Bun Bo Hue

★★★★4.7· 198 ratings

·Serves 4

About this Dish

Hue's fiery lemongrass and shrimp paste beef noodle soup — spicier and more complex than pho, with thick round noodles.

History & Origin

Bun bo Hue is the fiery noodle soup of Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam, considered by many Vietnamese food experts to be more complex and interesting than pho. While pho is delicate and refined, bun bo Hue is bold, spicy and deeply savoury — fermented shrimp paste (mam ruoc) gives it a funky, oceanic depth that pho never attempts. The dish was developed in the royal kitchens of the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945). Bun bo Hue remains strongly regional — most versions outside Hue are considered pale imitations by Hue natives, making it one of the last great dishes truly better in its place of origin.

IngredientsServes 4

🥩Beef shank, 500g

🐷Pork trotters, 2

🍜Thick round bun noodles, 400g

🌿Lemongrass stalks, bruised, 4

🌶️Annatto seeds, for colour, 2 tbsp

🫙Mam ruoc (shrimp paste), 2 tbsp

🌶️Dried chillies, 6

🫙Fish sauce, 3 tbsp

🌿Bean sprouts, banana blossom, to serve

🌿Fresh herbs — mint, perilla, coriander

Method

Blanch the beef shank and pork trotters in boiling water for 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

Fry the annatto seeds in oil until the oil turns red. Strain and discard the seeds. This red oil colours and flavours the broth.

Sauté the lemongrass in the annatto oil until golden. Add the shrimp paste and fry for 2 minutes.

Add the blanched meat and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1.5 hours until the beef is tender.

Add the dried chillies and fish sauce. Simmer for a further 30 minutes. Season aggressively — this broth should be spicy.

Cook the bun noodles and divide between bowls. Top with sliced beef and pork. Pour over the fiery broth. Serve with bean sprouts, banana blossom and fresh herbs.

What Makes it Authentic

Use round bun noodles not flat pho noodles. Shrimp paste (mam ruoc) is essential and cannot be substituted. The broth should be aggressively spicy and deeply savoury.

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