Bun Cha

Sometimes you have meals that change your life from how delicious they are. Others change your life from how different and cool they are. Today’s post is about one of the delicious ones. I've had a couple of those throughout Asia, and I love the fact that I've been able to experience them. I knew that I was going to eat amazing food, but I was definitely not prepared for some of the meals that I've had. There are three meals that I can name off the top of my head, and those are the Xia Long Bao at Din Tai Fung from a couple of weeks ago, the Ramen at Ippudo, and now the Bun Cha at Bun Cha Dac Kim.  

My recent trip to Hanoi Vietnam landed me at this popular restaurant. Places in Vietnam are known for what they do best, and only serving that. At this place, that plate is Bun Cha. Bun Cha is a type of vermicelli noodle soup dish served with grilled pork that is very interactive. People come for just that dish and there will definitely be a waiting queue. It moves fast though. And please do not expect the service to be good, because sadly, it doesn't have to be. People come anyway, and the staff has this figured out.

As I sat down, I prepared myself to have one of the better meals in the city (as I had heard from many locals). I sat down and ordered a Bun Cha, which costs 90,000 Dong (or $4.50), and waited for my food. Three minutes later, the waitress started bringing small plates of food. I thought this would be a dish, but it is actually something you have to prepare for yourself. She began by bringing a large plate of herbs, which included mint, cilantro, lettuce, and thyme. She also brought a plate of garlic and chili pepper, and a plate of melon soaking in a fish sauce and a vinegar mixture. Lastly came the large plate of vermicelli noodles and grilled pork patties in a broth.

Basically, the person eating the dish begins by putting some noodles on their plate and seasoning it however they please with what they are given. They add the pork patties/bacon at the end, mix it up, and that’s about it. It sounds pretty simple and anti-climatic, but the blending of flavors and textures is incredible. You can tell that these people do bun cha the way it is supposed to be made, and the fact that they don’t over complicate things is what makes them so successful. It’s a revelatory dish that I know I’m going to be craving very soon.

Just when you think you can’t be any happier, the waitress comes back with a plate piled with Cha Nem (egg rolls). These egg rolls are filled with crab, and they are perfectly fried. The texture is incredible, making them the best egg rolls I have ever eaten in my life. I don’t know exactly what it was that made these egg rolls better than previous ones, but I cannot see this simple dish being any better. It’s just something you have to experience for yourself to understand.

The lines to be able to even get inside this place only speak for themselves. On top of that, the fact that the employees have everything down to a science make the restaurant downright impressive. If I were to only have one meal in Vietnam over and over again, it would be this one and I would not complain. I miss you already Dac Kim, and I can’t wait until I get to experience you again.