Warning: This list might raise eyebrows. Yes, there’s a Western dish on here. But before you grab your pitchforks and accuse me of culinary treason, hear me out, it’s that good.
1. Bánh Xèo Nem Lụi Bà Hằng | 77K/ £2.20 | Rating 10/10
I’ve eaten a lot of bánh xèo while travelling Vietnam, but this one? This one belongs in a museum.
Hidden down a narrow alley, the “restaurant” is essentially someone’s home. No fancy décor. No mood lighting. Just low stools, open air, and the satisfying hiss of pancakes on the griddle.
The bánh xèo here is extra crispy, paired with heaps of fresh herbs, rice paper, and… scissors. Yes, you cut your own pancake before wrapping it in rice paper and rolling it up like a DIY flavour burrito.
Two dipping sauces arrive: one, the classic sweet, salty, fragrant sauce you’d expect. But the other? A warm, peanutty satay-style sauce that blindsided me with brilliance. Every wrap got dunked like it was going for Olympic gold.
Verdict: I’d eat here again in a heartbeat. This humble hideaway serves royal-level loot.
Pizz.Á Restaurant | 336K/ £9.60 | Rating 10/10 |
Six months of travelling Asia had me in good-pizza withdrawal. Then, on my last night in Hue, I found Pizz.Á (cue tiny violin).
Tucked away on the second floor of a hotel, this wasn’t your typical Vietnamese spot. Think cosy ambience, open kitchen, attentive staff, it felt like a high-end Italian restaurant back in the UK… for half the price.
The manager insisted I try their new chorizo pizza. Dear reader, it was perfect: wood-fired, with a base that was crisp on the outside and chewy inside, topped with smoky, slightly spicy chorizo and gooey mozzarella. Therapy in slice form.
And because a buccaneer’s hunger knows no restraint, I also ordered fish and chips. The fish? Fresh and flaky. The batter? Crisp enough to make angels weep. My only regret? Finding this place too late to return.
Verdict: 10/10. If I could turn back time, I’d eat here three nights in a row.
Chạn | 650K/ £18.60 (Serves 2 people) | Rating 9/10 |
At 650K for an eight-dish tasting menu (plus drinks), this was pricier than our usual budget—but my friends, worth every single dong.
This wasn’t just a meal; it was a culinary expedition. We started strong and only climbed higher. The stuffed squid was tender and bursting with flavour. The fried snakehead fish with mango was perfectly crisp, elevated by a sauce that had me raising my glass in salute.
By the end, I wasn’t just full, I was spiritually fulfilled and emotionally altered.
Verdict: I left with a happy stomach, a slightly lighter wallet, and an unhealthy attachment to their snakehead fish.
Final Thoughts
Hue understands flavour on a deep, personal level. The city doesn’t just serve food it serves stories, each plate a chapter of its imperial history. Whether you’re crouched on a plastic stool, feasting by candlelight, or toasting over eight decadent courses, Hue will leave you full, delighted, and just a little bit changed.
Come hungry. Leave with stories, sauce stains, and zero regrets.