Bun Cha

Hanoi's beloved grilled pork dish — charcoal-grilled pork patties and belly in a sweet fish sauce broth with vermicelli and fresh herbs.

Bun cha is Hanoi's most beloved dish — grilled pork in a sweet-sour fish sauce broth with vermicelli noodles. It became internationally famous in 2016 when Barack Obama visited Hanoi and dined on bun cha with Anthony Bourdain at a plastic-stool restaurant, the image of the US president eating with chopsticks becoming one of the defining food photographs of the decade. The charcoal grilling is inseparable from the dish — the smoke and char of the pork belly and patties is the defining flavour note. The dipping broth must be freshly made and properly balanced between fish sauce salt, lime sourness, sugar sweetness and chilli heat.

The pork must be grilled over charcoal — the smoke is essential. The dipping broth should be sweet, sour and savoury in perfect balance. Serve everything separately for the diner to assemble.