Western guests praise Hue rice as a delicious meal of a lifetime

Enjoying a Hue -style home-cooked meal for the first time, Troy Nankervis and his companions enjoyed the simple yet impressively flavorful dishes.

Below is an article by Troy Nankervis, an Australian freelance journalist sharing about his 2-day travel itinerary in Australia.   Dreamy Hue on news.com.au. An Australian guy thinks tourists should skip crowded Bali (Indonesia) or Thailand, to come to Vietnam. The interesting destination they must visit is Hue. The scent of lemongrass and mint surprised me when I walked into a small kitchen in Central Vietnam, and my taste buds immediately knew I was about to enjoy a delicious meal. A giant pot of pumpkin soup was steaming on the electric stove. To my left, a middle-aged woman was skillfully rolling rice paper into spring rolls. Remember that scene in the movie Hook , when the lost boys prepare to eat their imaginary feast? The scene was almost the same, except that the plate of vegetables, diced meat and fresh herbs in the hostess's kitchen were all real, as was the feeling that she had carefully and passionately prepared this meal.

Ingredients table ready for a delicious lunch of a lifetime in Hue.

According to the guide, the hostess’s great-grandfather once cooked for Vietnamese royalty. And now, I was about to taste the very recipes that had been passed down through the generations. Historical significance underlines everything across Vietnam, and the city of Hue. The place where I was waiting for lunch holds a special place in the country’s past. Once the capital of Vietnam, Hue was considered the country’s cultural, political and religious center from the 1800s until the end of the Nguyen Dynasty in 1945. The city was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1993. If you spend a few days exploring here, you will see the Perfume River flowing through the city, dotted with tombs, pagodas… All of which have survived for centuries. Locals believe that the landscape of the Ngu Binh mountain range, where the ancient citadel was built, resembles the shape of a dragon. The people's storytelling style, a blend of history and mythology, is present everywhere in Hue. That, along with the cuisine, is what makes me really love Hue and Vietnam in general.

Hue is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with many beautiful royal tombs and the famous Thien Mu Pagoda (pictured).

Admittedly, while other places in Asia such as Thailand, Cambodia and Bali (Indonesia) are often more famous and well-known, Vietnam is running its own race, with its own unique culture, cuisine and history. It seems I'm not the only one who thinks so, as Vietnam is becoming an increasingly popular destination for Australian travellers. According to Intrepid , the number of annual passengers to Vietnam in 2023 increased by 166% compared to the same period in 2022. The majority of customers booking tickets to Vietnam are Australians (43%), followed by the UK (24%), the US and New Zealand (11 each). The city is less bustling than Ho Chi Minh City, but worth a stop, especially if you've been to nearby Da Nang or Hoi An. For my first time in Vietnam, I chose to explore the country via a 10-day tour that cost $1,950, including most meals and accommodation. The journey gave me a great view of Vietnam, starting from the capital Hanoi, winding through Hoi An (home to the famous silk tailors), the Mekong Delta and ending in Ho Chi Minh City. I later found out that this is also the itinerary chosen by many Australian tourists.

The author took photos at the Imperial Citadel.

Our group took the overnight train from Hanoi to Hue. If you want to try it, book a sleeper cabin (which can accommodate up to 6 people), which costs around 500,000 VND/person. Also, bring snacks and supplies as there is basically no food on board. The journey takes about 14 hours. After a while, you get used to the swaying and sound of the train on the tracks. As you leave Hanoi, you can see some very impressive scenery. Most of us only slept for a few hours, but when Duy, our guide, asked if we wanted to experience a local home-cooked meal, everyone said “Yes!” to recharge. A short bus ride later, we were ready for a delicious lunch of our lives.

The group ended up having a delicious home-cooked meal in Hue.

Compared to other cuisines, especially those of Europe and America, Vietnamese food is fresher and lighter, focusing more on flavor. Our meal began with a series of appetizers: the traditional Vietnamese pumpkin soup, which I had seen warming up on the stove earlier (called canh bi do), jackfruit salad with fresh lime juice, chili, and homemade spring rolls. Next came the delicious braised pork and tofu in a clay pot. The meat almost melted in your mouth, and you could taste the fresh ginger and garlic. The minced pork with tomatoes was garnished with green onions and coriander. Duy explained that this is a staple on the family table in Vietnam. The sweet tomato soup was also delicious. It was a variation of the traditional sour soup, which usually included seafood, pineapple, and bean sprouts. Fresh fruit for dessert. It was scorching hot outside, and I couldn’t resist a cold beer. To toast properly, Duy taught us the phrase “one two three, cheers”, with the all-important clinking of glasses to end a rather grand meal. After lunch, we explored Thien Mu Pagoda, a 21-metre-high octagonal structure overlooking the Perfume River. Like Bali and Thailand, riding around on a scooter is one of the best ways to see Vietnam, and that’s how we spent our second day in Hue. Renting one will cost around 150,000 VND, just make sure you have full travel insurance.

Motorbikes are the most ideal means of transport to get around Hue.

We headed straight to the Imperial Citadel, an ancient fortress of incredible beauty. Our next stop was the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc, one of Hue’s most popular tourist attractions with its lavish and artistic gardens, designed by the Emperor himself before his death. The day ended with another great meal, this time in the nightlife district of Phu Hoi Ward in Hue. With countless bars and restaurants, the streets come alive after sunset, the neon lights and bustling atmosphere instantly impressing visitors. For me, it was a less overwhelming version of similar Western, nightlife streets in Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City.

Dawn in Hue.

Here we ate at Golden Rice restaurant. I spent around 250,000 VND on a delicious duck pancake, chicken noodle soup, and a couple of beers to help me wind down for the night. I ended my time in Hue with a brand new tattoo and played a game of tug of war with some locals at a nearby bar. Overall, traveling around Vietnam was a great adventure, and I can’t wait to return to learn more about the country. Thankfully, flying to Vietnam is about to get a lot easier, with the country’s major low-cost carrier announcing plans to increase its flights to Australia. From December, visitors will be able to fly daily from Melbourne and Sydney, and three times a week from Brisbane.

Laodong.vn