Vietnamese Bún Chả – Grilled Pork Patties with Vermicelli and Dipping Broth

About This Recipe

Bún chả is Hanoi's most beloved street food — a composed dish of smoky charcoal-grilled pork patties and sliced pork belly, served with a bowl of warm, slightly sweet fish sauce dipping broth into which you add cold vermicelli noodles, fresh lettuce, herbs and cucumber. The combination of hot smoky pork, cold noodles, crunchy herbs and the tangy-sweet broth is deeply satisfying and refreshing simultaneously. The dish became internationally famous when US President Barack Obama ate it with Anthony Bourdain at a Hanoi street stall in 2016. The moment captured on film — sitting at a low plastic table on tiny stools, eating bún chả with cold Hanoi beer — became one of the most celebrated food moments in recent culinary history. Prices rose at the specific restaurant, now called 'Bun Cha Obama.' Authentic bún chả requires charcoal grilling for the characteristic smoky flavour — a griddle pan on high heat produces a good home result. The dipping broth (nước chấm pha) is the heart of the dish: sweet, sour, salty and slightly spicy.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400 gminced pork(for patties)
• 200 gpork belly(thinly sliced)
• 3 tbspfish sauce
• 2 tbspsugar
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 shallotsshallots(minced)
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 200 grice vermicelli(cooked and cooled)
• 4 tbspfish sauce(for broth)
• 3 tbspsugar(for broth)
• 3 tbsprice vinegar(for broth)
• 300 mlwarm water(for broth)
• 2fresh chillies(sliced)
• fresh lettuce, mint, perilla, cucumber(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate the pork

   Combine minced pork with 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, garlic, shallots and pepper. Form into small flat patties. Marinate pork belly slices with remaining fish sauce. Rest 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Make the dipping broth

   Combine fish sauce, sugar, rice vinegar and warm water. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add chillies. Adjust to taste — it should be sweet, sour and savoury.

3. 3

   Grill the pork

   Grill patties and belly slices over high heat (griddle or charcoal) until nicely charred — 3–4 minutes per side for patties, 2–3 minutes for belly slices.

   The char is essential to bún chả — pale, uncharred pork misses the entire character of the dish.

4. 4

   Assemble

   Pour warm dipping broth into individual bowls. Add grilled pork. Serve with cold vermicelli noodles and a plate of herbs and lettuce on the side.

5. 5

   Eat

   Add noodles and herbs directly into the broth bowl. Mix together. Dip pork into the broth as you eat.

Variations

• •

  Add fried tofu or mushrooms for a vegetarian version with vegetarian fish sauce (nước chấm chay).

• •

  Serve with green papaya salad instead of plain vegetables for extra texture and flavour.

Storage

Grilled pork keeps 3 days. Broth keeps 5 days. Noodles and herbs prepared fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions