HUE Restaurant — Restaurant in San Jose

Hue has secured its place as one of my all-time favorite restaurants! While pho often takes center stage in Vietnamese cuisine, Hue truly shines in showcasing the rich and diverse flavors of the cuisine.

My friend and I always kick off our meal with a trio of appetizers: banh beo, banh ram it, and banh bot loc. These are traditionally served in odd numbers, so it's worth noting when ordering with others!

Among these appetizers, banh beo stands out as a personal favorite. Served in sets of five plates with fish sauce, the delicate balance of crunchy shrimp atop soft rice cakes is simply sublime. Paired with fish sauce (one with jalapeño and one without), it's a dish I could easily devour an entire order of by myself--it's just that delicious.

Equally satisfying is the banh ram it, featuring a delightful contrast between the fried chewy doughnut base and the steamed shrimp dumpling on top. While each order comes with three pieces, every bite is incredibly filling.

Rounding out the appetizer selection is the banh bot loc, featuring tapioca dumplings filled with shrimp and pork. Chewy and slightly sticky, each order includes five dumplings alongside pork rinds to add textural balance.

For our main course, we indulged in the renowned bun bo hue, opting for oxtail. The resulting soup was a comforting blend of flavors, with the expected spiciness complemented by lime, mint, and bean sprouts for a refreshing touch. The noodles were perfectly cooked and well-balanced with generous portions of meat, pork blood, and oxtail, ensuring a satisfying meal.

Despite its popularity, Hue manages to maintain fast and efficient service. Despite a Saturday lunch rush with six parties ahead of us, we were seated within 10 minutes. Ordering was a breeze, and our food arrived promptly thereafter. We found it easier to order in person rather than navigating the online ordering system via QR code. Additionally, the provision of physical menus simplified the selection process. The staff also maintained cleanliness and ensured our water glasses were topped up promptly.

While the restaurant tends to be lively and bustling, we found a comfortable corner to enjoy our meal without feeling crowded. The modern and minimalist interior design adds to the overall ambiance. Despite its unassuming exterior, the restaurant offers ample seating space, extending deep into the building.

In conclusion, I eagerly anticipate my next visit to Hue! If you're considering dining here, I wholeheartedly recommend it--it's an experience not...

Perhaps I came at an odd day, this was New Years Day 2023 at 7 PM, and I’ve seen high reviews of this place on Google and was close by at the time. I was severely disappointed. My family and I ordered one of the Banh Beo, Banh Nam, Mi Quang, Bun Hen, and a Sweet Mung Bean Dessert. Ratings: 1 is bad, 6 is average, 10 is amazing Banh Beo: 6/10, not bad but the sauce used wasn’t what I was used to, using large pepper chunks rather than small chili peppers, and the sauce itself was less sweet than expected. Banh Nam: 6/10, same issue as the Banh Beo. Mi Quang: No comment as this was my first time having this dish, but was decent. I felt like there needed to be more soup however, and my sister who ordered it said worse than the one she ordered from a different restaurant in Sacramento. Bun Hen: 3/10, this dish ruined my night to be honest. I love Bun Hen, and every cook in my expanded family generally makes it the same way, with shrimp paste and chilli that added spice and a sour-salty savory taste to the dish. This one, however, tasted extremely salty and nothing like I had before. Good mix of noodles to greens to calms, although I personally like more clams and noodles, but the taste was just horrible. Sweet Mung Bean: 8/10, I love my sweets, so this was a good dessert, and something I can cleanse my palate with. I would prefer if they grounded the ice chunks into small pieces and mixed the mung bean together with the coconut milk, but I still liked the taste. All in all, don’t expect this place to taste like home/what you are used to. I had a bad experience here in terms of food taste, but maybe different flavor pallets are being appealed to here. The food came out super fast despite the place looking busy (literal under 10 minute wait.) This is definitely a one and done restaurant, but I regret not ordering...

nam chua hue banh beo bun bo hue

Hue is one of my favorite spots to hit up for a home-y comfort food in sj - the three items ive selected on this list are my staples that i’d order every time i stop by! for the banh beo and nam chua hue these are more like appetizer items and for the nam chua hue it is definitely a bit sour-y as it’s fermented but it has a spicy kick to it with the fresh chili added on top - may be an acquired taste and not for everyone but also fun to try at least once! for the banh beo it’s rice cake covered with some yummy toppings - ground shrimp and a pork rind. it’s both filling over time but super fun to eat as they come on small dishes. super flavorful already with the toppings but intermixed with the fish sauce provides the balance of savory and slight tanginess. for the bun bo hue - i really appreciate how rich the flavor of the soup is (and maybe it’s because my spice tolerance is high) but it’s actually not too spicy for most around me too. one of my favorite part of the bun bo hue is the noodle type and soup - 10/10 recommend!

tips: sharable portions for family style or just for yourself too :) plentiful options to choose from service is super good family, groups, friends, and date friendly tons of yummy vegetarian...