Vermicelli Noodles with Grilled Pork Meatballs (Bun Cha) is a well-known and delectable cuisine that every visitor to Hanoi would like to try, it is rewarded as one of the top 10 most appealing street foods in the world. Nobody knows exactly when Bun Cha Hanoi first appeared since this dish's origins have not been documented by history. Just remember that a long time ago, Bun Cha Hanoi was all over the streets of Hanoi and Bun Cha Hanoi has subsequently been the source of the capital's culinary culture. Bun Cha Vietnam is simple to win over people's hearts thanks to its unique processing, color, and flavor. Let's discover more about Bun Cha Hanoi and its recipe!

What Is Special About Bun Cha Hanoi?

Bun Cha Hanoi is a Northern Vietnamese dish that is regarded as an essential component of Hanoi cuisine. With simple ingredients like fresh rice vermicelli and pork belly and meatballs grilled on charcoal, Vietnamese people have transformed a daily dish into one of the most spectacular foods in Vietnamese cuisine through their culinary ingenuity and superb spice combinations. In Hanoi, Bun Cha is regarded as a specialty dish that can be found on all streets, in all marketplaces, and in all eateries on the sidewalk.

Ingredients of Bun Cha Hanoi

"Bun cha" includes vermicelli noodles with a heap of pickles and fresh herbs, as well as meatballs and pork belly that have been grilled over charcoal.

“Bun” or “Bún”: means fresh rice vermicelli noodles. Noodle salad, salad rolls, and the majority of noodle soups go well with small and medium-sized vermicelli noodles. Large-sized vermicelli noodles are typically used with Bun Bo Hue. Bun Cha Hanoi will use small and medium-sized vermicelli noodles.

“Cha” or “Chả”: made of pork, this is the primary ingredient of Bun Cha Vietnam. There will be two kinds of “Cha”: minced grilled pork meatballs and grilled pork slices. In this case, pork belly and pork shoulder are simply the ideal options for preparing pork buns since they will maintain the sweetness and softness, enhancing their flavor.

The sweet & sour dipping sauce: Fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic, spicy chillies, and black pepper, along with two fantastic main dishes, is presented with the irresistible dipping sauce. These elements absolutely contribute to the dish's brilliance.

Fresh herbs are an integral component of Vietnamese cuisine, and large bowls of them are always served alongside Bun Cha Hanoi. The most popular ingredients are bean sprouts, water mint, and coriander, as well as pickled green papaya, carrot, and cucumber.

How to Eat Bun Cha Hanoi?

To enjoy food in the most delicious way, you must know how to eat right. Similar to Bun Cha Hanoi, eating correctly allows you to experience the dish more precisely.

There are three distinct methods to enjoy this dish, and you can pick the one that best suits you.

Method 1: The appropriate way to enjoy Bun Cha Hanoi, according to locals, is to combine it with a variety of fresh herbs, such as lettuce, water mint, perilla, etc. Grab a chopstick filled with vermicelli, dip it into a sauce bowl with grilled meat, and then add some vegetables. After that, indulge in a flavor of the dish that is rich but balanced.

Method 2 : In a separate bowl, combine the vermicelli, meat, and vegetables, then add the dipping sauce. After that, combine the ingredients and enjoy.

Method 3: You can add grilled meat, vermicelli, and vegetables, then dip it in dipping sauce. With these last two methods, you can simply customize the bun cha flavor to your preferences.

How to Make Bun Cha (Easy recipe)

The ingredients listed below can serve 3-4 people. Consequently, you can make adjustments in accordance with the precise quantity of individuals!

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients 

Fresh vermicelli: 1 kg

Pork belly: 700 gr

Minced pork shoulder: 500 gr

Carrot: 1

Green papaya: 1/2

Fresh herbs of all kinds include: Lettuce / Perilla / Thai basil / Water mint / Chameleon plant 500 gr

Minced shallots: 1 tbsp

Minced garlic: 1.5 tbsps

Minced chilli

Oyster oil: 2 tbsps

Honey: 3 tbsps

Vietnamese caramel cooking sauce: 2 tbsps

Fish sauce: 1 cup (about 220 ml)

Vinegar: 1/2 cup (about 100 ml)

Cooking oil

Condiments: Salt / Sugar / Ground pepper / Seasoning powder / Monosodium glutamate (MSG)

Pork: Pork belly should be scrubbed with salt, then rinsed with cold water and dried to get rid of any odors and impurities. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces using a knife.

Other ingredients: Carrots and green papayas have been washed, dried, and peeled. Thinly slice green papayas and carrots. After that, combine them in a bowl with some salt and stir thoroughly.

Soak green papayas and carrots in water with salt for 15-20 minutes. After that, wash it and let it air dry.

Add ½ tbsp minced garlic, ½ tbsp vinegar, ¼ tbsp salt, and 2 tbsp sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves, then add some minced chili.

With the fresh herbs, you should soak them in dilute salt water for about 10-15 minutes. Once it has been cleaned, place it in a basket to let it dry.

Shallots, green onions, and garlic are crushed, chopped, and divided into halves before being mixed with the ground pork and sliced pork.

