Food Guide to Eating In Hue
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
It was clear to me on my first walk around the hotel and into the bustling restaurants with their little sidewalk stools, that food is a big part of the city’s character. Aroma drifted and changed every 10 steps as I made my way to a traditional Hue restaurant suggested to me by my receptionist in Da Nang. When she heard that I’m heading to the ancient capital, her eyes lit up and she rattled off a bunch of dishes, Bun Ho Hue being the star.
The imperial city of Hue went beyond its historical roots and ended up on my solo itinerary for the culinary venture it offered. I read enough about it to know that the French colonial era influenced the city’s architecture as well as food. It introduced new, western ingredients into the traditional palette and techniques like simmering, buttery sauces, and caramelization. In this food guide to eating in Hue, I’ve intentionally stayed away from the gorgeous French-style dining spots that elevate the local dishes or fuse their identity. For me, it was all about getting down to the real flavor.
The city had bold flavors from unassuming ingredients, complex preparations, and was high on presentation – all tracing back to royal kitchens cooking up something new each time. Bun Ho Hue needs no specific suggestion, anywhere that’s teeming with hungry folks is a safe bet. For the rest, however, here’s my food guide to eating in Hue.
Cơm niêu Chạn I sat at a 4-seater table and looked around me as tourists gestured to each other over the menu. Claypots with stewed meat, tall drinks that clinked with ice, and elaborate plates that didn’t resemble a thing I could finish on my own. After flipping through the same pages of the menu 6 times, I ordered the Hue Rice Plate because it had a small bit of everything – and it did cover most of the table with its many sauces and accompaniments. Fermented shrimp paste, pickled eggplant, melon salad, potato leaf soup – most of it was absolutely new and so deeply flavorful. They even gave me a cold green ice tea that acted as a palate cleanser between my hungry bites.
Hue's Traditional Rice Plate with melon salad, chicken salad, caramelized pork belly, shrimp omelette, boiled pork, vegetable soup with potato leaves, and an assortment of sauces. Cultural nugget: Green tea is often served complimentary (both hot and cold) to ease digestion and settle the variety of what’s being eaten. It is almost like offering water to guests.
Ancient Hue Garden Houses If you can manage the budget and the time, book the royal experience at this high-end boutique stay. Featuring French influences as well as Hue’s traditional atmosphere, the property is worth visiting for one of their 4 restaurants (if not booking a villa by the river). Imagine strolling through the gardens leisurely after an 8-course lunch and catching the evening sunset.
Banh Ganh I wanted to taste all the dishes with banh as a prefix – a stand-in term for steamed cakes, baked bread, anything from flour. I picked a window table and had a long conversation with the waiter. Would they have anything that serves just one, where I can sample it all? Along with my beer came the tasting platter made up of:
Bánh bèo (the basic rice + tapioca dumplings with fried scallions on top)
Bánh nậm (rice + tapioca steamed with a layer of minced shrimp in banana leaf)
Bánh bột lọc (a chewy, transparent base with shrimp and pork belly locked together in a banana leaf).
Fact nugget: In most hotel receptions, you’ll find a little cooler with mini cans of beer stocked up. The labels would mostly call out Huda, 333, Saigon, and Larue. While in Hue, I learnt to drink (and therefore show support) to Huda – the pride of Central Vietnam. Huda is a clever name between ‘Hue’ and ‘Denmark’, as Carlsberg is a joint partner in the venture. It pairs great with the spicy dishes of the imperial city and is brewed straight in the city. So if you’re contemplating brands or looking to be uber local, always, always pick up Huda.
Afternoon Coffee All throughout Vietnam you can grab a coffee: salt, egg, coconut, you name it. But in the City of Hue, tea blooms into an imperial ritual among its parlor rooms. Set in a vintage wooden house is this cozy local cafe that overlooks one of the busy gates of the Citadel – perfect for people watching while warming up your soul. I kept my head low, climbed up the narrow staircase and ordered a ginger tea. I was amused to see 2 tea pots reach the table, with complimentary green tea, rolled ginseng, and a ceremonial biscuit.
Pots of tea with a view of the Citadel on a rainy Hue afternoon. PhinHolic On one of the rainier days when I was slow traveling in Hue, I cancelled plans to visit the royal tombs in the outer reaches of the city and decided to do a cafe day – just like I do back home in Bangalore, India. I was directed to a pretty popular spot in the center of town and it was perfect to emote, write, and dream the day away. While here I tried:
Phin Muối Mè Xửng (salt coffee with a roasted sesame twist)
Trà Tắc gừng mật ong (a ginger honey kumquat tea with fragrant jasmine)
Sandwich trứng phô mai (a soft and classic egg cheese sandwich)
Outdoor seating at PhinHolic with a view of the bustling street.
Cultural nugget: ‘Phin’ is the manual drip filter used to brew the traditional coffee in Vietnam and this place also houses a little shop for coffee fanatics to shop the beans, equipment, and merch.
Mingle Vegetarian Cafe There was just one place I went to twice, especially to break away from the local flavors and indulgence in a good old western breakfast. Tucked into the smaller lanes behind my hotel was this laid-back, open cafe that suited my quiet soul as I read a book and slowly started my mornings. The walk here was rich with local sights and smells, waiters hardly rushed you, and the food was absolutely worth the fare.
French toast with fresh cut fruit and grated coconut
It rained for a good while when I was in the City of Hue. Wet, cold winds sweep in from the sea and given my month-long itinerary, I decided it's safe to rest for a spell before picking up pace for the mountains. I also found my room so comforting that some meals only involved me walking down to collect my food at the reception and heading back for the warmth of the bed. Here are some Hue food dishes you can get on Grab, expertly recommended by my receptionist Hien of MiLa Homestay.
Bánh ram ít The first thing I tried in Hue, a quick snack right after check-in, set the tone for the city. This royal appetizer layers a crispy, fried sticky rice dumpling and contrasts it with a soft, mochi-like steamed dumpling. At first, I separated the two thinking they fused in transit, so the second bite was the heavenly one, all the textures coming together. Dipped in the fish sauce or scallion oil, the flavor enhances the chewy-crunchy profile.
Bún Mắm NêmI tucked into a good episode of House to fend off the homesickness but still craved something authentic to make every meal count in Hue. So I ordered this dry salad bowl that came with roasted pork belly, green herbs, lime, pungent anchovy sauce, pineapple sauce and plenty of peanuts. You work everything into the vermicelli noodles, shake the box, and chomp away at this imperial delight.
Cultural nugget: If you order this in Saigon, you’ll get the dish's southern counterpart – served with a brothy fish soup that's sweet, sour and intensely silky. The courts of Hue dressed it up with the abundance of fermented and sun-dried ingredients of Central Vietnam.
Bánh Khoái You would easily get your hands on Bánh Xèo, the thin crepe-like variant of this dish, almost anywhere in the country. Hue’s special version features a smaller, more crunchy take on the savory pancake – folded taco-style with pork sausages, quail eggs, fresh shrimp and an iconic, secret dipping sauce that I didn’t dare to learn more about. As with most things in Hue, tasting is better than knowing.
I could talk about food in Hue almost all day, there’s still so much I regret not trying – especially from street vendors just outside the Citadel walls. If you’ve got an iron tummy and the weather doesn’t catch you with a cold, try it all. Washing it down with a beer always helps settle the tummy too. I snacked a lot and strictly tried things on the menu that I didn’t find outside of Hue to put this food guide together. I’d love to see how your culinary adventure goes!
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