The Capitalist’s Cookbook: Hanoi, a Culinary Capital Unveiled.

Tripadvisor introduces Hanoi’s cuisine as “refined and delicate.” According to the travel website, Hanoi’s dishes are celebrated for their natural flavors, clear broths, fresh herbs, and subtle seasoning. They highlight bun cha as a signature dish of the city, praising its ability to elevate grilled pork with a light dipping sauce.

Tripadvisor captures the essence of Hanoi’s cuisine as “refined and delicate.” Photo: Picasa

The website encourages visitors to explore Hanoi’s culinary offerings, from humble street food stalls to Michelin-starred restaurants. It highlights the Old Quarter as a vibrant hub, tempting tourists with local specialties like banh cuon, pho, and cha ca La Vong.

Additionally, Tripadvisor gives a shout-out to Trang Tien ice cream and milk coffee as quintessential Hanoi treats, rated highly by visitors.

Hanoi’s culinary delights have also caught the attention of the late renowned chef Anthony Bourdain, who featured the city’s street food and drinks on his TV shows. Bourdain indulged in local favorites such as bun cha, bun oc, bun suon chan gio, banh cuon, and bia hoi, showcasing the city’s diverse and mouthwatering offerings.

Bun Cha is a harmonious blend of rice vermicelli, grilled pork, and fresh herbs. Photo: Indochina Voyage

Tripadvisor ranks Hanoi among the top 15 cities globally for its appealing cuisine, alongside destinations like New Orleans, Mexico City, Athens, Bangkok, Kyoto, and Istanbul.

Hanoi’s culinary scene shines with a variety of vermicelli dishes, and Bun Cha stands out as a star attraction. This dish captivates diners with its seductive flavors and aromas, best enjoyed at a humble food stand during the summer.

Bun Cha is a harmonious marriage of grilled pork, rice vermicelli, and fresh herbs, carefully balanced with different tastes and textures.

Bun Cha, a dish of grilled pork and noodles believed to have originated in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Authentik Travel

Bun Cha is a Vietnamese specialty, typically consisting of grilled fatty pork (cha) served with white rice noodles (bun), herbs, and a side of dipping sauce. The dish was immortalized by Vietnamese food writer Vu Bang in 1959, who described Hanoi as a city captivated by Bun Cha. The first Bun Cha restaurant was located in the heart of the Old Quarter, in Gia Ngu, Hoan Kiem District.

The full Bun Cha experience involves dipping the noodles in the sauce, savoring the pork, and enjoying the fresh herbs, including lettuce, coriander, Lang basil, and perilla, creating an explosion of flavors.

Traditionally, Bun Cha features two types of grilled pork: minced pork patties and thinly sliced side belly pork. In the past, the pork was grilled on bamboo sticks, but now wire racks are commonly used, with charcoal adding a smoky flavor. The sight of swirling smoke from a restaurant’s grill often indicates Bun Cha on the menu.

Two varieties of grilled pork in Bun Cha: minced pork patties and thinly sliced side belly pork. Photo: Authentik Travel

The dipping sauce is a masterpiece in itself, balancing saltiness from fish sauce, sourness from vinegar or lemon, spiciness from chili, and a touch of sweetness from sugar. Sometimes, the sauce is enhanced with thin slices of green papaya or pickled kohlrabi and carrot, adding a colorful and crunchy dimension.

This sauce is a feast for the senses, offering a colorful and tasty indulgence with its brown-yellow fish sauce, natural orange carrots, light white papaya, and bright red chili.

While Bun Cha is no longer commonly found in vendors’ bamboo baskets, it remains ubiquitous on the streets of Hanoi. It is enjoyed by locals at any time of the day and can be found in markets, street food stalls, upscale restaurants, and even in Vietnamese restaurants abroad.

While no longer served in bamboo baskets, Bun Cha can be found on every street in Hanoi. Photo: Embassy Direct

To elevate the Bun Cha experience, consider pairing it with crab spring rolls. These crispy, greasy treats are stuffed with juicy white crab meat, adding a textural contrast to the dish.

Bun Cha gained international recognition when the late chef Anthony Bourdain shared a meal of it with former President Barack Obama during their visit to Vietnam in 2016. This culinary moment put Hanoi’s famous dish on the global map.

Additionally, Bun Cha has been featured in popular TV shows like “Street Food: Asia” and “No Reservations,” as well as in the book The Beauty of Humanity Movement by author Camilla Gibb, solidifying its status as a celebrated symbol of Vietnamese cuisine worldwide.