Step 2: Marinate the pork for Bun Cha Hanoi

Marinate pork belly

Mix thoroughly and let the meat soak for at least 30 minutes in a mixture of 1/2 tbsp minced shallot, 1/2 tbsp minced garlic, 1/2 tbsp seasoning powder, 1/2 tbsp MSG, 1/2 tbsp ground pepper, 2 tbsps fish sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tbsps honey, and 1 tbsp Vietnamese caramel cooking sauce.

Marinate Minced Pork Shoulder

Add 1.5 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp honey, 1/2 tbsp minced shallot, 1/2 tbsp minced garlic, 1/2 tbsp seasoning powder, 1/2 tbsp MSG, 1/2 tbsp ground pepper, and 1 tbsp Vietnamese caramel cooking sauce to the minced pork. To infuse the flavours, combine everything thoroughly with your hands and marinate the meat for around 30 minutes.

After around 30 minutes, take a good bit of the ground meat and roll it into a flat circle using your hands. Remember to mix meticulously to enable the spices to soak deeply.

Step 3: Grill Pork

Pour a thin layer of cooking oil onto the electric grill with a brush, then place the pork belly and meatballs on top. Grill the meat until both sides are golden brown, then fold it into a bowl.

Tips: If you have more conditions, you should use a charcoal grill to grill meat. The meat will taste and smell more authentically smokey this way. This will help make your dish more delicious!

Step 4: Make Hanoi-style Dipping Sauce for Bun Cha Vietnam

Place the pot on the burner, add 1 cup of fish sauce (about 200 ml), 1 cup of sugar (approximately 200 gr), 1/2 cup of vinegar (approximately 100 ml), and 2 cups of water. Boil the ingredients at high heat until the condiments are totally melted. Continue to add 3 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp chopped garlic, and 1 tsp chili and stir well until the fish sauce begins to boil, then turn off the heat. The condiments can be adjusted to fit the preferences of your family!

Step 5: The Result

Place grilled meat, vermicelli noodles, and fresh herbs on a platter. Pour the dipping sauce in a bowl with the pickled papaya and carrot and a bit of minced chili, then stir thoroughly.

A delicious and eye-catching Bun Cha Hanoi that is on par with other eateries may be made in just a few easy steps. Fold some grilled pork, vermicelli noodles, and herbs into a bowl of dipping sauce and enjoy. You'll want to eat forever because the meat has a rich taste and the aroma of onions and garlic, and it's served with fresh herbs, pickled vegetables, and sweet-and-sour fish sauce to balance off the flavor. Hurry up to the kitchen and try this dish right immediately!

Some Tips for You

If you want to serve this dish for breakfast, marinate the meat and make the dipping sauce the night before and store it in the refrigerator. You only need to warm it up before using it.

If the dipping sauce is not consumed immediately, you can either place it in a sealed jar and keep it at room temperature for a day (use within a day) or refrigerate it for about a week.

The Best Places for Delicious Bun Cha in Hanoi

Bun Cha Sinh Tu

Address: 316 Pho Vong, Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi

Opening hours: 6:30am - 9:30pm

Reference price: 40,000 - 80,000 VND

If you are looking for a place to eat Bun Cha in Hanoi, you should go to Bun Cha Sinh Tu right away. When it comes to Bun Cha, many people will think of Sinh Tu since it is a well-known and popular Bun Cha restaurant in Hanoi. The space is extremely large and always neat and tidy. In addition, the owner's and the staff's cheerful and welcoming service makes every customer who visits feel satisfied.

This restaurant's Bun Cha is appealing, including flavorful grilled pork that has been cut into bite-sized pieces. Particularly at Bun Cha Sinh Tu, a meal served with a lot of vermicelli noodles and side dishes. The dipping sauce is also warmed to taste, fragrant, and flavorful. Fresh herbs are cleansed, always fresh, and never smashed. All of the ingredients combine to make this restaurant’s Bun Cha famous in Hanoi.

Bun Cha Huong Lien (Bun Cha Obama)

Address:

1st restaurant: 24 Le Van Huu, Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi.

2nd restaurant: 14 lane 59 Lang Ha, Dong Da district, Hanoi.

Opening hours: 10am - 7pm

Price range: 40,000 - 60,000 VND

During a visit to Vietnam in 2016, US President Barack Obama and well-known chef Anthony Bourdain had dinner at the Bun Cha Huong Lien restaurant. Before the US President Obama came here to taste Bun Cha Vietnam, Bun Cha Huong Lien was well-known for its extremely unique flavor. In addition, there is a large space divided into two floors. The owner is always welcoming, upbeat, and eager to assist every customer.

Bun Cha Huong Lien offers a highly varied and extensive menu. In particular, in addition to the standard Bun Cha, the restaurant offers special specialties such as crab spring rolls and seafood spring rolls. Bun Cha of this restaurant features a delectable dipping sauce that is neither overly sweet nor salty. Grilled minced pork and grilled pork belly are plentiful, tasty, and precisely cooked to avoid burning. Due to all of these factors, Bun Cha Huong Lien is frequently crowded, particularly on weekends.

Vietnamese food attracts a lot of foreign visitors and Bun Cha Hanoi is always in the top list of "must-try" food. Let take your free time to stroll along the Old Quarter to discover the culture of Hanoian by enjoying all the specialties, especially Bun Cha Hanoi.

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