Hue food: The top 17 famous delicious dishes that you must try

Characterized by the use of fresh herbs, vegetables, and spices, Hue food is a traditional Vietnamese cuisine that stands out for its bold flavors, yet delicate presentations, and complicated cooking methods. Just try some famous dishes here and you will understand the long history and rich culture of the old capital.

1. Bun Bo Hue – The most famous Hue food that you must try

Your visit to Hue will be incomplete if you miss out on a bowl of bun bo Hue (Hue beef noodle soup). It is considered the most popular Hue food in Vietnam. 

Bun bo Hue is a tasty and nutritious option. What sets it apart is the combination of thick vermicelli, thinly sliced beef, and a spicy broth made from beef bones, fish sauce, and local spices. This combination brings a bold taste and a mind-blowing flavor.

Recommended places to enjoy bun bo Hue on your Hue food tour:

• Me Beo – No. 20, Bach Dang Street
• Ba Tuyet – No. 47, Nguyen Cong Tru Street
• Ong Vong – O Phung – No. 14, Nguyen Du Street

>>> Explore: Vietnamese noodles: A symbol of the country’s rich and diverse cuisine

2. Banh Canh Nam Pho – One of the best foods in Hue Vietnam

Another must-try Hue food is banh canh Nam Pho (Nam Pho thick noodle soup). This dish is an impressive Hue appetizer or a perfect breakfast choice for the day ahead. This hot soup is served with thin pork belly slices and shrimp on top, with a naturally sweet broth made of crab and shrimp. Fresh herbs are added to enhance the aroma, making it even more delectable.

As some Hue food guides recommend, the Hue best restaurants for banh canh Nam Pho are:

• O Thu – No. 374, Chi Lang Street
• Co Thuy – No. 16, Pham Hong Thai Street
• O Hang – No. 16, Ha Huy Tap Street

3. Banh Canh Ca Loc – A Hue food tour must try

A perfect Hue culinary tour must include banh canh ca loc (thick noodle soup with snakehead fish). This is the perfect hot dish to enjoy on rainy or cold days. The soft, moderately chewy noodles have a white appearance, and the snakehead fish taste rich. The clear broth perfectly complements the dish’s flavors.

Recommended places to enjoy banh canh ca loc on your Hue food tour:

• Di Huong – No. 14, Le Thanh Ton Street
• Banh Canh Hai Trieu – Hai Trieu Street
• Dao – No. 156, Nguyen Hue Street

4. Banh Uot Thit Nuong – A famous Hue Vietnamese food

Banh uot thit nuong (rice noodle rolls with grilled pork) is another popular Hue food – a signature dish with various unique herbs. This Hue local food features rice noodle rolls served with grilled pork, dipping sauce, and local herbs and vegetables. What makes it stand out is its signature dipping sauce made of soybean paste, creating a perfect blend of flavors and textures.

Recommended places to enjoy banh uot thit nuong on your Hue food tour:

• Banh Uot Xu Truoi Dung Ngo – No. 54, Ba Trieu Street
• Huyen Anh – No. 126, Kim Long Street
• Tai Phu – No. 2-4, Dien Bien Phu Street

5. Bun Thit Nuong

Another not-to-be-missed Hue food is bun thit nuong (vermicelli with grilled pork), which is among the top-rated Hue foods by tourists. Made with simple ingredients such as vermicelli, pork, pickles, peanuts, and fish sauce, this dish offers a pleasant taste suitable for a hot day.

Some recommended Hue restaurants to enjoy the best Bun Thit Nuong are:

• Hanh – No. 11, Pho Duc Chinh Street
• Huyen Anh – No. 50, Kim Long Street
• Ba Ty – No. 81, Dao Duy Tu Street

6. Banh Khoai

Banh khoai (Hue crispy rice pancake), a famous royal dish of Hue food, is renowned for its fragrance and crispiness. The complex recipe for this crispy rice pancake includes numerous ingredients, including a dipping sauce made of ten different spices and herbs. The harmonious combination of the crispy pancake, soft rice paper, fresh herbs, and dipping sauce will bring heaven to your taste buds.

