Forget pho, bún chả is Hanoi’s culinary masterpiece. These charcoal-grilled pork belly patties come with a mound of vermicelli rice noodles, a tangle of herbs and a dipping sauce made of rice vinegar, lime juice, chili, fish sauce, garlic and sugar known as nuoc cham.
Bun Cha at Bun Cha Dac Kim photographed by Ehrin Macksey for Project Bly
On 1 Hang Manh Street in the Old Quarter low plastic tables and stools line the sidewalk at one of the most famous bún chả restaurants known to locals as “Bun Cha Dac Kim”. There’s really only two things to order here: bún chả and crispy spring rolls, all made street side. Lunch will cost you about $3-5.
If you don’t have a trip to planned to Hanoi, check out how to bring the flavors of Vietnam into your kitchen with this recipe by Lauren Schockey featured in Saveur. Schockey, a traveler and chef, spent three months in Vietnam apprenticing at an upscale Vietnamese restaurant. She supplemented her culinary education by eating her way through the streets of Hanoi.
In our opinion, it’s the only way to eat in Hanoi.
Where: Bun Cha Dac Kim at 1 Hang Manh Street, Hanoi, Vietnam
What: Bun cha and crispy fried spring rolls
When: Lunch
Project Bly is a travel website built on the philosophy that to know a city, one must wander its streets.
