Charcoal-grilled spiced pork, rice vermicelli, a bundle of fresh herbs and a sweet-sour-salty nuoc cham dipping sauce make Bun Cha Hanoi's most beloved lunch.
Written by
Ecem Akkaba · Dietitian
Dietitian, graduate of İstanbul Medipol University. She develops the recipes and nutrition values on FitZen.
Updated:
Bun Cha – Hanoi Grilled Pork with Rice Vermicelli contains 520 calories per serving: 34 g protein, 58 g carbohydrate and 16 g fat. It takes 50 minutes in total and makes 4 servings.
Bun Cha is the iconic dish of northern Vietnam, cooked amid the smoke of grills on the streets of Hanoi. Grilled pork patties and slices are served in a warm dipping sauce called nuoc cham, alongside rice vermicelli and a basket full of fresh herbs.
The dish is served deconstructed rather than as a single plate: you build each bite yourself. Thanks to plenty of greens, fine rice vermicelli and lean grilled meat, the meal is both flavourful and balanced.
Because the nuoc cham sauce is made with fish sauce, lime, water and a small amount of sugar, it carries measured calories, making Bun Cha a high-protein, fibre-rich and healthy meal.
Toss the ground pork and slices with grated garlic, shallot, fish sauce, sugar and pepper and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Shape small patties from the marinated ground pork; keep the slices separate.
For the nuoc cham, mix fish sauce, warm water, sugar and lime juice in a bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves, then add the garlic and red chili.
Drop the carrot slices into the nuoc cham sauce so they lightly pickle.
Boil the rice vermicelli according to the package instructions, rinse with cold water and drain.
Cook the patties and pork slices on a hot grill or pan for 8-10 minutes until browned on both sides.
Dip the grilled meat into the warm nuoc cham sauce and transfer to a serving bowl.
Serve the rice vermicelli, fresh herbs and lettuce leaves alongside; everyone dips their own bite into the sauce.
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