Name: Bún Chả
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1 lb ground pork (for patties); 1/2 lb thinly sliced pork belly; 4 shallots, minced; 4 tbsp fish sauce (divided); 3 tbsp sugar (divided); 1 tbsp sesame oil; Ground black pepper; 1 lb rice vermicelli noodles (bún); 1/2 cup warm water; 3 tbsp rice vinegar; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 bird's eye chili, sliced; 1 lime, juiced; Large bowl of fresh herbs: mint, perilla (tía tô), bean sprouts; Pickled green papaya or carrot (optional)

Hanoi's signature dish — grilled pork patties and sliced belly in a sweet-sour fish sauce broth, served with cold rice noodles and fresh herbs.

The Cultural Story

Bún chả is the soul of Hanoi on a plate. It is a lunch dish — rarely eaten for dinner — sold from grills on Hanoi sidewalks that send smoke billowing down the street from 10am. The pork is marinated in fish sauce, sugar, and shallots, then grilled over charcoal until caramelized and slightly charred. It is served in a bowl of nước chấm — a diluted, sweetened fish sauce broth — alongside cold rice vermicelli and a mountain of fresh herbs: perilla, mint, bean sprouts, shredded banana blossom. The meal became internationally famous when Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama sat at a plastic table in Hanoi, eating bún chả with beer, in 2016. Bourdain said it was the best meal he had in years. The restaurant has not changed a thing.

Ingredients

1 lb ground pork (for patties)
1/2 lb thinly sliced pork belly
4 shallots, minced
4 tbsp fish sauce (divided)
3 tbsp sugar (divided)
1 tbsp sesame oil
Ground black pepper
1 lb rice vermicelli noodles (bún)
1/2 cup warm water
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bird's eye chili, sliced
1 lime, juiced
Large bowl of fresh herbs: mint, perilla (tía tô), bean sprouts
Pickled green papaya or carrot (optional)

Instructions

1Make the patties: combine ground pork with half the shallots, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, sesame oil, and pepper. Form into flat patties about 2 inches wide.
2Marinate pork belly slices in remaining shallots, 1 tbsp fish sauce, and 1 tbsp sugar for 20 minutes.
3Make the dipping broth: combine warm water, remaining fish sauce (1 tbsp), vinegar, remaining sugar, lime juice, garlic, and chili. Adjust — it should be sweet, sour, salty, and aromatic in equal measure.
4Grill pork patties and belly over high heat (charcoal preferred) until charred and caramelized, about 4 minutes per side.
5Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Rinse with cold water until the noodles are room temperature.
6Serve: place pork (both patties and belly) into individual bowls of the dipping broth. Serve cold noodles on the side, with the herb platter. Each person dips noodles into the pork broth, adds herbs, eats. The contrast of warm smoky pork and cold noodles is everything.

Cook this with the full experience

Join FlavorBridge to explore authentic recipes from cultures around the world — with comments, ratings, and the stories behind every dish.

Open Interactive Recipe →