[2025] How to eat bun cha Hanoi properly and easy?

Bun cha is a famous specialty in Hanoi. Let’s learn how to eat bun cha Hanoi properly and easily with Dung Thuy.

1. What is bun cha?

Bun cha is a Vietnamese dish consisting of vermicelli, grilled pork patties over charcoal, and a bowl of sweet, salty, sour, and spicy fish sauce. The dish originated in Northern Vietnam and is the most enduring gift of Hanoi, so it can be considered one of the typical specialties of Hanoi cuisine. Bun cha is similar to grilled pork bun in the Central and Southern regions, but the fish sauce has a lighter taste.

Former US President Barack Obama ate this dish.

2. How to eat bun cha Hanoi properly and easy?

Eat Hanoi bun cha with chopsticks, spoon or fork?

The correct answer to this question is to eat Hanoi bun cha with CHOPSTICKS. This must be an unforgettable experience for foreign tourists, especially tourists from other continents such as Europe and America – they use knives and forks instead of chopsticks. Spoons are also used to scoop dipping sauce. NO one uses a fork when eating bun cha, and of course the people of Kinh Ky are the same.

3. Is Hanoi bun cha best eaten for breakfast, lunch, afternoon or dinner?
You can eat bun cha at any time of the day: morning, noon, afternoon, evening. However, people in Hanoi used to eat bun cha at noon.
To explain this, perhaps noon is the “best” time to enjoy the rich flavor of each meatball. This way of eating bun cha helps diners replenish enough energy for an effective afternoon of work, and does not add too much protein as when eating in the evening. In addition, in the morning people often choose quick, convenient dishes to be on time for work or school such as: bread, pho, … rather than bun cha.
4. Should Hanoi bun cha be eaten with CHAN or with CHÂM?
4.1. DIP the vermicelli into the dipping sauce bowl with the sausage
How to eat Hanoi bun cha

How to eat Hanoi bun cha by dipping the vermicelli into the dipping sauce bowl with the sausage

Put the vermicelli on a plate. Pour the fish sauce into a small bowl, add the sausage balls, sausage pieces, pickled cucumbers, papaya, kohlrabi to the fragrant dipping sauce bowl. Add minced garlic and chili as desired. Next, use chopsticks to pick up each piece of fresh vermicelli and dip it into the prepared dipping sauce bowl. You can eat it with perilla leaves and lettuce depending on your preference.

With this way of eating vermicelli with grilled pork, you can adjust the amount of vermicelli. The pork patties are more flavorful because they are pre-soaked in the dipping sauce, which goes extremely well with bland vermicelli and fresh, cool vegetables.

4.2. Method 2: DIP vermicelli and pork patties in the dipping sauce
With this method, we do not pre-soak the pork patties in the dipping sauce, nor do we submerge the vermicelli and pork patties in the fish sauce. Arrange the vermicelli and pork patties on two separate plates. Pour the dipping sauce into a small bowl. Next, use chopsticks to pick up each piece of vermicelli and pork patties, dip them into the dipping sauce, and enjoy.

This way of eating allows you to easily adjust the amount of fish sauce. For those who do not want to eat salty food, this is the choice for you.

4.3. Method 3: Put all the vermicelli and pork patties in a bowl and then pour in the dipping sauce
Put all the vermicelli and pork patties in a bowl. Slowly pour the dipping sauce with papaya and kohlrabi into the bowl with the vermicelli and pork patties. Use chopsticks to submerge all the vermicelli and pork patties so that they are submerged in the dipping sauce. Now use chopsticks to pick up each piece of vermicelli and grilled pork in the bowl to enjoy. Don’t forget the herbs and spices such as pepper, fresh chili,…

The disadvantage of this way of eating vermicelli and grilled pork is that it is difficult to adjust the amount of vermicelli. Putting all the vermicelli and grilled pork in the bowl will create a feeling of fullness and overwhelm when eating.

3. Top 10 best bun cha restaurants in Hanoi

2.1 Bun Cha Tuyet 34 – Irresistible delicious Hanoi Bun Cha Restaurant

Address: 34 Hang Than, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.

