Tôi không ăn được bột mì.
Who it suits, booking and the kitchen
Show the kitchen
Tap a need to get a large screen you can hold up to staff. The wording is the guide’s; a helper who reads the language should confirm it if your allergy is serious.
Comfort, facts and cons
Hygiene and comfort
- Seating
- Low stools and some chairs: hard on knees
- Kids
- kids' menu: no · stroller: caution · Mild pork noodles work for most children; ask for no chilli
- Access
- step-free: partial · Street-level room with low stools (check)
Hygiene
- Herbs are washed in tap water: skip them on day one if your stomach is sensitive.
- High turnover at lunch keeps the pork fresh.
Facts
- Reservations
- Not on file — Walk-in.
- Capabilities
- food
- Diet
- vegetarian: none · gluten free: no · halal: no
- Getting there
- 26 Thái Phiên, north-west edge of the old town (check address) · ~8 min walk
Cons
- Plastic stools and a tiny room.
- One dish only; closes early when sold out.
Dish glossary
| On the menu | What it is | Order it how |
|---|---|---|
| Cao lầu | Hội An's noodle: firm, chewy and slightly smoky, served with pork and herbs in very little broth. | One bowl each. |
| Không rau | No herbs. | Say it if you want to skip the raw greens. |
Price check
- locals pay
- The price on the wall or the one the owner says.
- tourist price
- Same price for everyone in family noodle shops like this (check the wall).
- rule
- Pay at the end; small notes.
Deep dive
Questions, alternatives, and where our facts come from
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
What makes cao lầu different?
The noodles: by local tradition they are made by a few families with water from old wells and lye from wood ash, which makes them firm and chewy. There is little broth; it is a dry noodle dish.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Is it better here than at the market?
Both are good; a one-dish shop is calmer and you see the noodles come out of the basket. The market is quicker if you are already there.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
If it is closed or full
Nearby alternatives
If it is closed or the line is too long
- Bánh Mì Madam Khánh (Trần Cao Vân)1 min walkThe 'bánh mì queen's' saucier version on a quiet street west of the old town; a good breakfast on the way to the Covered Bridge.
- Bale Well (Giếng Bá Lễ)7 min walkA lane restaurant by one of Hội An's old wells that serves one set menu — bánh xèo, lemongrass pork skewers, spring rolls and greens you roll yourself in rice paper; go at 17:00–18:00 before the evening queue and bring an appetite.A lane restaurant by one of Hội An's old wells that serves one set menu — bánh xèo, lemongrass pork skewers, spring rolls and greens you roll yourself in rice paper; go at 5:00 PM–6:00 PM before the evening queue and bring an appetite.
- Cơm gà Bà Buội (Phan Châu Trinh)7 min walkHội An chicken rice — turmeric rice, shredded chicken, papaya, herbs — at the old family shop; lunch before 13:00, when it can sell out.Hội An chicken rice — turmeric rice, shredded chicken, papaya, herbs — at the old family shop; lunch before 1:00 PM, when it can sell out.
- Mót Hội An (herbal drink stall)7 min walkA cold lemongrass-and-herb drink with a lotus flower on top from the tiny shop on Trần Phú; the heat-hour stop everyone photographs, 5 minutes.
Places without an authored walk are ranked by straight-line distance × 1.3 at 5 km/h (3 mph)3 mph (5 km/h).
All places to eat in Hoi An, with filters →
Used as a seated rest node in Hoi An in 4 days.
Sources
- secondaryWikivoyage — Hoi An
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Source: Price per person
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Prices are 2026 estimates from the menu or the price line on file. Check on the day.
Source: Opening hours
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Source: Best time
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
The easiest walk-in window or the quietest hour in this guide. Crowd levels are desk estimates, not counts.