Arul House: Probably the Best Vietnamese Restaurant so Far

We are currently in Buôn Ma Thuột in Vietnam’s central highlands for fieldwork. Every time I go on a work trip, I always try to find a time to soak in culture, in what the place offers as something peculiar. And the easiest way to do that, besides visiting museums and places of cultural interest, is through food.

I was looking for a stand-out – and then found, by sheer luck, Arul House.

Arul House is a love letter to indigenous peoples, more particularly the Ede people who inhabit Vietnam’s central highlands. The Children of the Mekong website describes the Ede as follows:

The Ede, also called the Rhade, and sometimes the E-De, Ra De or De, are an ethnic community of about 200 000 people living in Vietnam. They live in the south-eastern provinces of Dak Lak, Gai Lai, Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen. The Rhade language belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian language group.

The Êde live in small villages, usually gathering twenty to fifty houses. Several families live in such Ede villages, which are called “buon” in Rhade. Traditionally, they build long houses on stilts to welcome their extended families. (Source: Children of the Mekong)

The Place

The place is magnificent, and teems with positive spirits. The long house, the bonfire at night, the statues of the Ede people, and the wonderful curation of artefacts across the garden and the restaurant area transport you back in time, to when life was simpler, and the natural environment ruled people’s lives (and not the other way around). The Ede is a matriarchal society, and probably that’s the reason why the place exudes motherly care, welcoming attention, and warm presence.

The Food

Before the meal, they treated us to a refreshing passion fruit juice served in the fruit’s original rind/outer shell. We ordered three items from the extensive menu for our dinner tonight. Mango salad with sun-dried tilapia, roasted pork belly with local herbs and Ede salt, and my favourite – Lá mì xào ba rọi (Stir-fried cassava leaves with pork belly). It was such a visual and delicious culinary treat. I was so happy and full at the same time.

We drowned all of it with the very delicious jasmine green tea with pineapple.

The Service

The people were so warm and friendly, attentive but not intrusive. My colleague Jinny and I enjoyed a good conversation and a hearty laugh, undisturbed and unmindful of our environs. Despite some gaps in language (at least only one server speaks English, and to a limited extent), we were able to order plain rice (as we could not see it in the menu), ask if we can pay by credit card, and order several of the items in their shop.

Overall, Arul House is an experience in itself. I am so glad I trusted my instincts and ordered a Grab ride to go to this place. I don’t think I will have another chance to visit this city again, so this was indeed a worthwhile treat.

Recommended? Definitely.

Souce: https://everything-random.life/2026/03/03/arul-house-probably-the-best-vietnamese-restaurant-so-far/