[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":432},["ShallowReactive",2],{"recipe:bun-cha":3,"recipe:country:vietnam":206},{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"pronunciation":7,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"emoji":10,"summary":11,"intro":12,"story":13,"whyThis":14,"tips":19,"substitutions":26,"variations":43,"serveWith":53,"storage":55,"faq":56,"equipment":72,"baseServings":76,"prepMinutes":77,"cookMinutes":78,"restMinutes":79,"difficulty":80,"course":81,"diet":83,"mainIngredients":85,"ingredients":90,"instructions":155,"nutrition":187,"images":193,"keywords":197,"publishedAt":204,"updatedAt":204,"authorSlug":205},"bun-cha","Bún Chả (Hanoi Grilled Pork with Rice Noodles)","Bún chả Hà Nội","boon CHAH","vietnam","Hanoi","🔥","Charcoal-grilled pork patties and belly floating in a warm sweet-sour fish sauce broth, dunked with cold rice vermicelli and a plate of herbs. Hanoi eats this for lunch, standing.","Bún chả is a lunch you assemble in a bowl rather than a dish that arrives finished. Smoky grilled pork — soft minced patties and thin slices of belly, both caramelised at the edges — sits in a bowl of warm nước chấm, a fish sauce broth balanced with sugar, vinegar, garlic and chile, with pickled kohlrabi and carrot floating in it. Alongside come a mound of cold rice vermicelli and a plate of lettuce, mint and perilla. You dip noodles and herbs into the pork bowl, bite, repeat. The taste is smoke and sweetness against sharp acid, and it is one of the few great Vietnamese dishes that is genuinely easy to reproduce at home if you have any kind of live fire.","Bún chả belongs to Hanoi in a way few Vietnamese dishes belong to any one city. It is street lunch, sold between roughly eleven and two, from shops with small charcoal braziers set up on the pavement; the smell of pork fat dripping onto coals is one of the identifying smells of the Old Quarter in the middle of the day. The writer Vũ Bằng described the smoke of grilling bún chả drifting through Hanoi streets in his writing about northern food, and the association between the dish and the city has never loosened.\n\nThe structure of the meal is northern Vietnamese thinking made visible. Rather than dressing the noodles, the seasoning lives in a separate bowl of nước chấm that is deliberately mild — northern dipping sauces are less sweet and less fiery than southern ones, closer to a light broth than a dressing. The eater controls every mouthful: more herbs, more chile, more noodles, more pork. Nothing is decided for you in the kitchen, which is a running theme in how Vietnamese food is served.\n\nThe dish got a burst of global attention in 2016 when Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama ate it on plastic stools at Bún Chả Hương Liên, and that particular shop still sells the meal as a set. The attention was new; the dish was not. Two details reliably separate a good bowl from a mediocre one: real charcoal, because the smoke is an ingredient rather than a cooking method, and pork with enough fat to baste itself. Home cooks working with a grill pan or an oven grill can get most of the way there, and this recipe explains what you gain and lose either way.",[15,16,17,18],"Two cuts of pork, as in Hanoi — minced patties for softness and sliced belly for chew and rendered fat.","A northern-style nước chấm ratio: dilute and gently sweet, meant to be eaten by the spoonful rather than drizzled.","Realistic about charcoal — gives an oven and grill-pan method plus what to add back when there is no smoke.","Quick pickles go straight into the dipping bowl, which is how the sourness is carried in the original.",[20,21,22,23,24,25],"Grill over charcoal if you possibly can. The smoke is not an optional bonus here; it is the dominant flavour of the finished bowl.","Do not use lean pork mince. You want at least 20% fat, or the patties dry out and go crumbly on the grill.","Rinse the cooked vermicelli under cold water and drain it thoroughly — noodles are served at room temperature, never hot.","Grill the patties flat and thin, about 1 cm. Thick meatballs char outside before the middle cooks.","Taste the nước chấm cold before warming it. It should taste slightly weak on its own; the pork