Fodor's Expert Review Ancient Hue Restaurant

This 200-seat restaurant is located within the walls of the Phu Mong Garden House, which dates back to the 1800s. Blending cultural heritage and fine cuisine, it pays tribute to the last carving artists in Hue. The restaurant is famous for vividly recreating the authentic cuisines of Hue's royalty. Each dish is beautifully presented with vegetables sculpted into shapes of plants and animals. The menu highlights local specialties like banana blossom salad, banh beo (steamed rice flour with shrimp flakes), and banh khoai (fried rice pancakes stuffed with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts). The opulent art gallery in the ancient wooden house to the left doubles as a lounge bar, perfect for pre-dinner drinks. Expect an experience more than a meal with the Royal Court Dinner, a six-course dinner with traditional music and dance.

A vegetable carving course is available on request. They also offer cooking classes, which include a boat trip to the riverside markets.