Bun Cha Huong Lien — An “excellent” dish as the praise of President Obama

Hash is mixed with spice which is more spicy and thicker than usual; grilled pork patties include lean and fat meat mixed with sweet and sour sauce, fresh noodles and herbs, “bun cha” is the main dish of the Huong Lien eatery (Bun Cha Huong Lien, Bun Cha Obama), and was praised “excellent” by President Barack Obama.

Located on Le Van Huu Street, near the intersection with Thi Sach Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Ha Noi, Huong Lien eatery is famous for “bun cha” from the past 23 years.

Besides the dish that attracts domestic and foreign customers, the eatery also serves seafood spring rolls, crab rolls, fried skewer …

Meat to make patties and grilled meat are ordered from the slaughter-house early in the morning, after a thorough selection, the meat will be brought to the eatery to process, prepare for a busy day. The eatery is opened daily from 8am to around 9pm, but sometimes this eatery closes earlier because of out of stock.

The owner is the one who grills meat and patties to serve customers. The most crowded time of the eatery is at noon when the meat grills are constantly being processed and put into charcoal.

Above the red coals, grilled patties have an attractive scent, awaken customers’ taste immediately. Patties here are quite thick and big, delicious taste of kebab with eye-catching bright yellow.

Patties are grilled to turn the meat into yellow, including lean and fat meat so customers will not feel dry or sick when eating. Kebab rice noodles dish can not delicious without an accompanied sauce. However, the eatery also offers chili garlic vinegar, chopped fresh chili … for free if you want to eat spicier or sourer.

Two indispensable components of Hanoi buncha dish are noodles and fresh vegetables.

Rice noodles are fresh and clean, you will find them soft and a little tough when eating, this dish will more tasty when enjoyed with sweet sour sauce, and hot grilled patties, kebab.

Customers can also call for extra rice noodles (5,000 VND) if you want to eat more.

Also, assorted vegetables such as lettuce, marjoram, perilla, coriander … will add more flavor to the dish and help you feel less tired of the fat meat.

Crab spring rolls, spring rolls and seafood dishes and grilled skewers are dishes that can be served with the kebab rice noodles. These dishes are made by the owner to ensure the quality and the taste.

The crab spring roll is small, so a person may call for additional 2 to 3 rolls at the price 7000 VND /roll, seafood spring rolls cost 30,000 VND /roll, fried skewer cost 18,000 VND /roasting-jack.

Actually, Huong Lien eatery has two branches in Hanoi, the main eatery was opened 23 years ago on Le Van Huu Street while a new eatery was opened by descendants of the first owner on Lang Ha street. Customers will not see the difference in these two places because the materials are from the first eatery too.

During his stay in Hanoi, The President Obama took the time to eat out with the celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain at Huong Lien eatery despite his heavy schedule. They ate two rations of kebab rice noodles and two bottles of “Hanoi beer”.

This is not just a normal dinner, but also for recording Part Unknows – a TV show about the cuisine of the American celebrity chef. In a speech on the next day, Obama said that “I went to Hanoi’s Old Quarter, try a few awesome dishes of Vietnam, ate “bun cha” and drank Hanoi beer.” 

After the dinner of the President Barack Obama and the chef Anthony Bourdain, the eatery, as well as Bun Cha Hanoi dish, immediately drew much attention. Diners coming to the eatery on 24th May was more crowd than usual. The eatery is usually open at around 9am but from 7am there are diners and the eatery are opened through noon until late in the evening.

Not only local residents and foreign tourists come to enjoy bun cha, the eatery also welcome some international media units to record ” Hanoi meals” of President Obama.

Further information

• Address: 24 Le Van Huu, Hai Ba Trung, Ha Noi
• or 59 Lang Ha, Ha Noi
• Opening Hours: 08:00 AM – 09:00 PM
• Phone: +84 4 3943 4106
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bunchahuonglienobama/

You also see more Hanoi travel guide at here.