Among the 5 restaurants in Hanoi that have just made it to the Bib Gourmand list (good food, reasonable prices) in the Michelin Guide 2024, "Bun Cha Chan" is the name that arouses curiosity among many diners.

On social networks, many netizens asked: "What is Bun Cha Chan, how is it different from the usual Hanoi Bun Cha?", "Is this the name of the dish or the restaurant's own name"...

According to the address published by Michelin Guide, the restaurant is located on Mai Hac De Street, Hai Ba Trung District. The restaurant does not have a proper name, but only has a sign that reads "Bun Cha Chan" - the restaurant's main dish.

The restaurant space is modest. Right at the entrance is a "red-hot" stove from 10am to about 3pm, the aroma of minced meat and river bone sausage wafts out. Inside the restaurant is a counter and 5-6 sets of stainless steel tables and chairs that are quite clean.

Unlike regular vermicelli with grilled pork, vermicelli with grilled pork is served with hot bone broth.

Each bowl will have vermicelli, pork patties, minced pork patties, pork patties wrapped in perilla leaves, and mustard greens, all topped with broth. The broth has a light sweetness, the aroma of onions and coriander, combined with the tangy taste of mustard greens and the richness of the charred pork patties.

This is considered a "different version" of Hanoi bun cha, a favorite dish of a segment of diners, especially in the cold season.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, the owner of the restaurant, shared that during a trip to Bac Ninh, she had the chance to enjoy bun cha chan - a popular dish there. Seeing the delicious, new flavor and the fact that it was rare to find anyone selling it in Hanoi, she came to learn the trade.

In 2013, Ms. Hong officially opened a bun cha chan restaurant.

"This dish is not strange to people in Ha Nam, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, but for many customers in Hanoi or other provinces and cities, when they see bun cha chan, they feel strange and don't know what the taste is like.

When they tried it, they enjoyed it, praised the dish for being delicious and tasty, and then told each other about it," she shared.

According to the restaurant owner, every morning she wakes up at 4am to go to the market, personally selects fresh meat, then marinates it, cooks broth, mixes dipping sauce, and at 10am she starts grilling the meat.

The restaurant uses charcoal to grill, so the meat when charred at the edges gives off an attractive aroma. However, this step requires the cook to concentrate and flip the grill continuously to prevent the meat from burning.

"I don't have any special recipe. The meat is marinated thoroughly with familiar spices such as honey, oyster sauce, caramel, pepper and onion.

The only difference is that the minced meat at my restaurant is made into large blocks, not shaped into small balls like other restaurants," said Ms. Hong.

Each piece of meatloaf weighs about 200 grams and can be divided into 3-4 servings. The meat after grilling will be fragrant and retain its softness and sweetness.

In addition to Bun Cha Chan, the restaurant also serves traditional Bun Cha Dim. The dipping sauce has a sweet and sour taste, with crunchy carrots and pickled papaya.

Ms. Oanh (Le Trong Tan street) accidentally stopped by the restaurant to enjoy the food and was surprised by the delicious flavor of the dish. "When the owner brought out the bowl of bun cha, the first surprise was that it was very full and had a lot of meat.

When I ate it, I found the meatloaf rich in flavor, not too sweet nor too dry. The meat was charred on the edges but not burnt so it wasn't bitter or smoky like many other places. I found it to my taste so I decided to buy some for my family to enjoy," Ms. Oanh shared.

Mr. Quang (Hai Ba Trung district) and his wife came to the restaurant to try it after knowing that the restaurant was recommended by Michelin Guide. "I have eaten bun cha in many places, but this is the first time I have seen a bowl of bun cha that is so full and has so much meat.

The broth is sweet and clear, the meat is marinated just right, and the owner and her husband are very enthusiastic. With the price of 40,000 VND/bowl, I find it very reasonable," said Mr. Quang.

The restaurant opened in 2013, welcoming customers from 10:30 to 15:30. The busiest time is from 11:00 to 13:00. On average, the owner grills 15 - 20kg of meat every day, selling out and closing the restaurant when it is done.

The restaurant owner honestly shared that she had received an invitation from the Michelin Guide, but because she was not good at technology and rarely watched the news, she did not understand the rankings well.

"After more than 10 years of opening, the restaurant has a stable number of customers and is quite busy. However, in the past few days, the number of customers has really increased," said Ms. Hong.

According to the restaurant owner, she will maintain the quality of the food, service style and not increase prices despite being recommended by the Michelin Guide.

Overall, the bun cha chan dish is a bit strange but not too different or explosive. The types of pork patties and minced pork patties have familiar flavors.

The plus point is that they are well-seasoned and grilled skillfully so they are not too burnt or too dry. When eaten with bone broth, the vermicelli and meatloaf are softer and taste sweeter.

The restaurant is quite small and often crowded at noon. Many times, the owner has to ask the neighbor to add tables and chairs. During this time, customers have to wait quite a long time.

In the Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand list, there are two other bun cha restaurants: "Bun cha ta" on Nguyen Huu Huan street and "Tuyet bun cha 34" on Hang Than street.

These addresses all have a large number of customers, but still receive mixed opinions, some praise, some criticize, depending on taste.

For many travelers, the list selected by the Michelin Guide is just a reference.

Unique Bun Cha Chan in Hanoi is popular with diners. Video: Xuan Minh - Thuy Chi

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