Vietnamese food: Hoi An and Saigon

This is a Hoi An specialty called cao lau. It's basically a rice-noodle dish (boiled, I think) with a few slices of pork and an assortment of vegetables thrown in. The amount of water in the dish varies, so that in some places it's more of a soup; others are mostly dry with a couple of tablespoons of liquid in the bowl. "True" cao lau is supposed to be made with water from a particular well in Hoi An, which as one of my dining companions noted, is a fantastic way to maintain a local monopoly on authenticity. This was OK, nothing spectacular, but I also suspect that it wasn't the best in town. It wasn't unique or intriguing enough to keep hunting, though.
Upscale eats

Hoi An is packed with tourists, so it seems like there are actually more slightly-classy restaurants than local dives. We had found a couple of recommended places, of which Cargo Club was my favorite -- we ate there twice, and everything I had both times was plate-licking tasty (I did refrain from licking my plates, my mother would be glad to know). This was a crab on fried wonton dish, almost like a crab bruschetta, and it knocked my socks off. Fresh tomatoes and onions with crabmeat on a warm wonton-wrapper nacho, topped with the delicious tangy-spicy Vietnamese sauce that I love so... this is another one for the "try at home" list.
Glass noodles

This dish -- also from Cargo Club -- isn't really that remarkable or complicated, but it was so yummy, and I have a thing for glass (bean thread) noodles. It makes such a big difference to have fresh vegetables, and cooked just enough to be tender but not limp. The dried noodles are soaked to make them soft, and then everything is stir-fried together briefly, just to get things hot and the right texture. And of course, there's lemongrass involved somehow.
Giant shrimp

Yeah, that's a regular size knife and plate. That shrimp is huge.
This was the selection of the lone male at the table -- he ordered shrimp and was invited to step into the restaurant and pick the particulars (size and number). He returned to our outdoor table grinning in anticipation. I think we were so impressed with the size that we forgot to ask whether it was any good.
Fresh rolls

No Parker rolls here. Rolls in Vietnam usually refer to the spring (usually fried) or fresh variety. There are two kinds on display here -- the one with the green shoots sticking out is a fresh shrimp roll, one of Valerie's favorites. The others are bo bia, which I figured were the Vietnamese equivalent of my beloved poh piah. They are, even including the Chinese sausage... but I still like the Singaporean version better.
Much better Banh Xeo

The banh xeo in Saigon, at a Chowhound (and guidebook)-recommended but hard-to-find street stall, was waaaay better than the one in Hue. I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be the same dish, but in addition to being far larger and more stuffed with shrimp and beansprout goodness, this one was more crepe-like, crispy on the outside, but soft on the inside, so you didn't feel like you were eating a giant rice chip.