$6 bun cha
Why would a world-renowned chef like Anthony Bourdain take the leader of the free world, President Barack Obama, to a humble street café in Vietnam?
If you’ve followed Bourdain’s work, you know he lived for “the food of the people.” In 2016, amidst a diplomatic trip the two met in secret at a small café in Hanoi to share a $6 meal of Bún chả. Today, that table and those stools are encased in Perspex. The heart of the dish remains a masterpiece of balanced flavours.
I wanted to see if I could recreate that magic at home. While I can’t claim total authenticity, I’ve leaned on two experts I trust: Uyen Luu and MiMi Aye (whose books Vietnamese and Noodle are fantastic resources). My version is a hybrid of their methods, adapted for what I could find at the local shops.
What is Bun Cha?
At its core, Bun Cha is a dish of grilled pork (both patties and belly) served in a warm, fragrant broth with rice noodles, fresh herbs, and quick pickles. It hits every note: sweet, salty, spicy, and savoury.
The Secret Ingredient: Caramel Sauce
The base for the pork marinade is a homemade caramel. It might sound surprising for a savoury burger, but it provides that deep, glossy colour and a complex sweetness that balances the hit of fish sauce.
Bun cha
Ingredients
- 500 g pork mince
- 250 g pork belly slices beaten thin
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 shallots finely chopped
- 1 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- Salt and black pepper
- 50 ml Fish sauce
- 50 ml Rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp Brown sugar
- 1 red chili sliced
- 1 carrot peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 radishes a great substitute if you can’t find daikon
- Rice vermicelli noodles 1 nest per person
- Fresh herbs: Thai basil, coriander, mint
Instructions
- In a small pan, melt the brown sugar and water. Simmer hard for 6-7 minutes until it becomes a thick, glossy caramel. Pour into a bowl and let it cool. Once cool, stir in the chopped garlic, shallots, fish sauce, salt, and pepper.
- Divide the marinade in half. Mix one half into the pork mince and form into small, flat patties. Use the other half to coat the thinned pork belly slices. Pop everything in the fridge for at least two hours to soak up the flavors.
- Ideally, cook the pork patties and belly over hot coals on a BBQ for that authentic smoky finish. A few minutes on each side should do it. If you don’t have a BBQ, a hot griddle pan or grill works too.
- Meanwhile, soak your rice noodles in boiling water according to the packet instructions.
- Thinly slice your carrot and radishes. Toss them with a pinch of salt, sugar, and a splash of vinegar. Let them sit while you prepare everything else.
- In a saucepan, combine the fish sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and water. Bring to a boil, then keep warm on low heat. Taste as you go—you want a balance of sweet, sour, and salty.
- To serve, place the noodles and fresh herbs in bowls. Ladle the warm broth over the pork patties, add the pickles and sliced chili, and dive in.
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