Hanoi
Guided tour · 3h 30m
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History
Bun bo Hue comes from the old imperial capital of Hue in central Vietnam, and it is everything pho is not: assertively spicy, scented with lemongrass and shrimp paste, and built on thick cylindrical rice noodles rather than flat ones. Migrants carried it south, and Saigon took to it despite, or because of, the heat, with long-running specialists like Bun Bo Nam Giao serving it since the 1990s. The broth balances the funk of mam ruoc shrimp paste against lemongrass, chili and a touch of sugar, and a proper bowl carries beef shank, pork knuckle, cha and cubes of blood.
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Common allergens: Shellfish, Fish
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 800g beef shank and 500g pork knuckle
- 4 stalks lemongrass, bruised
- 2 tbsp shrimp paste (mam ruoc)
- 2 tbsp chili oil, plus more to serve
- 1 tbsp sugar, fish sauce to taste
- 400g thick round bun bo noodles
- Sliced onion, banana blossom, herbs and lime to serve
Method
- Blanch the beef shank and pork knuckle, rinse, then simmer with the lemongrass in 3 litres of water for 2 hours until tender.
- Dissolve the shrimp paste in a ladle of hot broth, let it settle, then stir the clear liquid back into the pot.
- Season with sugar, fish sauce and chili oil to build heat and colour.
- Lift out the meats, slice, and cook the noodles separately.
- Divide noodles and sliced meat into bowls, ladle over the boiling broth, and serve with onion, banana blossom, herbs, lime and extra chili oil.
Tip from the editors. Bloom the shrimp paste in hot broth and add only the clear part; the sediment turns the soup muddy and harsh.
Where to eat bun bo hue
Bun bo Hue in Ho Chi Minh City
Bun Bo Nam Giao ★ 4.2
Bun Bo Nam Giao has cooked Hue-style spicy beef noodle soup since 1991, its lemongrass-and-chili broth a backpacker-district fixture near Bui Vien.
OrderThe full bun bo Hue with beef shank and cha.
TipThe broth is fiery by Southern standards; add the shrimp paste on the side to taste.
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