The best of Hue special food were once served to Royal families and the king of the Nguyen Dynasty. Nowadays, you can find them in local restaurants throughout Hue city, ranging from roadside stalls to luxury hotels that serve these specialties all year round.
Hue food is famous for its sweet and spicy flavors, derived from fresh herbs like basil, lemongrass, and red chilies, which are mixed with salt or fish sauce. Catering to various preferences, we highly recommend trying these special dishes when exploring Hue city.
Top Hue specialty food
Chè
Che or sweet soup is a popular Vietnamese dessert that comes in various forms. It is made from a combination of ingredients such as beans, fruits, jellies, and coconut milk. Che is often served cold and can be enjoyed as a refreshing treat on a hot day.
In Hue city, they also offer more than 30 types of sweet soups (Chè), all of them made from coconut, beans, pomegranate, taro, and sweet corn. The most popular Che is lotus seeds sweet (chè hạt sen), which use seeds from lotus flowers that are found in the Hue countryside.
Futhermore, there is one type of Che that you can’t find anywhere but Hue – Che bot loc heo quay. This kind of chè is very famous in Hue but you just can try it on time if you are a lucky one. Because every 20 minutes, when the shop owner bring che heo quay out, it will be sold out immediately. If you do not go in time, you have to wait 20 minutes to enjoy this specialty.
Where to find authentic che in Hue:
- Che Mợ Tôn Đích: 20 Đinh Tien Hoang Str
- Chè Hẻm: Alley 1, 29 Hung Vuong Str
- Chè Cầm: 10 Nguyen Sinh Cung Str
Hue Beef Noodle – Bun Bo Hue
Bun Bo Hue is a regional specialty, made by rice vermicelli and various toppings in a soup such as: lemongrass, hot chili, bone, beef… Unlike Pho, Hue noodles is mixed of sour, sweet and spicy as it’s flavored with boiled bones, shank, lemongrass, ginger, fermented shrimp paste, chili oil, and sugar. As for topping, expect pig, beef or pork, beansprouts, cilantro, diced green onions, banana blossoms, basil and mint.
You can find roadside stalls on
- Bun Ba Thuy Nguyen Cong Tru street
- Bun Me Keo – 30 Bach Dang street
Nem Lui – Lemongrass Skewer
Nem lui is a kebab, they use lemongrass stalks, which is wrapped with marinated pork then grilled by charcoal. Nem lui is also served with a side of rice paper, cucumber slices, and fresh herbs with specail soup, sometime you try with fish sauce. When taste Nem Lui, you dip into a this sauce made with shallots, ground peanuts, sesame seeds, fermented beans, shrimp paste, chopped garlic, chilies.
Where to eat?
- Nem Lụi bà Tý: 80 Dao Duy Tu Str
- Quan Hanh: 11-15 Pho Duc Chinh Str
Com Hen – Clam Rice
Com Hen consists of rice topped with baby basket clams, dry pork skins, roasted peanuts, and fresh greens. Hue people eat Com Hen as a filling breakfast, the clams are stir-fried with chopped garlic, onion, fish sauce, and pepper before they’re poured over a plate of steamed rice.
In some restaurants, Com Hen is accompanied by a bowl of clam broth. There are plenty of food stalls in roadside selling this Hue specialty for about 10,000 -15.000 vnd
Where to eat?
At all roadside stalls in Han Mac Tu Str, Nguyen Thai Hoc str…
Banh Khoai – Vietnamese Crepe
Banh Khoai is easily distinguished from other local food in Hue because of its turmeric yellow color. Readily available at local joints and Dong Ba markets, this pan cake is typically filled with shimp with pork, beansprouts and scallions. As with most Hue dishes, Banh Khoai is best eaten with a side of fresh vegetable and herbs and soybean dipping sauce like sauce for Nem Lui.
Where to eat?
Hong Mai restaurant in Dinh Tien Hoang str, Hanh restaurant – 5 Pho Duc Chinh str, Tai Phu Restaurant – Dien Bien Phu Str
Banh Beo – Steamed Rice Cakes
Known as steamed rice cakes, Banh Beo was topped with deep-fried pork rind, dried shrimp, shallots, fresh herbs and rice vinegar. Accompanied with sauce fish dipping sauce and red chilies, Banh Beo is prepared in a coin-sized ceramic saucer. You can get 5 or 6 for about VND 30,000 at sit-down local restaurants.
Where to eat? Hanh restaurant, Ba Do restaurant, Tinh Gia Vien, Hue walking street
Banh Loc Goi – Tapioca Dumplings
Banh Loc Goi made by tapioca starch is filled with milled pork and marinated shrimp. Then it’s wrapped in banana leaves and steamed until cooked. To enjoy this Hue cuisine, you only unwrap the banana leaf and dip it in a platter of fish sauce which made by fresh chilies, shrimp stock,vinegar, fermented fish sauce, sugar.
Where to eat? Hanh restaurant, Ba Do restaurant, Tinh Gia Vien, Hue walking street.
Bun Thit Nuong – Vermicelli Noodles With Grilled Pork
Bun Thit Nuong comprises grilled pork, rice noodles, cucumbers, beansprouts, basil, and mint. Priced from 20,000 VND, Bun Thit Nuong also eat with a side of pickled carrots, fermented fish dipping sauce and fresh lettuce.
Where to eat? Dong Ba market
Banh It Ram – Fried Sticky Rice Dumplings
Banh Ram It is a Hue specialty food that pairs steamed sticky rice dumplings with a crispy patty, its also made with sticky rice. A platter of 6 Banh Ra It dumplings costs 20,000 VND at a local side-road hall, but prices are higher at more upscale restaurants and hotels.
Where to eat?
- Hanh restaurant
- Ba Do restaurant
- Tinh Gia Vien
- Dong Ba Market
- Madam Thu
Va Tron Salad – Fig Salad
Va Tron salad was once a dish prepared for only royalty in Hue, combining boiled figs, mushrooms, onions and sliced carrots, shrimp and shredded pork. Although this is traditionally served at family gatherings or weddings, there are plenty of Vietnamese restaurants offering this unique dish all year long.
Where to eat? Tinh Gia Vien, Dong Ba market
Travel guide for eating Hue special foods:
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