7 famous foods in Hue

Your trip to romantic Hue city may fail to be interesting if you pass the chance to try most unique specialties of this region. From “bún bò Huế” (Hue beef noodle) with spicy bouillon to flavorful “cơm hến” (Hue mussel rice), each and every typical dish in this city will leave you unforgettable memories. Below is the list of 7 Hue specialties that you should not miss out.

1. Hue beef noodle - "Bun bo Hue" 
2. Hue mussel rice - " Com hen" 
3. "Banh beo" 
4. Rice dumpling - "Banh bot loc" 
5. Plain rice flan - "Banh khoai"
6. Grilled minced pork on a bamboo stick - "Grilled miced pork" 
7. Hue’s vegetarian food
 

1. Hue beef noodle - "Bun bo Hue" 

Let's your day light up with abowl of "Bun Bo" 

Hue beef noodle is believed to be the spirit of Hue cuisine, therefore, there should be no doubt about its reputation and tastiness. This specialty is the unique combination of noodle, fatty petites, some beef slices and a variety of herbs such as mint, spring onion, etc. All of this ingredients are used to make the fresh bouillon. This bouillon, made of beef bones and vegetation stewed for several hours, is considered as the crucial element of Hue beef noodle. 
The most well-known place to taste Hue beef noodle is 13 Ly Thuong Kiet Street (beside Cong Doan Hotel). You can also easily find other good places serving this special beef noodle in Hue. The price for a bow of Hue beef noodle is about 30,000 VND.

2. Hue mussel rice - " Com hen" 

Besides Hue beef noodle, Hue ‘s steam rice with mussel is another typical dish in Hue. Due to the popularity of this simple but flavorful specialty, you can easily it in almost every corner of this region. Hue mussel rice, as indicated right in its name, is a mixture of rice and mussel. The dish looks simple but actually it is quite complicated to make. Rice must be cooked with an appropriate amount of water to ensure its soft and sticky level. A layer of mussel stir-fried with onion, pork rind and spring onion. Apart from these main ingredients, Hue mussel rice can be eaten with some herbs like bean sprouts, sliced banana flower, mint leaves, fried peanuts and onion. 

3. "Banh beo" 

Only by visiting Hue, may you see how “bánh bèo” is popular in the daily life of local people. Around 3PM - 5PM, some women with baskets on their side or shoulders will walk around the streets to sell this typical dish. Hue people love and get used to consume this specialty during their brunches. Don’t forget to pass by “bánh bèo street” located in An Dinh Palace, Ngu Binh road, Nguyen Binh Khiem road to directly enjoy the “bánh bèo culture” there.  

4. Rice dumpling - "Banh bot loc" 

Bánh bột lọc (Rice dumpling) has been introduced by CNN GO as one of the most 30 delicious dishes in the world, besides other famous specialties such as Shanghai dumpling, Italian ravioli, Japanese Daifuku. According to this article, “bánh bèo” is considered as one of the dumpling type that can conquer the most difficult people. “Bánh bột lọc” contains the traditional flavor of Hue with fresh cover made of cassava, pork and shrimp. Hue dumpling is different from other dumpling versions in the point that it is usually covered in banana leaves. In some Vietnamese restaurants, “bánh bột lọc” (Hue dumpling) is often sold with “bánh bèo” (Bloating fern-shaped cake), “bánh nậm” (flat rice flour dumpling), “bánh canh” (Vietnamese Udon) with the price of 10,000 - 15,000 VND. 

5. Plain rice pancake - "Banh xèo"

Bánh xèo (plain rice pancake) is made of rice flour mixed in water with egg yolk, pepper, onion, fish sauce, salt, peeled shrimp, sliced grilled beef (or bird), sliced grease and bean sprout. The flavor of this specialty is decided by “nước lèo” - a special sauce going with this dished and can only made by high-skilled chef. “Bánh xèo” Thượng Tứ is a very well-known brand in Hue. This brand has 3 restaurants: Lạc Thiên, Lạc Thạnh and Bạch Yến.  

6. Grilled minced pork on a bamboo stick - "Grilled miced pork" 

It is said that “Nem lụi is one of the traditional dishes that carries in it the soul of Hue imperial city”. On Nguyen Hue Road, there are 2 crowded “nem lụi” restaurants. Once tasted “nem lụi”, you may want to come back and repeat this experience everyday.
Nem lụi Huế is usually eaten with herbs, sour star fruit, bean sprout, sliced green banana. All of these ingredients are covered in a thin and transparent rice paper. In addition, a special sauce made of many different ingredients such as: vegetable oil, pork liver, tapioca, sugar, fish sauce, cinnamon, star anise and coconut milk.

7. Hue’s vegetarian food

If you would like to have a natural, fresh and detox meal, you should try a vegetarian meal in Hue. There are a variety of vegetarian food in this region, including vegetables, bulbs, mushrooms, tofu cooked and decorated in a very eye-catching and attractive way.

Coming to Hue, if you wish to try a vegetarian meal, you can contact any pagodas in this regions and book for special Hue vegetarian food. Từ Đàm pagoda would be a great suggestion because this pagoda is located in the city center (on Điện Biên Phủ street) and the food is cooked by high-skilled budhist nuns. In addition to this address, you can also go to Liên Hoa vegetarian restaurant located in 3 Lê Quý Đôn Road. The food here is also good and the price is quite cheap.

♦ Note down: Some recommendations for you to try vegetarian food: Liên Hoa vegetarian restaurant (3 Lê Quý Đôn), Đông Ba market, Phan Bội Châu & Điện Biên Phủ District, Từ Đàm pagodas.