Postcard from Huế
Noodles (obviously) food sculpture, pottery and ancestors
If you’re expecting the usual wine and restaurant recommendations I’m in Vietnam at the moment so Eat This. Drink That has temporarily turned into a travelogue. Which will hopefully be of use if you’re thinking of going yourself or inspire you to if you aren’t …
Remember that scene where Anthony Bourdain hangs out with President Obama eating bun cha? Turns out it was Hanoi rather than Huế but it could easily have been at the place we pitched up at on Tuesday night
It’s basically a street food restaurant called Bánh Canh O Bướm where they serve steaming bowls of noodles priced by the size of bowl you order.
As we hadn’t a clue which to go for we just pointed to the picture on the poster behind us and within seconds were brought what turned out to be the house speciality of Bánh Canh Cua - noodles with crab cakes in a vaguely fishy but deliciously fragrant broth. For - wait for it - 30,000 VDN which is 85p.
The other dish Huế - which was the country’s capital from 1802 to 1945 - is famous for is Bun Bo Hue, a spicy beef noodle soup that like pho is eaten for breakfast. (The place you need to go for that is Bùn Bò Loan though you need to arrive early, apparently)
In fact it was not noodles but a superb meal we had at the garden house of Princess Ngoc Son that really stood out, not least for its elaborate and fantastical presentation