The canonical version and where to order it.
The fiery central-Vietnamese beef-and-pork noodle soup from Hue, built on a lemongrass-and-shrimp-paste broth stained red with chili oil, with thick round rice noodles, beef shank, pork knuckle and a slice of congealed blood. Bolder and spicier than pho.
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.
1 editor pick for Bun bo Hue in Ho Chi Minh City, ranked by editorial score. All Ho Chi Minh City signature dishes · Bun bo Hue across every city.
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.
Bun bo Hue makes more sense with someone from Ho Chi Minh City explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
3 hours
Spend three hours with a talented local chef to cook a three-course meal by yourself, following the steps of the instructions given and using only natural ingredients....
Guided tour · 8 hours
Explore Ho Chi Minh City on a guided tour with a Polish-speaking guide. Ride a traditional rickshaw, visit the Jade Emperor's Pagoda, and enjoy a local lunch.
Private tour · 4 hours
Discover the historic heart of Ho Chi Minh City on a guided tour with a cultural show and meal. Choose between a morning tour with lunch show or an afternoon tour with...