and its fat will strengthen it in the bowl.","Serve the pork in the dipping bowl while the meat is still warm — the fat melting into the sauce is half the point.",[27,31,35,39],{"original":28,"swap":29,"note":30},"Pork belly","Pork shoulder cut into thin slices, or thick-cut bacon","Shoulder is leaner and needs a little extra oil in the marinade. Bacon brings salt, so cut the fish sauce back a touch.",{"original":32,"swap":33,"note":34},"Green kohlrabi (su hào)","Green papaya, daikon, or extra carrot","Any firm, mild vegetable that stays crunchy in brine will do. The role is texture and acidity, not its own flavour.",{"original":36,"swap":37,"note":38},"Perilla and Vietnamese balm","A mix of mint, cilantro and Thai basil","The specific northern herbs are hard to find outside Vietnamese grocers, but the plate needs at least two contrasting herbs to work.",{"original":40,"swap":41,"note":42},"Charcoal grill","Cast-iron grill pan on high heat, or oven grill on the top shelf","Add a quarter teaspoon of smoked paprika to the marinade to hint at the missing smoke. It is a compromise, not a copy.",[44,47,50],{"name":45,"description":46},"Bún chả with nem cua bể","The Hanoi upgrade: square crab-and-pork spring rolls served alongside, cut into chunks and dunked in the same bowl of nước chấm.",{"name":48,"description":49},"Grilled in la lốt leaves","The minced pork is wrapped in betel leaves before grilling, which perfumes the meat with a peppery, almost medicinal aroma. Closer to bò lá lốt in spirit.",{"name":51,"description":52},"Chicken bún chả","Boneless thigh, marinated the same way and grilled hard. Not traditional, but it works because the marinade and broth are doing the heavy lifting.",[54],"A plate of lettuce leaves, mint, perilla and cilantro, plus extra sliced chile and a wedge of lime.","Grilled pork keeps 3 days refrigerated and reheats well in a hot dry pan — the microwave makes it rubbery. The nước chấm keeps a week in the fridge and is worth making in a double batch, since it dresses almost any Vietnamese noodle bowl. Cooked vermicelli is best eaten the same day; refrigerated noodles go hard and need a 10-second dip in hot water to loosen. Assemble only at the table, never in advance.",[57,60,63,66,69],{"question":58,"answer":59},"Is the dipping broth meant to be hot or cold?","Warm, not hot — around body temperature to lightly steaming. Hanoi shops serve it warm because the grilled pork sits in it and the fat needs to stay liquid. A cold bowl makes the pork fat congeal and dulls the aroma. Reheat it gently and do not boil it, which drives off the fresh vinegar edge.",{"question":61,"answer":62},"What is the difference between bún chả and bún thịt nướng?","Bún chả is northern and served deconstructed: the pork sits in a bowl of dipping broth and you dunk noodles into it. Bún thịt nướng is southern and served assembled, with grilled pork laid over noodles in a single bowl and the sauce poured over. The southern version is usually sweeter and often includes peanuts and fried shallots.",{"question":64,"answer":65},"Can I make bún chả without a grill?","Yes, though you will miss the smoke. A screaming-hot cast-iron grill pan gives good char, and an oven grill set to maximum with the tray on the top shelf works if you flip the pork halfway. Adding a small amount of smoked paprika to the marinade partly compensates. The dish will still be very good, just less unmistakably Hanoi.",{"question":67,"answer":68},"Why did my pork patties fall apart on the grill?","Usually because the mince was too lean, too cold, or not mixed enough. Fat binds the patty as it renders. Work the seasoned mince against the side of the bowl for a minute until it turns slightly sticky and paste-like, then chill it before shaping. Also let the patties sit undisturbed until they release from the grate on their own.",{"question":70,"answer":71},"How far ahead can I prepare this?","The pork can marinate up to 24 hours ahead, and the pickles and dipping sauce can both be made two days in advance. Grill the pork right before eating. If you grill ahead, reheat the meat in a hot dry pan for a minute per side rather than in a microwave, which turns the belly slices tough.",[73,74,75],"Charcoal grill or cast-iron grill