Bánh canh Nam Phổ

I really do not know how to translate Bánh canh into English, if translate word by work then Bánh canh means "soup cake" ^^ (banh means cake and canh means soup). It is actually a kind of Vietnamese noole made from a mixture of rice and tapioca flour.

You can find Bánh canh in many places in Vietnam but Bánh canh Nam Phổ can only be found in Huế. I have heard of this speciality when I was in Hanoi but like many other Hue specialities, it is not sold in other provinces. I still remember my feeling of the first time tasting a bowl of Bánh canh Nam Phổ- it is so much different compared to other Bánh canh. It is quite sweet but I can taste the sweet flavour is made from fresh shrimps. Much amount of Tapioca flour also makes Bánh canh Nam Phổ extremely special. I ate two bowls at the first time, but again Hue cuisine style means "little each time", so each bowl just content very few bánh canh - may be that is also a clever way to encourage the customers eat more.


It is not easy to find a Bánh canh Nam Phổ Restaurant even in Hue, because I have read that locals in Nam Pho village have a tradition of making Bánh canh and going around Hue and selling. They do not have any consistent spot to sell and maybe not like to be at the same place every day (Hue artistic style!). But I am lucky and I found one Nam Phổ Restaurant on No 54 Nguyen Cong Tru Str. The owner said she is very much proud to be the third generation of selling the Bánh canh.


Since I discovered this restaurant in August and then introduced to Halie, it has become one of our favourite local restaurant in Hue where we can eat many wonderful bánh, not just bánh canh but also bánh bèo, bánh nậm, bánh lọc, ram ít...And I guess it is still in our favourite list of local food spots for a long time to come!