More north than south

I don't normally blog at the weekend, but noodlegirl is away on business, the toad is snoring, I have no life Good night and Good luck lined up on dodgy DVD and I'm just rebrowsing Friday's lunch and wondering whether going to London next week is such a good idea. Regular stalkers of this gaff will know I rate this dish - bun cha - very highly. In fact it is my numero uno Vietnamisimo. This version is from 42 Tran Quoc Thao street in District 3. This totally packed shack is named after the famous - but utter bollocks - bun cha restaurant up north on Hang Manh street in Hanoi's old quarter. The Saigon shed is imaginatively called Bun Cha Hang Manh Hanoi. Incredible. Who thinks these things up?



I arrive at mid-day. Both downstairs and upstairs are jammed. I'm the only big nose and probably one of the only people in here with a southern Vietnamese accent - hehe - The bun cha is a triumph. Plastic blue chairs and tables have never shone so brightly. At two memorable points during my lunch my thoughts turned to death. Am I dead? Is this my last supper? Did I leave the kettle on? What happens to a blog when a blogger snuffs it? Is there a charitable institution that keeps paying the subs? UDPDATE: Here's one answer to that question.

I tend to get esoteric when looking at bun cha. How about you? The cha gio at this place are total shit - like chewing mulch - but the bun cha. Well you be the judge. I've said enough. I'll be back. More pics. More banter on bun cha - much more than man or beast can chew - here. Right, filmtime.

Comments

[Quyen]

Oh, how I love bun cha. Your post makes me miss bun cha so much. I wonder if bun cha in Sai Gon would taste different from bun cha Hang Manh. Love your photos.

[Charles Kemp]

When I opened your page today to the intense photo of bun cha it was like, Pow! This is going to be a good one.

Several years ago my wife said to the waiter at Duy Tan in Garland, TX, "I'll have that," indicating what someone was having at an adjoining table. It was "bun cha Ha Noi" on the menu. Have now had it at several places in Dallas area - different at each place & good at each.

CK

[Sticky]

Looks cooked to perfection. I had a bad undercooked version during the week up here. Nothing worse than underdone barbie soup!

Classy crockery down south!

[pieman]

THx all, well Quyen apart from the distinctly dull cha gio the bun cha was way better than Hang Manh in Hanoi. But as I've said elsewhere on previous ocassions the 'famous' Hanoi one is trading on a long dead reputation and was lazy in the extreme when I was in Hanoi. Tonnes of better joints to choose from in Hanoi. Hang Manh is one of the worst. Have no idea why people still go on about it. Craphouse.

[Wayne]

Don't enjoy bun cha very much 'cause I don't appreciate the idea of dipping the juicy charbroiled meatballs into the sauce (nuoc mam). It's a far cry from the Southern version "bun thit nuong."

[pieman]

Would you really call bun thit nuong a version of bun cha? Similar ingredients, but very, very different dishes, no?

[Linda]

I've been reading your blogs for awhile now and your vietnamese food photos always make me drool. :) I love viet food & miss it very much. My hubby & I are going back to VN in 2 wks, I'm so excited. I'll definitely try this bun cha place, thanks for your recommendation!

[pieman]

Linda although this was superb, for my money I'd head to Tran Quoc Thao for a slightly better rendition:

http://www.noodlepie.com/2004/04/bun_cha.html

And EVEN better is the one near the airport:

http://www.noodlepie.com/2005/01/airport_grill.html

Enjoy your trip :)

[ThinkingVN]

Even though I am Vietnemses, I've never tasted bun cha until I set foot in the US. So, never known what the authentic bun cha tasts like. There are several restaurant in north & south California that serve good bun cha and cook by northerner I doubt they are anything close to the real thing in Vietnam. But they are good (for my taste) nonetheless.

[Arlin]

OMG, the photos you posted make me starve. What is bun cha? Meatballs in soup?
Do you have its recipe? I'm gonna ask my sister to try it out (since I myself don't cook :p)

ThinkingVN: Which restaurant in SoCal? Which in SF? I might go there some time this year, so I'm gonna try out bun cha :)

I've never been to VN, but reading your blog, I can't stand the way it made me drool... so I might visit VN some time.