pan","Mixing bowls","Small saucepan for the dipping broth",4,30,25,60,"medium",[82],"main",[84],"dairy-free",[86,87,88,89],"ground-pork","pork-belly","fish-sauce","lime",[91,96,98,101,105,109,112,115,119,123,124,127,130,132,134,137,141,144,147,149,153],{"ref":86,"qty":92,"unit":93,"name":94,"group":95},400,"g","fatty pork mince, at least 20% fat","For the pork",{"ref":87,"qty":92,"unit":93,"name":97,"group":95},"skinless pork belly, sliced 5 mm thick",{"qty":76,"unit":99,"name":100,"group":95},"piece","shallots, finely minced",{"ref":102,"qty":76,"unit":103,"name":104,"group":95},"garlic","clove","garlic, finely minced",{"ref":88,"qty":106,"unit":107,"name":108,"group":95},3,"tbsp","fish sauce",{"qty":110,"unit":107,"name":111,"group":95},2,"sugar",{"qty":113,"unit":107,"name":114,"group":95},1,"honey or caramel sauce, for colour",{"ref":116,"qty":113,"unit":117,"name":118,"group":95},"black-pepper","tsp","coarsely cracked black pepper",{"ref":88,"qty":120,"unit":121,"name":108,"group":122},80,"ml","For the nước chấm",{"qty":79,"unit":93,"name":111,"group":122},{"ref":125,"qty":79,"unit":121,"name":126,"group":122},"vinegar","rice vinegar",{"qty":128,"unit":121,"name":129,"group":122},500,"water",{"ref":89,"qty":113,"unit":99,"name":131,"group":122},"lime, juiced",{"ref":102,"qty":106,"unit":103,"name":133,"group":122},"garlic, finely chopped",{"qty":110,"unit":99,"name":135,"optional":136,"group":122},"red chiles, sliced",true,{"ref":138,"qty":113,"unit":99,"name":139,"group":140},"carrot","carrot, sliced into thin coins","For the pickles",{"qty":142,"unit":93,"name":143,"group":140},200,"green kohlrabi or green papaya, thinly sliced",{"qty":92,"unit":93,"name":145,"group":146},"dried rice vermicelli (bún)","To serve",{"qty":113,"unit":99,"name":148,"group":146},"head of soft lettuce, leaves separated",{"ref":150,"qty":113,"unit":151,"name":152,"group":146},"mint","cup","mint leaves",{"qty":113,"unit":151,"name":154,"group":146},"perilla and Vietnamese balm leaves, or cilantro",[156,161,165,169,172,177,181,184],{"title":157,"text":158,"timerSeconds":159,"tip":160},"Marinate both cuts of pork","Split the shallots, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, honey and black pepper between two bowls. Mix one half into {qty:ground-pork} of pork mince and the other into the belly slices, then refrigerate both for at least 1 hour.",3600,"Work the mince against the bowl for a full minute until it turns tacky — that stickiness is what holds the patties together on the grill.",{"title":162,"text":163,"timerSeconds":164},"Make the pickles","Toss the carrot coins and sliced kohlrabi with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and set aside. They will soften and turn glassy at the edges in about 20 minutes while you carry on.",1200,{"title":166,"text":167,"tip":168},"Mix the nước chấm","Stir the sugar into the water until fully dissolved, then add the fish sauce, remaining vinegar and lime juice. Taste: it should read sweet first, then salty, then sour, and noticeably diluted. Stir in the chopped garlic and chile.","Add garlic and chile last and off the heat so they float rather than sink — that is how it looks in Hanoi.",{"title":170,"text":171},"Shape the patties","Wet your hands and flatten the marinated mince into 12 thin patties about 1 cm thick and 6 cm across. Make a shallow dimple in the centre of each so they cook flat instead of doming.",{"title":173,"text":174,"timerSeconds":175,"tip":176},"Grill the pork","Grill over hot charcoal or in a screaming-hot grill pan, about 3–4 minutes per side, until the edges are darkly caramelised and the belly slices have rendered and curled. You want visible char, not an even golden brown.",420,"Let the fat drip onto the coals and flare briefly. That smoke settling back on the meat is the flavour you came for.",{"title":178,"text":179,"timerSeconds":180},"Cook and cool the noodles","Boil the vermicelli for 3–5 minutes until just tender, then drain and rinse thoroughly under cold running water until the strands stop feeling starchy. Shake dry and pile into loose nests on a plate.",300,{"title":182,"text":183},"Assemble the dipping bowls","Warm the nước chấm until it just steams, then divide between four wide bowls. Drop the hot