Hue's traditional food inside Saigon

Hue is the ancient capital in the central Vietnam, and Bánh bèo Huế is one of the most famous traditional food in Hue. 

What is Bánh bèo Huế?

Bánh bèo is a small steamed rice cake/pancake in traditional Vietnamese cuisine which you may find it very difficult to try it outside of Vietnam.  Typically, it is white in color, and has a dimple in the center, which is filled with savoury ingredients including chopped dried or fresh shrimp, scallions, mung bean paste, crispy fried shallots, fish sauce, rice vinegar and oil (Wikipedia). The ingredients vary in different regions, mostly in the Central and South of Vietnam.

Bánh bèo chén

Bánh bèo from the Central Vietnam, including Hue, and Quang Nam, is served in a very small ceramic bowl, which gives it another name as Bánh bèo chén (Chén means the small bowl holding Bánh bèo), while Southern-style Bánh bèo is usually thin, and served together on a plate.

Southern-style Bánh bèo

Where to eat Bánh bèo Huế in Saigon?

Actually, Bánh bèo Huế itself is also the name of a famous small restaurant serving Hue's dishes in the crossroad of Nguyen Dinh Chieu and Nguyen Thuong Hien streets, near Vuon Chuoi market, district 3. 

The restaurant has served Bánh bèo for 20 years since the present owner’s mother-in-law started her business with a small food stall at Vuon Chuoi market nearby. Delicious food with low price has attracted more and more people coming to the restaurant and becoming its regular customers.

Besides Bánh bèo, it also serves other Hue rice cakes including Bánh bột lọc (Rice dumpling cake), Bánh nậm, Bánh bèo chén, Bánh ít trần, Bánh đúc along with Chả (pork bologna), Nem (fermented pork roll), and fish source.

Bánh bột lọc (There is a piece of shrimp inside 😊)

Bánh nậm (rice floor with shrimp and pork meat mashed)

Bánh ít trần (Vietnamese mochi with a mixture of pork, mung bean and wood ear mushrooms inside)

Bánh đúc (steamed rice cake with coconut flavor)

If you want to try all of them, just order “một đĩa đầy đủ” (a special dish) with the price of VND20,000 (0.9$). 

The restaurant is open from 4p.m till 9p.m or even later sometimes. Because of small space, there are just a few of small chairs and tables for sitting. Avoid visiting the restaurant from 4.30p.m till 6.30p.m if you do not want to wait for too long 😉