Hanoi's Best Bun Cha in the Old Quarter (Obama was here!)

Hanoi's Best Bun Cha in the Old Quarter

Hanoi Best Bun Cha in old quarter area

If you love bun cha so much like I do, let me introduce you to a very special dish of bun cha in Hanoi. For those that doesn't know what bún chả is, I will give you a short explanation. Bun cha is a dish of grilled pork served with rice noodles and lots of fresh herbs. Its a super filling and delicious Vietnamese street food, but there is much more to this particular bowl of bun cha. What makes this place the best? In 2016 US president Barack Obama made a historic visit to Vietnam. While in Hanoi, he was treated to lunch by famous food and travel writer Anthony Bourdain at this restaurant!

Inside the shop (1st floor)

Not only was Obama here, but this bun cha is famous for a good reason. It is so delicious! I have been tracking bun cha in Hanoi's Old Quarter for the past few weeks, and so far this place comes in the first rank! I ordered the "Combo Obama" set which came with soft and tasty grilled pork served in a sweet soup full of pickle vegetables and plates full of rice noodles, herbs, and veggies to dip into your broth. It also came with a huge fried seafood roll on the side which was very hot and crispy on the outside but so soft and tasty (stuffed with shrimp, crab, etc.) on the inside. It's so good even without any dipping sauce. The Combo Obama is served with one bottle of Hanoi Beer. Adding some garlic and chili to taste can give you a different taste and smell. I like to add lots of garlic in my bowl. I'm a big bun cha fan, but this is beyond I expected. No wonder it's fit for the president!

Obama combo

The price is very good, like the other shops you can find on the street. The huge combo only costs about $6, the same that Anthony Bourdain paid when he treated Obama to lunch. The restaurant is very busy, as it's quite popular and famous. but the food was served in under five minutes after we ordered ( I was there around noon time). The shop has 3 floors with a/c, toilets and an elevator. I can tell that the shop is very clean and that they wash the veggies before served. They also give us a wet tissue in a package after we got the table to cool off after the hot sweaty walk through the city.

In front of the restaurant where Obama has been!

In the shop you will see many many pictures of Obama on his tour of Vietnam. They even preserved the plate, utensils, and table that he used in a glass box on display! (I was sitting behind him today!)

I can only say that this is worth the money spent and I will be back here again and again!

Price: 💲
bun cha combo Obama including bun cha, seafood roll, and Hanoi Beer 85,000d ($6)
bun cha a la carte: 40,000d

Location : Bún Chả Hương Liên

menu