Opening hours: 8:30 – 17:30

Reference price: 35,000 – 55,000 VND / portion

As one of the oldest Bun Cha restaurants in Hanoi, Bun Cha Tuyet 34 has an unmistakable flavor. With a traditional recipe, the dipping sauce is mixed to taste, salty, sour, sweet with a little bit of ground pepper. A bowl of Bun Cha has 3 types of delicious sausage: minced sausage, pork slices and pork wrapped in betel leaves. And especially indispensable is the grilled meat marinated with spices, grilled to just a little charred, served with the freshest raw vegetables.

Top 10 famous delicious Hanoi bun cha restaurants in Hanoi 2
Enjoy a bowl of Hanoi bun cha at Bun Cha Tuyet 34

2.2 Bun Cha Huong Lien
Address:

– Branch 1: 24 Le Van Huu, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi

– Branch 1: 14, Lane 59 Lang Ha, Dong Da District, Hanoi

Opening hours: 10:00 – 19:00

Reference price: 40,000 – 60,000 VND / portion

Honored to have US President Obama come to enjoy Hanoi bun cha, Bun Cha Huong Lien is increasingly attracting diners to visit and prove the delicious taste of bun cha. Compared to other Hanoi bun cha restaurants, Huong Lien has more delicious spring rolls such as crab spring rolls, seafood spring rolls. The broth is carefully prepared, delicious, and will definitely not disappoint you.

Top 10 famous delicious Hanoi bun cha restaurants in Hanoi 3
With only 40,000 VND, you can have a bowl of Hanoi bun cha to fill your stomach

2.3 Bun Cha 41
Address: 41 Cua Dong, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

Opening hours: 10:30 – 20:00

Reference price: 20,000 – 50,000 VND / portion

Opening around noon, Bun Cha 41 will be the perfect choice for your lunch. A mixed portion costs 50,000 VND, a little higher than other Bun Cha restaurants, but the noodles, grilled meat, and grilled spring rolls are added a lot. During peak hours, the restaurant is often full, so you should arrange to come early to avoid having to wait long.

Top 10 famous delicious Bun Cha restaurants in Hanoi 4
Many young people love to visit Bun Cha 41

2.4 Bun Cha Alley 74
Address: Alley 74 Hang Quat, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.

Opening hours: 10:00 – 14:00

Reference price: 20,000 – 45,000 VND / portion

For gourmets, Bun Cha Alley 74 is a very familiar address. The grilled meat at the restaurant is grilled using a family recipe that has been passed down for generations. The meat is soft, the outside is charred, eaten with fish sauce and sour papaya, creating a memorable flavor. The meat is grilled evenly and retains the sweet aroma of fresh meat, the skin is crispy without being tough, very easy to eat. In addition, you can order more fresh kumquat juice to quench your thirst, and remove the strong fish sauce smell that lingers in your mouth after eating.

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Bun cha restaurant in alley 74 is always crowded with customers

2.5 Bun cha Bat Su
Address: 23 Bat Su, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi

Opening hours: 7:00 – 22:00

Reference price: 35,000 – 80,000 VND / portion

Bun cha Bat Su is a famous address for Hanoians in particular and tourists from all over the world in general. With a prime location in the Hoan Kiem lake area, the restaurant attracts hundreds of visitors every day. A portion of bun cha here is very large, allowing you to enjoy and feel the delicious taste of bun cha here.

Top 10 famous delicious Hanoi bun cha restaurants in Hanoi 6
Bun cha Bat Su is a place you cannot miss when you want to enjoy this Hanoi specialty

2.6 Hanoi bun cha To Hieu
Address: 102 B8 To Hieu, Cau Giay district, Hanoi

Opening hours: 9:00 – 21:00

Reference price: 20,000 – 40,000 VND / portion

With a reasonable price of only 30,000 VND, a bowl of bun cha at To Hieu restaurant has a full range of side dishes from vermicelli, sweet and sour pickles, pork patties, minced pork, grilled meat marinated with fragrant spices, grilled over hot coals.

Top 10 famous delicious bun cha restaurants in Hanoi 7
Just take a bite and the sweetness of the meat mixed with the fragrant dipping sauce will spread throughout your mouth, making you fascinated

2.7 Bun cha Sinh Tu
Address: 316 Pho Vong, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi

Reference price: 6:30 – 21:30

Reference price: 20,000 – 39,000 VND / portion

Coming to Bun cha Sinh Tu, you will be satisfied by the friendly, cheerful and extremely quick service attitude of the staff. A portion of bun here is very large with a salty, sweet and delicious dipping sauce, the grilled meat is cooked just right to ensure softness and chewiness. In addition, papaya salad and raw vegetables are purchased from a clean vegetable seller and are picked and washed clean.

