Banh canh Nam Pho: Hue's quiet classic
Less famous than bun bo Hue, this delicate shrimp-and-crab noodle soup from Nam Pho village is the dish Hue locals reach for in the afternoon.
10 September 2026
Ask visitors about Hue food and they will name bun bo Hue, banh beo or banh khoai. Ask people who live there and many will mention banh canh Nam Pho — a soft rice-noodle soup from the village of Nam Pho, just outside the city.
What makes it different
The noodles are made from rice flour mixed with tapioca, kneaded and cut into thick strands that turn silky in the pot. The broth is cooked from fresh shrimp and crab, so it is naturally sweet, and it is tinted a pale orange with a touch of annatto. Little balls of pounded shrimp and pork belly go in at the end, followed by laksa leaves, spring onion and coriander.
How to eat it
Traditionally banh canh Nam Pho was an afternoon snack, sold from shoulder poles that appeared after midday. Locals still eat it that way: a small bowl, with a spoonful of green-chili fish sauce, as a pick-me-up between lunch and dinner.
The taste is sweet from the seafood, salty, peppery and fragrant with herbs — delicate rather than bold, which suits a city known for the refinement of its cooking.
When you are in Hue, skip the restaurant menus one afternoon and look for a busy stall with a pot of orange broth. That is the one.