grilled pork straight in along with a spoonful of pickles, so the rendered fat slicks the surface of the broth.",{"title":185,"text":186},"Eat by dunking","Serve each person a bowl of pork, a nest of noodles and a share of the herb plate. Pick up noodles and herbs with chopsticks, dunk them into the pork bowl, and eat immediately while the broth is still warm.",{"calories":188,"protein":189,"carbs":190,"fat":77,"fiber":76,"sugar":191,"sodium":192,"estimated":136},710,38,72,20,1900,[194],{"src":195,"alt":196},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fbun-cha\u002Fhero.svg","Bowl of charred pork patties and belly slices in amber dipping broth beside cold rice vermicelli and fresh herbs",[198,199,200,201,202,203],"bun cha","hanoi","grilled pork","rice vermicelli","nuoc cham","vietnamese noodles","2026-08-19","dishroute-kitchen",{"items":207,"total":412,"page":113,"limit":430,"hasMore":431},[208,230,256,276,283,310,332,359,384,407],{"slug":209,"title":210,"nativeName":211,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"baseServings":76,"prepMinutes":77,"cookMinutes":212,"restMinutes":79,"difficulty":213,"course":214,"diet":216,"mainIngredients":217,"images":219,"keywords":223,"publishedAt":204,"updatedAt":204,"authorSlug":205},"banh-cuon","Bánh Cuốn (Steamed Rice Rolls with Pork and Wood Ear)","Bánh cuốn",40,"hard",[215],"breakfast",[84],[86,218,88],"mushrooms",[220],{"src":221,"alt":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fbanh-cuon\u002Fhero.svg","Plate of translucent steamed rice rolls filled with minced pork, topped with golden fried shallots and cilantro",[224,225,226,227,228,229],"banh cuon","steamed rice rolls","hanoi breakfast","wood ear mushroom","rice flour","vietnamese",{"slug":231,"title":232,"nativeName":233,"countrySlug":8,"region":234,"baseServings":76,"prepMinutes":191,"cookMinutes":235,"restMinutes":79,"difficulty":236,"course":237,"diet":239,"mainIngredients":240,"images":244,"keywords":248,"publishedAt":204,"updatedAt":204,"authorSlug":205},"banh-mi","Bánh Mì (Vietnamese Baguette Sandwich with Pâté and Pickles)","Bánh mì thịt","Saigon",5,"easy",[238],"street-food",[],[138,241,242,243],"cucumber","cilantro","chicken-liver",[245],{"src":246,"alt":247},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fbanh-mi\u002Fhero.svg","Split Vietnamese baguette filled with pâté, sliced pork roll, orange carrot pickles, cucumber and cilantro sprigs",[249,250,251,252,253,254,255],"banh mi","vietnamese sandwich","baguette","do chua pickles","pate","street food","saigon",{"slug":257,"title":258,"nativeName":259,"countrySlug":8,"region":260,"baseServings":76,"prepMinutes":78,"cookMinutes":77,"restMinutes":77,"difficulty":80,"course":261,"diet":262,"mainIngredients":263,"images":266,"keywords":270,"publishedAt":204,"updatedAt":204,"authorSlug":205},"banh-xeo","Bánh Xèo (Crispy Vietnamese Turmeric Rice Crepe)","Bánh xèo","Mekong Delta",[82,238],[84],[264,87,265,88],"shrimp","scallions",[267],{"src":268,"alt":269},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fbanh-xeo\u002Fhero.svg","Golden turmeric rice crepe folded over shrimp and bean sprouts with crisp lacy edges, beside a plate of herbs",[271,272,273,228,264,274,275],"banh xeo","vietnamese crepe","turmeric","mekong delta","gluten free",{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"countrySlug":8,"region":9,"baseServings":76,"prepMinutes":77,"cookMinutes":78,"restMinutes":79,"difficulty":80,"course":277,"diet":278,"mainIngredients":279,"images":280,"keywords":282,"publishedAt":204,"updatedAt":204,"authorSlug":205},[82],[84],[86,87,88,89],[281],{"src":195,"alt":196},[198,199,200,201,202,203],{"slug":284,"title":285,"nativeName":286,"romanized":287,"countrySlug":8,"region":288,"baseServings":110,"prepMinutes":106,"cookMinutes":289,"difficulty":236,"course":290,"diet":292,"mainIngredients":296,"images":298,"keywords":302,"publishedAt":204,"updatedAt":204,"authorSlug":205},"ca-phe-sua-da","Cà Phê Sữa Đá (Vietnamese Iced Coffee with Condensed Milk)","Cà phê sữa đá","Ca phe sua da","Nationwide",7,[291],"drink",[293,294,295],"vegetarian","gluten-free","nut-free",[297],"condensed-milk",[299],{"src":300,"alt":301},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fca-phe-sua-da\u002Fhero.svg","Tall