Recommended places to enjoy banh khoai on your Hue food tour:

• Chi Hanh – No. 11, Pho Duc Chinh Street
• Lac Thien – No. 6, Dinh Tien Hoang Street
• Thu Suong – No. 86, Kim Long Street

7. Banh Ep – Hue specialty food

A dish that can only be found in a Hue food tour is banh ep (thin scallion pancake). This dish embodies the unique and delicious flavor of Hue cuisine. The small and thin pancake is filled with delectable shrimp paste and served with a tasty dipping sauce.

Here are three popular Hue restaurants to try banh ep: 

• Chi Hue – No. 116, Le Ngo Cat Street
• Gia Di – No. 52, Ba Trieu Street
• Cau Hai – No. 9, Truong Dinh Street

8. Nem Lui – A Hue street food tour is so delicious

On your Hue food tour, make sure to try nem lui (Hue lemongrass pork skewer) – a yummy street food. This flavorful dish is made of pork grilled over charcoal. To enjoy Nem Lui at its best, wrap it in rice paper and herbs, dip it in the sauce, and eat it while it’s hot.

Recommended places to enjoy nem lui on your Hue food tour:

• Tai Phu – No. 2, Dien Bien Phu Street
• Ong Me Gia – No. 25, Dao Duy Tu Street
• Ba Ty – No. 81, Dao Duy Tu Street

9. Banh Nam – A must-try Hue food

Banh nam, or flat steamed rice dumpling, is a must-try street food in Hue. Made with tapioca flour, rice flour, and shrimp, wrapped in banana leaves, this dish is loved for its delicate texture and shrimp flavor. The dumpling is soft but not greasy, and it’s best enjoyed with a sweet-and-sour fish sauce.

Recommended places to enjoy banh nam on your Hue food tour:

• Ba Do – No. 8, Nguyen Binh Khiem Street
• Trung Bo – No. 16, To Hien Thanh Street
• Di Xinh – No. 82, Le Thanh Ton Street

10. Banh Beo – Among the Hue foods to try

Banh beo (steamed water fern rice cake) is a simple yet delicious Hue food. This rice cake is served in a small bowl with shrimp, green onions, and sweet and spicy fish sauce, creating a delightful combination of flavors. Its presentation in a ping-pong bowl adds to the dish’s charm, making it a popular choice among tourists exploring Hue’s culinary scene.

Recommended places to enjoy banh beo on your Hue food tour:

• Ba Do – No. 8, Nguyen Binh Khiem Street
• Hue Xua – No. 1, Nguyen Binh Khiem Street
• O Le – No. 101, Kim Long Street

11. Banh Bot Loc

Banh bot loc (Hue clear shrimp and pork dumpling) is a beloved dish in many parts of Vietnam. However, to truly experience its authentic taste, one must try it in Hue.

With a soft and chewy wrapper, this dumpling is filled with a savory mix of simmered shrimp and pork, making it a perfect combination that will light up your Hue food tour.

Here are the top three Hue restaurants to try this Hue food:

• O Giau – No. 109, Le Huan Street
• Ba Cu – No. 23/177, Phan Dinh Phung Street
• Ba Do – No. 7-8, Nguyen Binh Khiem Street

12. Banh Ram It – An interesting Hue food

“Banh ram it” is among the most interesting Hue foods, with a perfectly harmonious blend of softness and crispiness. The dish’s striking appearance is matched by its exquisite flavor of the two parts: A soft dumpling (it) on top filled with yummy simmered shrimp and pork, and a fried “ram” that creates the crispy texture.

Recommended places to enjoy banh ram it on your Hue food tour:

• Ba Do – No. 8, Nguyen Binh Khiem Street
• Thuy – No. 16, Pham Hong Thai Street
• Chi – No. 2/64, Hoang Dieu Street

13. Com Hen – a food in Hue that you will remember forever

Com hen, a dish made of rice, clams, and local spices, is a simple yet flavorful Hue food. It is typically served with various toppings, fish sauce, and local herbs and veggies, adding more layers of taste and texture to the already delicious combination.

