When it comes to popular dishes of Hue cuisine, people often think of ‘banh loc’ (steamed clear tapioca cakes in banana leaf), ‘banh beo’ (Vietnamese bloating fern-shaped cake), 'banh uot heo quay' (steamed thin rice pancakes served with roasted pork), ‘banh nam’ (rice dumpling wrapped in banana leaf), or ‘banh ram it’ (a type of dumpling with a crispy attachment).

A tray of delicious 'banh beo', 'banh loc' and 'banh nam' at the Hai O Restaurant. Photo: H.L

Hue locals love and get used to having these rustic dishes for their snacks, which means that they eat not to be full, but to enjoy the flavours, spices and ingredients of the dishes.

For that reason, main ingredients used to prepare the aforementioned dishes are often carefully selected by cooks, in the style of "few but high quality and delicate".

For instance, 'banh beo' is made from pure rice flour, thinly molded into small, pretty cups that seem to melt right at the tip of the tongue, when eaten with flavourful topping of green onions, ground shrimp and crispy pork rinds.

In Da Nang, Hai O located on Thanh Thuy Street is one of the rare restaurants that guarantees this dish recipe.

In addition, 'banh loc' also attracts diners thanks to the naturally braised shrimp and the bowl of salty shrimp paste with a few slices of green chili.

'Banh uot' is made from thinly coated rice flour, steamed and served with shrimp, fried onions, and sweet and sour fish sauce. Also, the venue prepares pork belly, pickles, Hue-style ‘mam ruoc’ (fermented shrimp paste, and Hue herbs to serve a variety of customer needs.

Besides, ‘banh nam’ (rice dumpling wrapped in banana leaf), and ‘banh ram it’ (a type of dumpling with a crispy attachment) are among the must-try dishes when you visit the restaurant.

It can be said that Hue-style dishes at the Hai O Restaurant are quite rustic but show the sophistication of Hue people's recipes. For diners who love sweet soup, you can order a tray of 4 bowls of sweet soups in different flavours  to enjoy before the end of the meal.

Reporting by HUYNH LE - Translating by M.DUNG