U.S. PresidentBarack Obama (left) and chefAnthony Bourdain (right) dining atBún chả Hương Liên in Hanoi, Vietnam, May 2016
Bún chả (Vietnamese:[ɓǔnca᷉ː]) is aVietnamese dish of grilled pork and noodles, which is thought to have originated fromHanoi,Vietnam.[1] Bún chả is served with grilled fatty pork (chả) over a plate of white rice noodles (bún) and herbs with a side dish of dipping sauce.[2] The dish was described in 1959 by Vietnamese food writer Vũ Bằng (1913–1984), who described Hanoi as a town "transfixed by bún chả". Hanoi's first bún chả restaurant was on Gia Ngư,Hoàn Kiếm District, inHanoi's Old Quarter.[3][4][5]
Bún chả remains very popular in Hanoi and throughout Vietnam.[6] Although it is a common misconception among non-Vietnamese diners thatbún chả is related to theSouthern Vietnam dish of vermicelli and grilled skewered pork calledbún thịt nướng, the two dishes are completely distinct in both culinary history and cultural perception.[7]
The origin of the dish is unknown, but one story is that it was created by a grill master in the late 19th or early 20th century in Hanoi.[8] The dish has French influences from the period ofFrench colonialism, such as the techniques used to make the minced pork patties.[8]
Bún chả and crab spring rolls in Hàng Mành street, Hanoi
Bún chả is traditionally eaten at lunchtime as a unique cultural feature of the capital city.[10] Nowadays, there are shops that sell bún chả all day long.
There are many variations of bún chả in Hanoi, and some shops have created their own styles by changing the preparation method or serving time, such as bún chả wrapped in banana leaves, wrapped in pork fat, skewered on bamboo sticks, or served with bone broth.[11][12][13]
The Hanoi restaurant Bún Chả Hương Liên became famous after United States PresidentBarack Obama dined there with ChefAnthony Bourdain during his trip to Vietnam in May 2016.[14] The restaurant has since gained the nickname Bún Chả Obama, featuring photos of his visit on their walls, as well as offering a "combo Obama", consisting of the bún chả, fried seafood roll and bottle ofHanoi Beer that the president ordered.[15]
