Hue Royal Cuisine: What to Expect & Where to Try

When talk about Hue cuisine, people often think of Royal Meal, a culinary style conceived to serve the Nguyen court for more than a century. Hue royal cuisine is always highly appreciated by not only the recipe and processing way but also the decoration for the dishes. So, what should you know about Hue royal meal? Come to Hue, where can you experience a royal meal in this beautiful city?

Hue Royal meal 

What is Hue royal meal? 

Vietnam currently has about 3,000 dishes of all kinds, including over 1,700 dishes cooked in the style of Hue royal cuisine. In fact, Hue royal cuisine is not much different from the traditional dishes in terms of materials. The most special feature is the delicate, meticulous decoration and presentation like a vivid picture that attracts diners. 

Hue royal cuisine is influenced by the cultural currents of many different communities in the past. It is the inheritance of Northern style cuisine from the Ly dynasty (1069), Le dynasty (1306), and especially since 1558 when Lord Nguyen and his entourage came to Thuan Hoa. Besides, Hue cuisine is enriched by its features in ancient Champa cuisine. 

After the feudal dynasty declined, royal cuisine began to spread out and developed based on traditional cuisine. Hue people cook dishes skillfully with attractive colors and presentation. In particular, the harmony in spices or ingredients is focused so that the dish is not only delicious but also good for health. 

If you have the opportunity to enjoy Hue cuisine such as Hue spring rolls, sour shrimp, boiled meat, beef noodles, mussel rice, Banh Canh, and so on; you will feel the luxurious, sophisticated taste through all dishes are made from simple ingredients. 

Features of Hue Royal Meal

When preparing royal dishes, royal chefs often season several times to ensure a pleasant taste while keeping the freshness of the food. A royal dish when offering to the kings must be seasoned at least three times to bring the most delicious and tasty food. 

There are many rules in cooking Hue cuisine, from the provision of food, processing, serving, table setting, and so on. According to the records, each meal of King Minh Mang, Dong Khanh, Khai Dinh must have from 35 to 50 dishes, including eight most valuable dishes. Each dish was scooped out into a bowl, then placed in wooden boxes painted with gold. 

All royal dishes must be carefully and beautifully decorated and follow the rules of neatness, colors, harmony. It is said that Hue royal cuisine is eaten by eyes and nose before eating by mouth. Hue royal cuisine is the quintessential part of Vietnamese cuisine that should be honored, preserved and promoted. It is not only the art of processing dishes but also contains the concept of life, philosophy and personality of Hue people in particular and Vietnamese people in general. 

Feature of Hue Royal Meal 

Top restaurants to try Royal Meal in Hue

1. Cung Dinh Restaurant (Royal Park)

• Address: No 03 Nguyen Sinh Sac Street, Vi Da, Hue city
• Opening hours: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm 
• Average price: 11 - 70 USD 

Royal Park is one of the most famous restaurants serving royal meals in Hue. The restaurant was opened in 2005 with 1,200 m2 wide and is designed in the style of “nha ruong” of Hue people.  About 600 people can be contained at the same time in the restaurant. The whole restaurant is a 2-floor house which is divided into 5 zones surrounded by trees and rockery. 

The restaurant serves both European and Asian food, including Hue specialties and royal rice. Apart from the dishes that customers choose according to the menu, Royal Park also has many set menus for different groups of customers such as Thailand, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, and so on. 

Moreover, the experienced staff help customers satisfy when coming to the restaurant. The flower garden and ornamental plants contribute to creating a relaxing space. Royal Park is a suitable place for customers who want to try a royal meal and gather with families and friends. 

Cung Dinh Restaurant 

2. Tinh Gia Vien Restaurant

• Address: 7/28 Le Thanh Ton Street, Hue city
• Opening hours: 11:00 am - 11:30 pm 
• Average price: 10 - 18 USD 

Tinh Gia Vien Restaurant 

The restaurant impresses customers by the rustic and intimate setting at this Hue royal restaurant. You can enjoy the cool atmosphere of the yard while eating. Moreover, the design and decoration make us feel cozy with each cloth and wooden doll in glass cabinets in the room.  

Depending on the number of people and the chosen menu, the restaurant will make suitable meals with prices ranging from 10 - 18 USD per person. All the dishes on the menu of royal meals have special names such as Nem Cong, Cha Phung, Goi Rong, Huong Moc Dang, and so on. It makes customers curious about the shape and flavor of the food. 

When the dishes are served on the table, customers will understand why the royal party is so popular. Just by looking at the decoration, we already feel the deliciousness. Each dragon head, peacock head is meticulously carved by skillful hands of the chefs. Especially, the chef’s creativity makes the diners admire when shaping an entire pineapple into a candlestick. We can light the file inside, giving off a very pleasant aroma in Huong Moc Dang dish. 

3. Hoang Phu Restaurant

• Address: 05 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hue City
• Opening hours: 07:00 am - 10:00 pm
• Average price: 8 - 15 USD per person

Come to Hoang Phu Restaurant, you will have a chance to enjoy a royal meal in Hue. The restaurant is located in the center of Hue City (adjacent to the Western Quarter) with one of the most luxurious spaces in the city. The dishes are prepared with the freshest ingredients from professional chefs. 

Moreover, you have various choices of drinks. Drinks here are decorated and presented in an eye-catching way. This is one of the most suitable destinations for customers to enjoy royal cuisine or organize birthday parties, customer appreciation, weddings in royal style. Furthermore, you can also dress up in King costumes, enjoy charming Hue music, and have memorable experiences when visiting the ancient capital.  

Hoang Phu Restaurant 

4. Song Huong Floating Restaurant

• Address: 3/2 Park, Le Loi Street, Hue City 
• Opening hours: 10:00 am - 09:30 pm
• Average price: 12 - 30 USD per person 

Song Huong Floating Restaurant is the only restaurant in Hue located on the peaceful Huong River, next to the poetic Truong Tien Bridge. Being a unit of Hue Tourism Joint Stock Company, the restaurant brings a modern architecture in the charming scenery of Hue. It is modernly built with more than 350 seats. 

Coming to Song Huong floating restaurant, you can choose between various dishes from Europe, Asia, China, especially fresh seafood dishes and royal dishes which bring the typical of this ancient city. Depending on the number of guests, the prices of the royal menu and Hue traditional folk song ranges from 12 - 30 per person per meal. 

Song Huong Floating Restaurant promises to be a great place to relax and enjoy delicious food with your family, friends in the cool atmosphere of the Huong Giang river. 

Song Huong Floating restaurant 

For every guest, Hue helps them understand and learn about royal cuisine, which symbolizes the quintessence of the era, where every chef is a true artisan. Most tourists coming to Hue want to come back to both enjoy the peaceful, romantic beauty and enjoy the special cuisine of this ancient city. 

Find the best Hue Tours to taste amazing Hue royal cuisine now.

Vana Pham

Image source: Internet