History

Bun cha emerged in Hanoi in the early 20th century around the Old Quarter, where Bun Cha Dac Kim opened on Hang Manh in 1966 and gave the street its bun cha reputation. Obama and Bourdain shared a bun cha at Bun Cha Huong Lien in 2016, sealing the dish's global identity. Tuyet Bun Cha 34 holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for the lanceleaf-blumea pork patty variation; Bun Cha Dac Kim is Michelin Selected.

Common allergens: Fish (in nuoc cham), Soy

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 25 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 400g pork shoulder, sliced thin
  • 400g pork belly, sliced thin
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 tbsp palm sugar
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 300g rice vermicelli (bun)
  • For nuoc cham: 4 tbsp fish sauce, 4 tbsp lime juice, 4 tbsp sugar, 200ml warm water, 1 chilli, 2 garlic cloves
  • Pickled green papaya and carrot for the bowl
  • Lettuce, perilla, Thai basil to serve

Method

  1. Combine pork shoulder and belly with fish sauce, palm sugar, shallots, garlic and pepper. Marinate 1 hour minimum.
  2. Mix the nuoc cham: dissolve sugar in warm water, add fish sauce, lime juice, chopped chilli and minced garlic. Taste and adjust.
  3. Soak bun in boiling water for 4 minutes, drain and rinse cold.
  4. Light a charcoal grill (or use a smoking-hot cast iron). Grill pork shoulder slices for 2 minutes per side and pork belly slices for 3 minutes per side until charred and smoky.
  5. Drop hot grilled pork into the warm nuoc cham with pickled vegetables.
  6. Serve the dressed broth with cold vermicelli and the herb plate on the side. Diners dip noodles into the broth.

Tip from the editors. The charcoal smoke is the dish; use real charcoal if at all possible, or finish on a kitchen blowtorch.

Where to eat bún chả

Bún Chả in Hanoi

Bún Chả Hương Liên ★ 4.1

Vietnamese$hai-ba-trungDaily 08:00-21:00

Bun Cha Huong Lien in Hanoi sells the Combo Obama set for 130,000 VND: a bowl of bun cha, a fried seafood spring roll and a Hanoi beer pairing.

Try: Bun cha (Combo Obama)

Order: Combo Obama: bun cha plus seafood spring roll plus Hanoi beer.

Tip: Cash and card. The Obama-Bourdain table is preserved in glass on the second floor.

24 Le Van Huu, Phan Chu Trinh, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi

Bún Chả Đắc Kim ★ 4.2

Vietnamese$old-quarterDaily 10:00-22:00

Bun Cha Dac Kim in Hanoi is a Michelin Selected bun cha kitchen on Hang Manh that gave the street its reputation for charcoal-grilled pork since 1966.

Signature: Bun cha grilled pork, Nem cua be Hai Phong crab roll, Pickled green papaya dipping sauce

Order: Bun cha with smoky grilled pork patties and the optional Hai Phong crab nem cua be on the side.

Tip: Lunchtime queues spill onto the pavement; share a table. Closes by mid-afternoon if the pork runs out.

1 Hang Manh, Hang Gai, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Tuyết Bún Chả 34 ★ 4.3

Vietnamese$ba-dinhDaily 11:00-15:00Cash only

Tuyet Bun Cha 34 in Hanoi holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for lanceleaf-blumea pork patties charcoal-grilled at six pavement tables on Hang Than.

Try: Bun cha

Order: Bun cha mix: a serving of pork patty and pork belly, soft rice vermicelli and a tangy nuoc cham.

Tip: Lunch service 11:00-15:00 only. Cash only and the queue spills onto the pavement after 12:00.

34 Hang Than, Nguyen Trung Truc, Ba Dinh, Hanoi

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