There's one sure way to tell when any type of "ethnic" food has become mainstream in the United States: It occurs when the cognoscenti start differentiating between the cuisines of the country's various regions. With Vietnamese food, almost everyone knows pho, the celebrated soup of beef and rice noodles from Hanoi. What about the rest of the country, though? In the central portion of this elongated nation, the region surrounding the former capital, Hue, has a distinctive cuisine that can be found at Bun Bo Hue, a stall in the Mekong Plaza food court.
bun bo hue
Bun Bo Hue, which is also the name of the signature noodle soup of central Vietnam, was until recently called Hue Gourmet. Although the owners are the same, and the menu is essentially the same as it has been for over a decade, the restaurant has been rebranded to reflect its best known menu item. It's one of several tenants within the small food court at Mekong Plaza, a quarter mile walk from the Sycamore/Main light rail station in the growing Mesa Asian District. Bike racks are found in numerous locations near the shopping center's multiple entrances.
banh khot
As with its neighbors in the food court, it's an informal place where customers order at the counter and then receive a numbered placard to be placed at any of the tables shared with neighboring restaurants. Be patient when waiting at the counter. Often, the staff are in back cooking but will come out to the front as soon as they are able. There's a printed menu that mirrors the content of video screens over the counter, and additional specials are noted on printed cards. Another screen shows videos of traditional food preparation in the style of Hue.
banh hoi nem nuong
Although Hue is sometimes known for its vegetarian traditions, the menu here favors meat. The cha te pork skewers come wrapped in banana leaves and look and taste like something halfway between a hot dog and a cylinder of pate. Banh gio, also enclosed in banana leaves, are pyramid-shaped dumplings in which a gelatinous rice dough encloses a layer of mixed ground pork and shrimp with a hard-boiled egg at the core. Banh loc la are smaller translucent dumplings, smaller in size but repeating the pork-shrimp mix and banana leaf covering.
bun cha ca
Slightly less meaty but equally tasty are appetizers made of flat, thick rice noodles. Banh beo are essentially rice coins topped with shrimp flakes and served with a fish oil sauce sprinkled with sliced chilies. Banh hoi nem nuong are thin sheets of woven noodles with slices of grilled pork and cucumbers. Bahn nam are large rectangular dumplings stuffed with shrimp flakes and, once again, steamed in banana leaves. Staff are happy to show customers how to unwrap the leaves, anoint the dumplings with sauce, and then slice each one into manageable pieces.
banh canh cua
Many customers order a big steaming bowl of bun bo hue, the restaurant's namesake dish. This is not pho, but instead a meaty soup made with thicker, more cylindrical noodles combined with sliced beef, slivers of "pork loaf" (sold in rolls at the counter), pork knuckle, and cubes of congealed pork blood that have a look and texture like red tofu. The condiments served with the soup include leaves of herbs and shredded cabbage, but in a different configuration unique to this soup and distinct from the usual plate of bean sprouts and basil associated with pho.
bun mang vit
Continuing the exploration of Vietnamese food beyond ubiquitous pho, as wonderful as that can be, there are several other noodle soups worth exploring. Bun man uses the same noodles as bo bo hue, but this soup of roasted eggplant, tender eggplant, and shrimp is based on a broth lighter in color but equally spicy and intensely flavored. Bun mang vit pairs noodle soup with a plate of sliced duck meat on a bed of cabbage. A duck heart is found in the broth in the soup bowl. Banh canh cua is a soup made with thicker udon noodles mixed with crab and shrimp.
bun mam
Beyond soups, there are several dry noodle entrees. Bun thit nuong is an ample bowl of rice noodles topped with grilled pork and pickled vegetables with the option to add a shrimp egg roll. It is perhaps the least threatening item on the menu for novices, but the spicy red pepper sauce available on the side offers a kick for those who seek it. Mi quang is an entree based on a thicker style of noodle served with pork, shrimp, vegetables, and a quail egg. A bit of broth flavored by turmeric and sesame crackers add some additional complexity to the dish.
che khuc bach
There is one dessert on the menu: che khuc bac. It's a cold, soup-like dessert full of slivered almonds, plain jelly, crushed ice, and longan, a tropical fruit similar in taste and texture to lychee. Refreshing and light, it's a good follow-up to the more spicy dishes. As with all the food court tenants at Mekong Plaza, there's no liquor license at Bun Bo Hue. Distinctive beverages here include a vibrant passion fruit juice with crunchy seeds within, passion fruit tea, salted plum soda, potent Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk, and soy milk served hot or cold.
passion fruit juice
Although Bun Bo Hue is a small stall, its kitchen produces not only food for consumption on site, but also party trays and larger orders for groups. As an outpost representing Vietnamese regional dishes now gaining some local exposure, Bun Bo Hue doesn't water down its food for American tastes and may not be suitable for picky eaters. On the other hand, it's a next level of exploration in southeast Asian cuisine for anyone wanting an experience beyond pho, banh mi, and the other Vietnamese dishes that have now become part of the American mainstream.
66 S. Dobson Rd., Mesa AZ 85202
https://www.huegourmetmesa.com
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