Hoi An and Da Nang: cao lau, mi Quang and the old town

Hoi An's old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since December 1999, was a trading port where Chinese and Japanese merchants settled in the seventeenth century. Its food carries that history. Cao lau, the town's own noodle, is said to date from the seventeenth century, and according to the Da Nang tourism authority it is made with lye water from the ash of Cham Islands trees and water from the old Ba Le well.

A bowl of cao lau has thick, chewy noodles, char siu pork marinated in fish sauce and five-spice, a few spoonfuls of sauce rather than a broth, crisp fried noodle pieces, herbs and rice crackers. Mi Quang, the noodle of the surrounding Quang Nam area and Da Nang, has wide turmeric-yellow noodles in very little broth, with shrimp, pork or chicken, peanuts and a sesame rice cracker. Banh mi, banh xeo and chicken rice complete the usual list.

Two practical points. The old town is crowded, especially in the evening, and stalls along its main streets are priced for visitors; the back alleys off Tran Phu Street and the morning markets are where local prices hold. And since the 2025 reorganisation, Quang Nam province has been part of Da Nang city, so Hoi An's old town is now a ward of Da Nang.

Two nights in Hoi An is a reasonable planning estimate for its food: one morning for mi Quang at a market, a lunch and a dinner for cao lau and chicken rice, banh mi in between, and an evening for banh xeo. Add a night in Da Nang if you want mi Quang and banh xeo away from the old town crowds; Da Nang's banh xeo is often deep-fried for extra crispness.

Hoi An and Da Nang are close enough to combine by road, and many visitors base themselves in one and visit the other for a day. Plan your mornings in whichever place you want to eat mi Quang.

Da Nang International Airport (DAD) has domestic and international flights, and the north–south railway stops in Da Nang. Hoi An is usually reached from Da Nang by road, roughly 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic and where you start; confirm before you travel. The UK Foreign Office advises pre-arranged transport or official ride-hailing apps, and VnExpress reported in March 2026 a Da Nang airport taxi that took a longer route until the passenger objected.

Inside the old town, walking is the easiest way to move between stalls.