glass of Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk swirling into dark coffee over ice, phin filter beside it",[303,304,305,306,307,308,309],"ca phe sua da","vietnamese iced coffee","phin filter","condensed milk coffee","robusta","cafe sua da","iced coffee",{"slug":311,"title":312,"nativeName":313,"countrySlug":8,"region":260,"baseServings":76,"prepMinutes":191,"cookMinutes":191,"difficulty":80,"course":314,"diet":316,"mainIngredients":318,"images":322,"keywords":326,"publishedAt":204,"updatedAt":204,"authorSlug":205},"canh-chua","Canh Chua Cá (Mekong Sour Tamarind Fish Soup)","Canh chua cá",[315],"soup",[317,84,294],"pescatarian",[319,320,321,88],"white-fish","pineapple","tomato",[323],{"src":324,"alt":325},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fcanh-chua\u002Fhero.svg","Bowl of clear sour Vietnamese soup with catfish, pineapple wedges, tomato, okra and green herbs on top",[327,328,329,330,274,331,320],"canh chua","sour soup","tamarind","catfish","vietnamese soup",{"slug":333,"title":334,"nativeName":335,"romanized":336,"countrySlug":8,"region":337,"baseServings":76,"prepMinutes":78,"cookMinutes":338,"restMinutes":339,"difficulty":236,"course":340,"diet":342,"mainIngredients":344,"images":347,"keywords":351,"publishedAt":204,"updatedAt":204,"authorSlug":205},"che-ba-mau","Chè Ba Màu (Vietnamese Three-Color Bean Dessert)","Chè ba màu","Che ba mau","Southern Vietnam",55,120,[341,291],"dessert",[293,343,294,84,295],"vegan",[345,346],"coconut-milk","cornstarch",[348],{"src":349,"alt":350},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fche-ba-mau\u002Fhero.svg","Tall glass of Vietnamese three-color dessert with yellow mung bean, red beans, green pandan jelly and coconut cream over ice",[352,353,354,355,356,357,358],"che ba mau","vietnamese dessert","three color dessert","mung bean","pandan jelly","coconut cream","iced dessert",{"slug":360,"title":361,"nativeName":362,"romanized":363,"countrySlug":8,"region":364,"baseServings":76,"prepMinutes":78,"cookMinutes":365,"difficulty":80,"course":366,"diet":367,"mainIngredients":368,"images":372,"keywords":376,"publishedAt":383,"updatedAt":383,"authorSlug":205},"chicken-pho","Chicken Pho (Hanoi-Style Phở Gà)","Phở gà","Pho ga","Northern Vietnam",100,[315,82],[84,294,295],[369,370,371,88],"chicken","onion","ginger",[373],{"src":374,"alt":375},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fchicken-pho\u002Fhero.svg","Bowl of chicken pho with flat rice noodles, shredded chicken, scallions and herbs in clear broth",[377,378,379,380,199,381,382],"pho","pho ga","chicken soup","rice noodles","vietnamese noodle soup","broth","2026-08-18",{"slug":385,"title":386,"nativeName":387,"romanized":388,"countrySlug":8,"region":337,"baseServings":389,"prepMinutes":78,"cookMinutes":365,"difficulty":80,"course":390,"diet":391,"mainIngredients":392,"images":395,"keywords":399,"publishedAt":383,"updatedAt":383,"authorSlug":205},"thit-kho","Thịt Kho Trứng (Vietnamese Caramel Braised Pork with Eggs)","Thịt kho trứng","Thit kho trung",6,[82],[84,294,295],[393,394,88],"pork-shoulder","eggs",[396],{"src":397,"alt":398},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fthit-kho\u002Fhero.svg","Mahogany caramel-braised pork belly chunks and amber-stained eggs in a glossy sauce over rice",[400,401,402,403,404,405,406],"thit kho","vietnamese braised pork","caramel pork","tet","pork belly","coconut water","nuoc mau",{"slug":408,"title":409,"nativeName":410,"romanized":411,"countrySlug":8,"region":337,"baseServings":76,"prepMinutes":212,"cookMinutes":412,"difficulty":236,"course":413,"diet":416,"mainIngredients":417,"images":419,"keywords":423,"publishedAt":383,"updatedAt":383,"authorSlug":205},"vietnamese-summer-rolls","Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce","Gỏi cuốn","Goi cuon",10,[414,415],"appetizer","snack",[84],[264,150,241,418],"rice",[420],{"src":421,"alt":422},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fvietnamese-summer-rolls\u002Fhero.svg","Fresh summer rolls with shrimp and herbs visible through rice paper, beside a bowl of peanut sauce",[424,425,426,264,427,428,429],"summer rolls","goi cuon","rice paper rolls","fresh rolls","peanut sauce","vietnamese appetizer",24,false,1787360058235]