Hương Cau - Areca Riverside House

Bún bò Huế, a spicy soup from Huế, is famed for its rich lemongrass broth, tender beef and al dente vermicelli served with herbs and vegetables. For over 50 years this eatery has been delighting locals with tasty noodle soups, including sliced beef, pork knuckle and meatball options.

You can smell the barbecue from a distance. Bún thịt nướng, or rice noodles with barbecue pork, is the must-try. Or go for barbecue with salad and rice paper – choose from pork, minced pork skewers, pork belly, and beef.

Operated for over 40 years by Bà Vui, whose name it bears, this enduring local favourite keeps a tight focus, serving just two items: bún gà and xôi gà. The deeply flavoured clear chicken broth is lifted by light, refreshing acidity and a subtle touch of black pepper. Served warm, the sticky rice is topped with a mix of tender pulled chicken, pickled onions and a generous handful of fried shallots – and portion sizes are hearty and satisfying.

Open from 6am-1pm, this no-frills shop is packed with people craving their fix of mì quảng. The flavoursome orange-red broth is made with shrimps, and you can top your noodles with a choice of quail egg, pork, shrimp, meatball or springy jelly fish.

Named after a mystical paradise in Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Shamballa offers a serene vegetarian escape. Enter through an aged wooden door to discover Tibetan artefacts and a menu rooted in Vietnamese flavours and local techniques. The rooftop garden grows the herbs used in the dishes, and the terrace overlooks the Hàn River, which is stunning at night. Don't miss the woven noodles with piper lolot – a grilled vegan dish wrapped in fragrant local leaves.

This humble shop, open daily from mid-afternoon, has been trading for over 40 years. It focuses on just two affordable dishes: bánh bèo and bánh đập. The steamed rice cakes arrive in sets of five, the tender bases topped with a rich pork and wood ear sauce, finished with shallots and peanuts. Made to order, the subtly tangy bánh đập pairs crisp rice crackers with a soft rice wrapper; the accompanying sauce strikes a balance of sweet, salty and fermented notes.

Bún chả cá (fishcake rice noodle soup) is pivotal to Da Nang food culture. Now run by the second generation, this hidden family-run gem has been serving the city’s favourite noodle soup for over 30 years. Its signature đặc biệt, or special, is topped with crabmeat as well as fried and poached fishcakes. You can also opt for a slice of mackerel or tuna as a topping. The tomato-based broth tastes sweet and mildly sour, with bamboo shoot overtones.