Hanoi, Vietnam. Bún chả is specifically a Hanoi dish — in the south, similar dishes use different condiments and noodle types. It has been eaten in Hanoi for over a century and is associated with the lunchtime culture of the city's old quarter.
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.
Bia hoi (draught beer — the ultra-fresh, low-alcohol Vietnamese street beer) — bún chả is traditionally a lunchtime dish, and bia hoi is the Hanoi lunch beverage. The light, refreshing beer complements the sweet-sour nuoc cham.
{"Pork patties: ground pork shoulder with fish sauce, sugar, garlic, shallots, and black pepper — formed into flat discs and grilled over charcoal until charred and caramelised","Pork belly: sliced thin, marinated with the same seasoning, grilled until caramelised with visible char marks","Charcoal essential: the smoke from charcoal grilling is a defining flavour element. A gas grill or oven grill produces an inferior result","Nuoc cham: fish sauce, fresh lime juice, sugar, water, minced garlic, and sliced bird's eye chilli — balanced until the sweet, sour, and salty notes are equal. The grilled pork is served in this broth","Rice vermicelli (bún): fine, round rice noodles, soaked and blanched — served on the side and dipped into the nuoc cham bowl with each bite of pork","Fresh herbs: the herb plate is substantial — perilla (tía tô), fresh mint, bean sprouts, and lettuce are the Hanoi standard"}
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.
{"Grilling without charcoal: the smoky char is essential — gas grilling produces a different, flatter flavour","Unbalanced nuoc cham: the broth must be sweet-sour-salty simultaneously. Taste and adjust: if it tastes one-dimensional, something is missing","Too-thin pork patties: they dry out on the grill — form them at 2cm thickness"}