Traveling to Hue, in addition to visiting the scenic spots and relics of the golden age, is… Hue Citadel, Tomb of Thieu Tri, Thien Mu Pagoda, Perfume River, Truong Tien Bridge, Ngu Mountain… enjoying typical cuisine in the ancient capital is both a cultural feature and a pleasure not to be missed. There are many delicious dishes in this ancient land, but in terms of popularity, there is Hue royal sweet soup. Originally a royal dessert that often appeared in royal meals of the Nguyen Dynasty kings. However, after the end of the feudal regime until now, Hue sweet soup “wandered” among the people, “traveled” to many lands and became a dish loved by many food lovers. In a “forest” of tea shops in the heart of the city, Linh Lan tea shop is the address that impresses the most diners.

When you come to Hue, remember to stop by Linh Lan tea shop, the oldest in Than Kinh 2

Linh Lan sweet soup shop is the oldest sweet soup shop in Hue

When you come to Hue, remember to stop by Linh Lan tea shop, the oldest in Than Kinh 3

Diners come here of all ages

Location: No. 1 Kiet, 29 Hung Vuong Street, Phu Hoi Ward, Hue City, Thua Thien Hue Province

Opening hours: 14:00 – 22:00

Reference price: 10,000 VND – 15,000 VND/glass (previous price was 10,000 VND/glass)

Starting from the Hue Citadel, tourists move to Truong Tien Bridge and will reach the extended Hung Vuong Street. After that, you continue to run deep into No. 1 small alley 29 Hung Vuong, Hue city (local word used to refer to the alley) and you will see Linh Lan sweet soup shop nearby.

Because Linh Lan tea shop is located in the city center, you just need to cross Truong Tien bridge to get there. Therefore, if “traveling” believers are staying at a nearby hotel, they can walk there, or they can travel by taxi, which is both fast and safe. In addition, you can also enjoy on a two-wheeled vehicle, combine exploring the Citadel, the Lang Tam areas, and then “rest on your feet and knees” for convenience at Linh Lan tea shop in the evening.

When you come to Hue, remember to stop by Linh Lan tea shop, the oldest in Than Kinh 4

Before going to Linh Lan tea shop, diners need to determine the exact location of the shop to be able to arrange a reasonable schedule.

Before visiting this location to eat delicious sweets, diners should note that Linh Lan sweet soup shop is open all week, from Monday to Sunday. The shop will open at 2pm and stop accepting at 10pm. A small reminder is that from afternoon to evening Linh Lan tea shop will begin to welcome a large number of diners coming to enjoy sweet soup every day. That’s why you should come early to get a seat and not “sold out”.

When you come to Hue, remember to stop by Linh Lan tea shop, the oldest in Than Kinh 5

Sometimes after 9pm, Linh Lan tea shop is completely sold out.

Linh Lan sweet soup shop is also called Hue Alley sweet soup or “black folk sweet soup” by local people to distinguish it from Hue’s famous royal sweet soup. The reason why this tea shop has a different “nik-name” is “black tea shop”, the reason is very simple, because the shop is located deep in an alley. While ancient Hue royal tea was a delicacy in the capital, eaten with a golden bowl and jade plate, “black tea” was different, located in a small alley with a four-level house of about 20 square meters, only a few sets of small tables, or extremely small toadstools. In addition, on the dining table or right at the entrance of the restaurant, there is always a set of old-fashioned teapots containing cooling roasted bean juice, which you can drink yourself. Perhaps because of that simplicity and closeness, Linh Lan tea shop became the oldest “black people” tea shop in the Ancient Capital.

When you come to Hue, remember to stop by Linh Lan tea shop, the oldest in Than Kinh 6

Roasted bean juice at Linh Lan tea shop

When you come to Hue, remember to stop by Linh Lan tea shop, the oldest in Than Kinh 7

Although the restaurant’s space is not large, it always attracts handsome men and women coming in and out

Don’t rush to see Linh Lan sweet soup shop as popular and simple, and judge it as pale and sketchy! From the moment diners step into the booth, they see that the processing is very elaborate and not ordinary at all. Originating from a royal tea family in a capital city, he is also picky in the way of processing, ingredients and enjoyment. Here, the ingredients must be sourced from the right origin, from Hue specialty areas. For example, young corn kernels are imported from Hue dunes because of the sweetness they bring, or elegant lotus seeds are carefully selected from Tinh Tam Lake.

When you come to Hue, remember to stop by Linh Lan tea shop, the oldest in Than Kinh 8

The staff of Linh Lan tea shop will prepare small cups. If diners “order” any type, the restaurant will bring it out to avoid being unable to serve it in time.

As for the quality of the tea, there is no doubt that it is delicious. Because Linh Lan sweet soup shop is cooked according to traditional Hue recipes, everything needs to be neat. Each type of bean will be stewed quite thoroughly, soft but not bursting, each bean will still retain its original state.

When you come to Hue, remember to stop by Linh Lan tea shop, the oldest in Than Kinh 9

The beans are selected and stewed quite carefully, but still retain their shape without bursting at Linh Lan sweet soup shop.

After scooping the beans as requested, the owner also sprinkles a spoonful of delicious, fatty coconut milk. When enjoying, remember to mix well so that the flavors blend together.

The most impressive point of Linh Lan sweet soup shop is the “finger-tired” menu with more than 15 dishes each with its own, delicious, Hue flavor. Some “quality” suggestions for “newcomers” when coming to Linh Lan sweet soup shop for the first time are pure sweet corn sweet corn sweet soup, strange lotus seed sweet soup or sweet longan sweet soup wrapped with lotus seeds…

When you come to Hue, remember to stop by Linh Lan tea shop, the oldest in Than Kinh 10

The menu of Linh Lan tea shop is diverse and rich

In the “collection” of tea at the shop, the one that stands out and makes many diners “faint” is the roasted pork filter tea. This is a dessert dish with both salty and sweet flavors that can only be found in the dreamy land of Hue. With this sweet soup, the seller must prepare it with roasted pork, filtered flour, add a little granulated sugar, rock sugar or a little spicy ginger, accompanied by rich, creamy roasted peanuts. In particular, diners always eat roasted pork porridge cold or warm, never cold. This dish may be a bit strange to sweet lovers who are used to eating traditional varieties, but for those who are used to it, they will never know if they are “addicted”.

When you come to Hue, remember to stop by Linh Lan tea shop, the oldest in Than Kinh 11

When you bite into it, the dough is soft and sweet, followed by the fleshy taste of roasted pork, with a slight hint of ginger

Linh Lan tea shop opened in 1985 and now the owner, Tran Thi Linh Lan, is over 70 years old. Even though she is old, she still personally selects each tea ingredient. According to the old lady’s share: “30 years of selling tea, I still keep the habit of choosing each bean and each type of fruit. For me, there are hundreds of beans, but every bean has to be round and round, and when bitten gently, it will be soft and fragrant and melt on the tip of the tongue. Every morning, my mother always gets up to cook sweet soup from 5am to 6am, in the summer it’s earlier, about 4am.” Only then can we see the enthusiasm and sophistication in the food, just like the people of the ancient capital.

When you come to Hue, remember to stop by Linh Lan tea shop, the oldest in Than Kinh 12

The owner of Linh Lan tea shop has to wake up every day at 4 o’clock to cook

Linh Lan sweet soup shop is like the “soul” of Hue cuisine, and also deserves to be a “pocket” address for “traveling” believers who want to explore the land of the Divine Palace. You can refer to Vietnamtravelio’s delicious Hue restaurants!