The space and food at Pilgrimage Village Tourist Area are suitable for the weekends
And the ideal places are "luxury" hotels in the area such as Azerai La Residence Hue on Le Loi Street, Pilgrimage Village Tourist Area, Silk Path Grand Hue Hotel & Spa...
Despite the “luxury” brand of these hotels, you needn’t worry much about the price. It is the low season since domestic and international guests are absent due to the pandemic; so, most of the services of these 5-star hotels are heavily discounted. The cost for breakfast and coffee in a luxurious space is only about 100 -150 thousand VND.
The menu is also very extensive. At Azerai La Residence Hue, in addition to sausage omelets "made by the hotel", there are also beef and pepper dishes and burgers to satisfy your appetite. The staff here is very observant. Even if you order coffee in advance, they will wait for you to finish eating before bringing it out. Therefore, the coffee retains its strong aroma, and those who prefer it hot will be even more pleased.
Having a low tolerance for coffee, I chose Saigon milk coffee (the kind with lots of ice), but that morning’s coffee made me dizzy. Fortunately, there are a few glasses of ginger juice and pandan ginger juice to save the day. Otherwise, I would have been drunk on coffee until the afternoon.
Speaking of pandan ginger juice, the friendly staff member explained that because he made it himself, it is one of a kind. The mild aroma of pandan leaves combined with the strong aromatic taste of freshly crushed ginger creates a very strange but stimulating drink. Because of that stimulation, hotel staff kept having to fill our glasses continuously. However, they were also very happy about it.
Fried egg with sausage at Azerai La Residence Hue is quite tasty
For 95,000 VND, you will have an equally luxurious breakfast at the Silk Path Grand Hue Hotel & Spa also on Le Loi street, with a menu of mostly Hue dishes, such as beef noodle soup, banh canh, steamed sticky rice with braised pork, fried noodles… Of course, it must be accompanied by drinks, including tea, coffee, or soft drinks.
At the Pilgrimage Village, there is a buffet breakfast for weekends. In addition to favorite Hue dishes such as beef noodle soup, beo, nam, loc cakes…, I was quite impressed with mussel rice. In addition to being clean and beautiful, the staff seasoned it very well. Vegetables were plentiful, so anyone who loved lots of vegetables, lots of chili, lots of cracklings... were served enthusiastically.
Going to a luxury resort to eat mussel rice may sound strange, but it would be a pity to come here and not try the mussel rice dish. Especially for mussel rice "enthusiastic" like me, it took at least two bowls to fill my stomach.
Mussel rice in Pilgrimage Village is worth a try
There are also many other impressive services here, such as ordering meals for a free stay, booking rooms with meals included... and the price during the pandemic season is quite suitable. If you want to "refresh" yourself, book a room for the weekend. You and your family will be guaranteed to have an enjoyable break.
What I've been talking about is when I have a lot of money in my pocket. When on a tighter budget, the "two in one" cafes like Tram or Que Lam with prices ranging from 50,000 to70,000 VND, are also great choices for a simple breakfast.
If you still cannot figure out a place to eat when you still haven't received your monthly salary, a loaf of bread with a cup of drip coffee is also a good suggestion for those who love the weekend and want to have a relaxing space to chat with friends. Hue is not short of coffee shops like that.
Story and photos: HONG TAM