Top Local Hue Food You Should Try and Where to Get it in Hue City?

Local Food and where to eat like a local, it is always the question we have in mind when travel. As young locals in Hue who are so passionate about our hometown’s cuisine, we’d love to share with you some of our recommendation for Hue Local Food you should try and where to sit down like a Hue person and order with without being ripped off. These signature dishes of Hue and the local places we list below are proven “delicious” by either our previous customers whom we have taken on a food tour or by rating on TripAdvisor or Yelp.

1. Bún Bò Huế – Hue Signature Beef Noodle Soup

Bún Bò Huế is the first dish you should try when you visit Hue Ancient City. Why? Because it is the soul of Hue City!

Bun Bo Hue is cooked with beef shank, pig knuckles, Vietnamese pork loaves… The dish is balance of its spicy and flavors. Bun Bo Hue has a naturally sweet flavor from the simmering of beef and pork bones for a long time. The add of shrimp paste and lemongrass bunch in the broth makes Bun bo Hue’s flavor completely distinctive towards the rest of traditional soup in other regions of Viet Nam. The soup is commonly served with a plenty of herbs like bean sprout, salad, lime, cilantro, banana flower… Try a bowl of Bun bo Hue, you would love this dish from the first spoon! We will tell you where to get it on your own.

Where to eat?

• Bun bo O Ty – 5 Nguyen Du, Hue city
• Bun bo My Tam – 1 Tran Cao Van, Hue city

Inside a pot of Bún Bò Huế

2. Bánh Khoái – Hue Royal Pancake

Have you tried Banh Xeo Specialty in the South of Vietnam yet? Banh Khoai is said to be the petite version of Banh Xeo with a royal touch. It has its original name “Banh Khoi” (khói means smoke) since it is being cooked on a wood stove. However, people miss-spell “khoi” into “khoai”, therefore it is currently called  “khoai” which means happy cake in English.

The base of Bánh Khoái is made of egg rice flour. Once it turns into golden color, the chef place some slices of pork, shrimp, egg, bean sprouts on top then fried until crispy. It will be then served of green and fresh herbs like mint leaves, basil, and finished with a tasty peanut sesame sauce. Wonder where to get it?

Where to eat?

• Lac Thien restaurant – 6 Dinh Tien Hoang, Hue city
• Hanh restaurant – 1 Pho Duc Chinh, Hue city

A crispy golden pancake ready to serve

3. Bún Thịt Nướng – Grilled pork noodle

Our third most favorite dish among locals is Bún Thịt Nướng. This is a cold rice noodle dish with well-marinated grilled porks topped with fresh herbs such as basil, cilantro, fresh salad, cucumber, pickled papaya and carrot, crispy peanut. You might have tried this dish in Saigon or Hanoi but in Hue’s version in our opinion is super special.  The distinguished sauce is made from pork liver, peanut and sesame that will make you speechless once you try it. Hue Grilled Pork Noodle is one of the royal cuisines from ancient times. Come and try yourself to know why it is so special! You will notice that Vietnamese like to eat Bún Thịt Nướng in the afternoon thus, it should be easy for you to find it in every corners in Hue City.

Ingredients in a Bún Thịt Nướng Dish

Our suggested place to eat:

• Ba Ty restaurant – 81 Dao Duy Tu, Hue city

4. Nem lui – Grilled Pork Skewer with Lemon Grass:

You love spring rolls and want to do your own roll? This is a dish for you! Nem lui is made from well-seasoned finely-ground pork and minced pork skin. This mixture will be then attached on a lemongrass stick and grilled over a coal stove.

When eating, Nem lui will be wrapped in a thin rice paper and fresh herbs added. Rolling it up and then dip in peanut sesame sauce will make a perfect flavor. If you have the opportunity to visit Hue, do not forget to enjoy this unique dish.

Nem Luis are being grilled over charcoal.

Where to eat:

• Ty restaurant – 81 Dao Duy Tu, Hue city

5. Banh beo, nam, loc

The combo dish of Bèo, Nậm, Lọc cake

These are the famous combo of different kinds of savory cakes made from glutinous rice and sauteed shrimp.  

While banh beo is having a round shape, Banh nam is flat with minced pork added and Banh loc is cute sushi-shaped with shrimp and pork. Banh nam and Banh loc are wrapped in la dong, also known as elephant ears leaves which adds a very enjoyable fragrance to the dish. There are some famous local restaurants in Hue we would like to recommend as below

Where to eat:

• Hanh restaurant – 11 Pho Duc Chinh, Hue city
• Hang Me – 12 Vo Thi Sau, Hue city

6. Bánh Mỳ

           A dish that everyone knows what it is! Don’t get me wrong! Hue Banh My is a treat for those who are short in cash but looking for super good dinner with vibrant ambience with local people. Go find yourself wander in front of Truong Tien Bridge, also known as Nguyen Dinh Chieu Night Market after 7PM, you will notice there are some small stools with young people sitting around, there are super cheap Banh My with a great variety of choices for you. Or simply walk over Truong Tien Bridge towards Dong Ba Market, look around to find Thao Bakery Mobile Cart. Try a mixed Banh My with Iced Peach Tea! Trust us! We only show you the best places to have the best local food in Hue.

The perfect couple – Bánh Mỳ and Trà Đào.

Do you know that Hue Food is not only popular in Vietnam but also around the world? Most of the Hue dishes we recommend above exists everywhere in Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh or Danang city. We even found it in Paris, Melbourn, California or London. However, once you try it in Hue, you would never look at Vietnamese food the same way when you go back home. For the sweet tooth people, we will come up with some ideas for you to enjoy Hue amazing desserts highly rated among young locals in the next post. Stay tuned for it!

Good luck and we hope you have a great time in our beautiful motherland of Hue!

Vui Nguyen and Beebee Travel Team.