If I have to use one word to describe the food philosophy of Saigoneers, it would be maximalist. Those who have had the gluttonous joy of hunkering down on a plastic chair on the sidewalk and demolishing a giant tumbler of full-topping bubble tea will know what I’m talking about.

In the eyes and mouths of Saigoneers, just a bowl of noodles or plate of rice simply doesn’t cut it, so phần đặc biệt — the most expensive permutation of toppings at any given local eatery — exists as a reminder that the people of Saigon loves to let their palates dance. A cơm tấm đặc biệt comes with a pork chop, a crispy ốp la, a bundle of shredded pork skin, a hunk of chả trứng, and pickled vegetables. So what’s in a cao lầu đặc biệt? This week’s Hẻm Gems feature heads to Cô Ba Ân, a relatively new eatery in Saigon that brings this Hội An specialty to Saigoneers.

Cô Ba Ân is decorated in a way that evokes traditional Hội An houses.

Cao lầu is the ancient town’s most celebrated delicacy, a noodle dish that’s paradoxically both simple and complex. Its simplicity lies in the number of elements: cao lầu noodles, thịt xíu, a dark sauce, fresh herbs, and crackers on top for a touch of crunch. The complexity, however, comes from how each of those components used to only come from a specific part of Hội An and nowhere else, carrying the unique tastes, techniques, and local qualities of the historic trading port.

The new hẻm where the restaurant calls home.

Today, it is not as challenging to find cao lầu outside of Hội An, for decades of migration have placed Quảng Nam natives everywhere in the country, bringing with them the secrets of their hometown’s unique noodle dish. I’ve had the privilege of trying cao lầu from Mì Quảng Trí Hội An, a humble eatery in Tân Bình operated by a family with roots from Hội An. Here, a bowl of cao lầu is faithful to its original existence in the number of elements, though it comes as no surprise that it’s logistically impossible to source every ingredient from Central Vietnam.

The simple interior.

Cô Ba Ân’s cao lầu, however, represents a delightful intersection between Hội An cuisine and Saigon’s tendency to feast. I discovered this humble restaurant completely by chance thanks to Google Maps: one day a few months ago, I was browsing the app to look for a place near the Saigoneer office to get takeout to bring home for dinner when the orange pin of Cô Ba Ân popped up. There was no way I would pass up one of my favorite noodle dishes, especially that close to me, so I had to make my way there for a quick slurping, and the rest is history.

Interestingly, I got to know the restaurant while it was on the cusp of a major change in location. From a tiny nook with a handful of tables and limited parking space, the version of Cô Ba Ân that readers see in this Hẻm Gems feature is a vast improvement: better seats, air-conditioning, and, of course, kick-ass cao lầu.

A bowl of cao lầu comes with thịt xíu, grilled pork, a roll of ram, and crackers.

According to Ân, one of the titular “Ân” in the name, the place was founded in 2019 as a way for her mom to make some additional income. During the next three years of operation, it shuffled through a few locations and remained nameless. Luckily, 2022 turned out to be a successful year, so they gave it the name “Cô Ba Ân,” for two reasons: Ân and her mother are both the third sibling of their parents, and Ân has another sister also named Ân. The trio decided to select the name to honor the significance of the number three in their lives.

A portion of cao lầu đặc biệt at Cô Ba Ân is no small feat. On a bed of golden brown cao lầu noodles sit slices of thịt xíu, chunks of grilled pork, crispy fried crackers and shallots, fresh veggies, and a roll of ram. This pile of goodies is accompanied by a small bowl of caramel-colored soy-based broth that gives off a pleasant wisp of five-spice. Before diving into the mix, I would highly recommend adding a generous dollop of the house-made chili jam provided on the table.

Ready to dig in!

There are a number of ways the cao lầu here might differ from what one’s used to in Central Vietnam. The grilled pork, roll of ram, and fried shallots don’t exist in the original iteration, and the soy broth is a smidgen sweeter; but to me, all of these additions have fortunately improved upon the classic, even though the generous amount of food makes for a significant meal that might leave you (me) dozing off in the middle of meetings. The grilled pork, using a fatty cut and glossy marinade, is my favorite part of the bowl, surprisingly even more than the traditional slices of xá xíu, for it manages to stay moist and moreish throughout.

A dollop of sa tế ớt adds some heat and sweetness.

Like many other regional food places in Saigon, Cô Ba Ân was born from a migrant family’s desire to eat the food of their hometown, but can’t find it in the city. “As Central Vietnam natives who live away from home, all three of us always hope to share our hometown’s special dishes to everyone,” Ân tells me in an email. “Specifically, I really love cao lầu, but it’s not very common in Saigon. Coincidentally, one time my dad said he missed it a lot, and bought cao lầu noodles in Saigon so my mom could make it. That was the story of how we got into the restaurant business.”

Cô Ba Ân refers to the “mother and daughters” team behind the counter.

The biggest challenge the eatery faces, according to Ân, is sourcing and processing cao lầu noodles, which the family imports in dry bundles from Hội An. “Soaking the noodles takes up most of our time every day, that’s why we open quite late,” she explains. “To arrive at strands of noodles that are tender enough for serving, we had to experiment with several different ways.” That very distinctive chew of cao lầu is my most favorite thing about this special noodle from Hội An. It’s big like udon but there isn’t that doughy aftertaste, and the minimal addition of the soy-based broth helps keep the texture from getting soggy. Apart from the imported noodles, Cô Ba Ân makes nearly everything else in-house, from the sparkling soy sauce to the sa tế ớt, something that’s so addictive, “others even bought the sa tế ớt to eat with bánh tráng trộn,” Ân says with pride.

The space for dining has recently expanded, but Cô Ba Ân gets much of its popularity from food delivery apps.

More is more. Such is the guiding philosophy I personally follow every time I visit a new eatery. I order their phần đặc biệt, sample every topping, and decide for myself what I will keep for later visits — if there will be any. I have enjoyed nearly everything Cô Ba Ân puts in front of me, with the exception of the fried roll, which I don’t think adds much to the cao lầu discourse. Whether this version of cao lầu is authentic is outside of my expertise, for I’m neither from Central Vietnam nor have I tried a cao lầu in Hội An. As a maximalist eater, however, I can proclaim with resounding authority that Cô Ba Ân’s cao lầu is a stellar representative of my culture.

Cô Ba Ân is open from 10:30am to 2pm and 4:30pm to 8:30pm.

To sum up:

Taste: 5/5
Price: 4/5
Atmosphere: 5/5
Friendliness: 5/5
Location: 4/5

Khôi loves noodles, is a raging millennial and will write for food.