Bún Chả (Hanoi Grilled Pork with Noodles)
Photo: Markus Winkler / Unsplash
Hanoi's smoky lunchtime classic: caramel-marinated pork patties and pork belly grilled over high heat, served in a bowl of sweet-sour fish sauce dressing with cool rice vermicelli and a heap of fresh herbs.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Marinate the pork
Mix the shallots, garlic, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp sugar, oil and pepper. Divide between the minced pork and the pork belly, mix well and marinate for at least 1 hour.
Make the dipping sauce
Stir 3 tablespoons of sugar into the warm water until dissolved. Add 4 tablespoons of fish sauce and the vinegar. Add the carrot, green papaya and chilies and leave them to soak.
Cook the noodles
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Shape the patties
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Grill
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Serve
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Marinate the pork
Mix the shallots, garlic, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp sugar, oil and pepper. Divide between the minced pork and the pork belly, mix well and marinate for at least 1 hour.
Make the dipping sauce
Stir 3 tablespoons of sugar into the warm water until dissolved. Add 4 tablespoons of fish sauce and the vinegar. Add the carrot, green papaya and chilies and leave them to soak.
Cook the noodles
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Shape the patties
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Grill
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Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Bún chả is the lunchtime dish of Hanoi: from late morning, small charcoal grills smoke on pavements all over the Old Quarter, fanned by hand to char the pork. Locals eat it sitting on low plastic stools, with a basket of herbs on every table.
Unlike the noodle soups of the morning, it's eaten almost exclusively at midday.
⭐ Why It's Famous
In 2016 it made world headlines when US President Barack Obama and chef Anthony Bourdain shared bún chả at a small Hanoi restaurant.
💡 Fun Fact
The restaurant where Obama and Bourdain ate later preserved their table and stools behind glass — and renamed its set meal the "Combo Obama".
Hanoi, Vietnam
21.03°N, 105.85°E
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