Hanoi’s Bun cha shop packed after Obama’s visit

The 20-year-old restaurant was packed at 9.30am and it was nearly out of food. The shop staff did not sleep the night before to prepare bun cha.

Bun cha Huong Lien’s business motto is to ensure food safety. Perhaps this is why the shop was selected for President Barack Obama’s dinner on May 23.

Mr. Sang (a motorbike taxi driver) was hired to buy ten bun cha servings at the shop and carry them to Ha Dong District, 10 km away.

Another man, Mr. Chac, cycled from Cau Giay district to Le Van Huu Street to taste "Bun cha Obama".

Chac said he was very satisfied with bun cha Huong Lien and he would surely return.

Ms. Kim Anh, the owner of an iced tea shop next to Bun cha Huong Lien, said 10 days ago, the restaurant was reserved for a high-ranking official on the evening of May 23.

However, the shop owner did not know that the special customer was President Obama.

Thanks to President Obama, the bun cha shop has become famous.

Bun cha is a Vietnamese dish of grilled pork and noodle, which is thought to have originated from Hanoi. Bun cha is served with grilled fatty pork over a plate of white rice noodle and herbs with a side dish of dipping sauce.

Bun cha is popular in the Northern region of Vietnam. In the South, a similar dish of rice vermicelli and grilled meat is called bun thit nuong.

The bun cha offered by Huong Lien shop in photos: