Hue Beef Noodle Soup (Bún Bò Huế)

Hue's signature beef and pork noodle soup: a spicy, lemongrass-scented broth over thick round rice noodles. It is the one dish every visitor to Hue should taste in the city where it began.

Bún bò Huế is the dish most closely tied to the city's name, and eating it in Hue is a different experience from ordering it elsewhere in Vietnam. The broth is simmered from beef and pork bones and defined by two flavours: lemongrass and fermented shrimp paste (mắm ruốc), which gives it a deep, savoury backbone. Chilli oil adds heat and the characteristic red-orange colour. The noodles are thicker and rounder than the flat rice noodles of phở, with a pleasant chew. A bowl typically holds slices of beef shank, cubes of congealed pig's blood, and a piece of pork knuckle or a slice of crab-and-pork cake (chả cua). Locals eat it mainly for breakfast, adding a plate of banana blossom, bean sprouts and herbs, plus lime and extra chilli to taste. It is moderately spicy by default; ask for less chilli if you prefer. Small neighbourhood stalls often serve the most characterful bowls.