Recommended places to enjoy com hen on your Hue food tour:

• Dap Da – No. 1, Han Mac Tu Street
• Lanh – No. 38, Ngo Gia Tu Street
• Ba Cam – No. 49, Tung Thien Vuong Street

14. Cafe Muoi

A unique coffee that you can only find in Hue is coffee with salt. Some may think that this is a weird combination, but cafe muoi (coffee with salt) is such a tasty drink that you must include it in your Hue food tour. The charm of this drink is that people add salt with sweetened condensed milk in order to create salted caramel. This salted caramel layer blends perfectly into the coffee, making a flavor explosion in your mouth.

You should try Cafe Muoi at:

• Home Coffee – No. 10, Nguyen Luong Bang Street
• La Gare Bistro – No. 14, Phan Chu Trinh Street
• Salt Coffee – No. 142, Dang Thai Than Street

15. Che Hem – A must-try royal food in Hue

Hue food is renowned for having the most variations of sweet soup in Vietnam, with over 36 variations available. You can try many of these variations at one of the most famous sweet soup shops in Hue – Che Hem (meaning Alley Sweet Soup in English). As its name suggests, this shop is located in a small alley on Hung Vuong Street.

• Che Hem – Alley 29, Hung Vuong Street

16. Banh Khot

Hue is a paradise for foodaholics fond of different crispy pancakes, from banh Khoai, banh ep, to banh khot. Banh Khot is made from rice flour and coconut milk, with fillings of shrimp, mung beans, and scallions. The batter is cooked in a special mold, and the pancake is eaten with a variety of herbs and vegetables, as well as a sweet-and-sour dipping sauce.

Recommended places to enjoy banh khot on your Hue food tour: 

• Me Le – No. 104/17/9, Kim Long Street
• Banh Khot Bui Thi Xuan – Bui Thi Xuan Street
• Hoan Thien – No. 2/85, Nguyen Hue Street

17. Com Am Phu – One of Hue’s best foods

Com am phu is a Hue food that is highly recommended by both locals and tourists. This dish is served with white rice, accompanied by a spicy fish sauce and various local sides. To enjoy the rich taste of this dish, you should mix the rice well with other ingredients and add a dash of the fish sauce.

Recommended places to enjoy com am phu on your Hue food tour: 

• No. 51, Nguyen Thai Hoc Street
• No. 35, Nguyen Thai Hoc Street
• No. 54, Phan Chu Trinh Street

In addition to various specialties, Hue offers many famous tourist attractions for tourists to discover, such as Thien Mu Pagoda, An Dinh Palace, Tu Duc Tomb, Thuy Tien Lake Hue, Lap An Lagoon, Lang Co Beach Hue, etc.

And after a Hue trip, tourists can spend time visiting Hoi An – a nearby old city with unique cultural, historical, and architectural beauty. Coming to Hoi An, tourists can enjoy countless entertainment activities at VinWonders Nam Hoi An with its 5 subdivisions:

• River Safari: to discover a semi-wild conservation park
• Island of Folk Culture: to immerse yourself in the authentic Vietnamese culture
• Adventure Land: to take on record-breaking games, like the breathtaking 85-meter-high Swiss Tower drop
• Water World: to cool off and have fun 11 exciting water games 
• Harbor Corner: to embark on an exciting journey to different cultures in the world

 

Book tickets of VinWonders Nam Hoi An here

 

Hue food is a hidden gem in Vietnam that offers a diverse range of dishes with unique flavors. It is not just about satisfying your cravings, it is also about experiencing the local culture through the taste buds. A visit to Hue would not be complete without indulging in all the mouth-watering delicacies that this city has to offer.

 

Book tickets of VinWonders Nam Hoi An here

 

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