Bún bò Huế vs pho: which soup should you try first?

Pho is the gentler choice: a clear, aromatic beef or chicken broth spiced with star anise and cinnamon, served with flat rice noodles. Bún bò Huế is bolder: a spicy, lemongrass-scented broth deepened with fermented shrimp paste, served with thick round noodles and often pork. If you're new to Vietnamese soups or don't like heat, try pho first; if you love spicy, punchy flavors, go straight for bún bò Huế.

Where each soup comes from

Pho is from northern Vietnam, with roots usually traced to the early 20th century around Hanoi and Nam Định. It later spread south and around the world, becoming Vietnam's best-known dish.

Bún bò Huế comes from Huế, the former imperial capital in central Vietnam. Central Vietnamese cooking is known for being spicier and more intensely seasoned, and this soup is its flagship.

The noodles

This is the easiest difference to see:

• Pho uses bánh phở, flat rice noodles, soft and silky.
• Bún bò Huế uses thick, round rice noodles, chewy and springy.

If you look into the bowl and see flat ribbons, it's pho. Round, spaghetti-like strands, it's bún bò Huế.

The broth

Pho broth is built on long-simmered bones with charred onion and ginger and warm spices such as star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and coriander seed. It is meant to be clear, fragrant and clean-tasting. See our guide to getting a clear, deep pho broth.

Bún bò Huế broth leans on lemongrass and mắm ruốc, a fermented shrimp paste, plus chili oil that floats on top. It is savory, a little funky, slightly sweet and often reddish-orange. The flavor is louder from the first sip.

Spice level

• Pho: not spicy by default. You add chili or sriracha to taste.
• Bún bò Huế: spicy by default, though restaurants vary. Asking for the chili oil on the side gives you control.

The meat

• Pho bò (beef pho) may include rare beef slices, brisket, flank, tendon or meatballs. Phở gà uses chicken.
• Bún bò Huế usually includes beef shank and pork hock, often with Vietnamese pork roll, and sometimes cubes of congealed pork blood or crab and pork cakes.

If you avoid pork, pho is the safer bet. Most bún bò Huế includes pork in both the toppings and the broth.

The side plate

Both soups come with extras, but the mix differs:

• Pho: bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime, chili and sometimes culantro. Northern-style pho often comes with fewer extras.
• Bún bò Huế: shredded banana blossom, bean sprouts, mint and other herbs, split water spinach, lime and chili.

Side-by-side summary

• Origin: pho is northern; bún bò Huế is central.
• Noodles: flat (pho) vs thick and round (bún bò Huế).
• Broth: clear and spiced vs lemongrass, shrimp paste and chili.
• Heat: mild vs spicy.
• Meat: beef or chicken vs beef plus pork.
• Allergens: both use fish sauce; bún bò Huế adds shellfish from shrimp paste.

Which should you try first?

Choose pho first if:

• You prefer mild, comforting flavors.
• You avoid pork or shellfish.
• You want the classic introduction to Vietnamese noodle soup.

Choose bún bò Huế first if:

• You love spicy food.
• You enjoy bold, fermented flavors, the way some people love kimchi or anchovies.
• You've had pho many times and want something new.

There is no wrong answer. Many people end up loving both and ordering based on mood: pho for a gentle morning, bún bò Huế for a cold evening or a craving for heat.

Allergens to know

Both soups typically contain fish (fish sauce). Bún bò Huế also contains shellfish from mắm ruốc, which is cooked into the broth and can't be removed. If you have a shellfish allergy, ask before ordering.

How to order each one

At a Vietnamese restaurant, pho is often listed by its toppings, such as phở tái (rare beef). Bún bò Huế is usually listed as one dish, sometimes with "special" (đặc biệt) for the full set of toppings.

To learn more about each, start with what is bún bò Huế or our comparison of pho vs ramen.

If you're at a restaurant with a friend, order one of each and swap halfway; it's the fastest way to find your favorite.