We may still be full from the amazing food we found in Hue. We spent most of our time in central Vietnam eating and we don’t regret it at all. Planning a trip to Hue? Check out our review of the restaurants and local dishes below:
Madame Thu Restaurant – Taste of Hue
Our first stop in Hue was for lunch at Madame Thu and it was the PERFECT decision! We hadn’t done any research on the food in this area, but the menu at Madame Thu was detailed and descriptive. The menu provided us with all of the information we needed to know about the local cuisine. If you are skeptical about any of the dishes, but just want a taste, you can order a half portion! We indulged during this meal and had spring rolls, bun bo hue, banh nam, and banh khoai. Oh and of course we had two ice cold local Huda beers. Huda is the most popular beer in central Vietnam.
The spring rolls at Madame Thu were the best that we had in all of Vietnam. We highly recommend at least one order of them during your visit!
Nam is a steamed rice that is flattened and shaped into a rectangular cake. A mixture of fried ground pork, shrimp, and scallions is pressed into the top of the rice before being wrapped in a banana leaf. The banh nam is then steamed and served wrapped in the banana leaf. You can see the banh nam pictured on the bottom right corner of the photo above. (I should have snapped the photo before I finished eating most of it!)
Hanh Restaurant Local Food
After a delicious lunch and a day of exploring, we were craving another authentic meal and were happy to find Hanh Restaurant. Our dinner at Hanh Restaurant was hands down our favorite meal in Hue. The restaurant was an open air style and had many tables filled with a mix of locals and tourists. It happened to be pouring during our dinner so we enjoyed hearing the rain through the open side of the restaurant. With inexpensive prices and eyes bigger than our stomachs, we may have ordered a tad too much food. Some of our favorite dishes are below!
Banh Beo – We were quite surprised when a large platter was brought to our table. The platter took over half of the table! Banh beo is small dishes filled with a steamed rice cake similar to the banh nam that we described earlier. These steamed rice cakes are topped with dried shrimp and scallions. They are served with a fish sauce, rice vinegar, and oil dipping sauce. These are eaten kind of like a Jell-O shot. Run your spoon around the perimeter of the dish to loosen up the rice. Pour a little of the sauce on top and pop the whole thing in your mouth at once. Chris was up to the challenge and had to take many banh beo “shots” to finish off the platter!
Banh Khoai – My absolute favorite meal in Hue is banh khoai. Banh khoai is a Vietnamese crepe made of rice flour and fried until it’s crispy. The crepe is filled with pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, and scallions. It is served with a side of fresh greens and herbs that you are supposed to eat with the crepe. After stuffing the crepe with greens, you dip the crepe in a fermented soy bean dipping sauce. This greasy, crunchy meal is popular with the locals especially during the winter. Enjoy one with a Huda and you can’t go wrong!
Ancient Town Restaurant
Our final meal in Hue was at Ancient Town Restaurant. The prices were a bit higher than the other restaurants, but the amazing view of the riverside restaurant made up for it. The tables are set up right along the Perfume River (unfortunately, it doesn’t smell like perfume) and you can watch the colorful lights change on the Cầu Trường Tiền Bridge. 
Bun Bo Hue – We tried another local specialty at this restaurant. Bun Bo Hue is Hue beef noodle soup. This dish is different from pho as it is thicker and has a combination of sweet and spicy flavor. It was exactly what we needed after completing a 20-mile bike ride to the tombs in the area!
That’s a wrap on our meals in Hue, but don’t forget to try street food if you have a chance! 
The above skewers, Nem Lui, are similar to a kebab, but in Hue lemongrass stalks are wrapped in marinated meat and grilled to perfection. The lemongrass gives the meat so much flavor! A perfect snack to pick up while exploring!
It is easy to say we loved Hue. We enjoyed the eating just as much as the exploring!
