Vietnamese · Hanoi, Vietnam
Bun Cha
Bún chả is Hanoi's great lunch dish — charcoal-grilled pork patties and pork belly served in a bowl of nuoc cham (fish sauce, lime, sugar, garlic, chilli), alongside rice vermicelli noodles and a plate of fresh herbs (mint, Vietnamese perilla, bean sprouts). The grilled pork should have char from the charcoal; the nuoc cham should be sweet-sour-salty in perfect balance. The dish was Barack Obama's lunch at Bún Chả Hương Liên in Hanoi in 2016, brought international attention.
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I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
600g
pork shoulder
cubed 3cm
Your own market
2
lemongrass stalks
white part only, smashed
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
40g
garlic
minced
Your own market
30g
shallots
minced
Your own market
15g
30ml
fish sauce
Your own market
15ml
lime juice
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
10g
sugar
Your own market
2
Thai bird chilies
minced
Your own market
200g
pork meatballs
30g each
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
150g
cucumber
julienned
Your own market
1 bunch
fresh mint
Origin · New ZealandPurely Artisan Foods · San Diego →
1 bunch
cilantro
Your own market
2
lime wedges
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For Service
100g
Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.
II
The Method
1
Marinate pork shoulder cubes in lemongrass, garlic, shallots, ginger, 15ml fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chili for 30 minutes at room temperature.
2
Thread pork onto bamboo skewers; grill over charcoal or high heat 8–10 minutes until caramelized and cooked through (internal temperature 68°C).
3
Grill meatballs separately 6 minutes, turning frequently, until caramelized throughout.
4
Arrange skewered pork and meatballs on platter; sprinkle with remaining 15ml fish sauce.
5
Serve with cucumber julienne, fresh herbs, rice paper, and lime wedges for self-assembly.
From the canon — Dried rice paper rounds briefly moistened in warm water, filled with herbs, noodles, protein, and vegetables, then rolled tightly. Rice Paper: Hydration and Rolling Technique →
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where bún chả lives or dies is the nuoc cham balance — taste it three times in succession. First taste: fish sauce and lime should be present but not aggressive. Second taste: the sweetness should emerge. Third taste: the garlic and chilli should build slowly. If all three notes are present sequentially, the balance is correct. If one note dominates at the first taste, adjust that element.
Pillar V
Cross-cuisine parallels are part of membership.
The dishes this one teaches you, across the cuisines — on every recipe.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Agave spirit
From British Columbia
Wine
Without alcohol
GT's Synergy Organic Kombucha — Gingerade
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Non-alcoholic
Why each one works is part of membership — Enter · from $49 a year →
The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
Enter · from $49 a year
Sourced through Provenance