Beside An Cựu Market, rows of skewers sizzle over charcoal, dripping fat. Ground pork, shaped into long strips, isn't threaded onto bamboo skewers but wrapped directly around fresh lemongrass stalks before grilling - the smell of meat mingling with the citrusy spice of lemongrass reaches you before the dish does. Once grilled, the skewers are served with rice vermicelli, lettuce, herbs, and cucumber slices, all wrapped up in rice paper and dipped into a thick peanut sauce - a grilled dish Hue locals often order for group meals.
A Shared Central Vietnamese Grill, Made in Hue's Own Style
Mainstream Vietnamese travel outlets like VinWonders and Mia.vn have long listed nem lụi as a representative Hue grilled dish, and several old shops around An Cựu Market have documented histories - Ngọc Lâm, open since 1972, is one well-known example. To be honest, nem lụi isn't unique to Hue - similar preparations exist in coastal central cities like Hoi An and Da Nang. It's actually a regional grilled dish shared across the coast, with Hue representing just one of its regional styles.
Lemongrass Stalks and Pork Liver-Peanut Sauce Are the Hue Markers
What distinguishes Hue's version is the use of fresh lemongrass stalks directly as both skewer and flavoring - the lemongrass's spicy aroma seeps into the meat as it grills. The dipping sauce also uses a thick pork liver-peanut sauce rather than plain fish sauce. These two points are the key markers for identifying the Hue style of nem lụi, rather than any claim that Hue invented the grilled skewer itself.
Best Way to Eat It
- An order usually comes with a dozen or so skewers, good for two or three people to share alongside plenty of lettuce and herbs to cut the richness.
- The cluster of old shops near An Cựu Market makes it easy to combine with a visit to the market itself.
- To order in Vietnamese, try 'Cho tôi một đĩa nem lụi' (one plate of grilled skewers, please).
Don't Get the Origin Wrong
- Nem lụi is a grilled dish shared across coastal central cities - Hoi An and Da Nang both have similar versions, so it's not a Hue original.
- What marks the Hue style is the lemongrass-skewered meat and pork liver-peanut sauce, not a claim to have invented the dish itself.
- For anyone comparing central Vietnamese cities, it's worth treating this dish as 'the same assignment, answered differently by each city.'
A stalk of lemongrass skewers more than just meat - it skewers a fire shared across central Vietnam's coast, with each city playing its own variation.