Tell you the top 10 famous delicious bun cha restaurants in Hanoi 8
You can be completely assured about the quality of bun cha here

2.8 Bun Cha Ton Duc Thang
Address: No. 44, Alley 221 Ton Duc Thang, Dong Da District, Hanoi

Opening hours: 10:00 – 15:00

Reference price: 30,000 – 50,000 VND / portion

Although it is just a small restaurant located in a deep alley, Bun Cha Ton Duc Thang is always crowded with customers coming to enjoy. A portion of noodles here is only about 30,000 VND but is full of side dishes such as minced pork, grilled spring rolls, grilled meat… The minced pork here is rolled inside a layer of betel leaf, so it has a special aroma and the meat is not dry. However, the restaurant’s broth is a bit strong in flavor, you just need to add a little vinegar, garlic and chili to taste.

Top 10 famous delicious Hanoi bun cha restaurants in Hanoi 9
Come with your friends to recharge with a bowl of Hanoi bun cha

2.9 Mai Hac De bun cha
Address: 114 Mai Hac De, Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi

Opening hours: 9:00 – 21:00

Reference price: 40,000 – 50,000 VND / portion

Mai Hac De bun cha knows how to please diners, eating it once will make you addicted immediately. The meat is seasoned, skillfully cut into bite-sized pieces and grilled over red hot charcoal. In particular, the minced meat is shaped into a fairly large block, grilled until slightly charred on the outside, while the inside melts in your mouth, stimulating the taste buds.

A very large portion of bun cha will fill your hungry stomach

2.10 Bun cha Dac Kim
Address: No. 1 Hang Manh, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

Opening hours: 8:30 – 21:00

Reference price: 20,000 – 150,000 VND / portion

It can be said that the price of a bowl of bun cha Dac Kim is quite expensive but it is worth it. The restaurant’s spring rolls have a crispy crust, with a lot of meat and vegetables inside, so you don’t feel full at all. In particular, the dipping sauce is very flavorful, a portion of bun cha is also quite large, making you full.

4. How many calories in bun cha?

Bun cha is made from vermicelli, pork combined with fish sauce, cooking oil and herbs. In which, the pork is cut into small pieces or minced, then marinated with spices and grilled. Therefore, bun cha is also called grilled pork vermicelli. The total calories of these ingredients will give you how many calories a portion of grilled pork vermicelli has. Specifically as follows:

100g of fresh vermicelli contains 110 calories.

100g of grilled pork contains 291 calories.

A portion of bun cha has about 100g of vermicelli and 100g of grilled pork. Bun cha dipping sauce is made from fish sauce mixed with sugar and spices. Eating a portion of bun cha provides the body with 400 – 500 calories. This is the reference calorie content, the actual calories of a portion of bun cha also depend on the amount of fat and how it is prepared.

How many calories are in bun cha 1
Many people like to eat bun cha but few people know how many calories are in bun cha
Is eating bun cha fattening?
According to the energy needs recommended by nutritionists, adults need to supplement 1800 – 2000 calories. Divided into three meals, it is about 600 – 667 calories/meal. If the calories consumed are more than the need, it will be excess and produce fat. Energy-rich foods all have the risk of causing overweight and obesity.

The calorie content in a serving of bun cha is high, almost equal to the calorie requirement for a meal. Whether eating bun cha makes you fat or not depends on how much you eat, whether you eat anything else, and how much exercise you do to burn calories. If you eat it instead of a main meal, the calories in a serving of bun cha are lower than the calories in a nutritious meal. Therefore, it is unlikely to cause weight gain.

However, if you eat 2 servings of grilled pork vermicelli or eat other dishes at once, the amount of calories consumed will be higher than a main meal and there is a risk of weight gain. Eating a lot of vermicelli with grilled pork without exercising can also easily make you fat. Vermicelli with grilled pork is not suitable for people who are on a diet to lose weight. A diet to lose weight is only 800 – 1000 calories/day, and a serving of vermicelli with grilled pork meets 40 – 50% of this need.

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