Hanoi these days is so hot, I and my friend were driving near the traffic light intersection at Phu Lo, Soc Son and saw a small bun shop with no name board, just a simple sign: “Bun Cha Cham – Bun Cha Chan”. The shop opened about 2 weeks ago, but the smell of grilled pork on charcoal was strong and fragrant, making us stop immediately.
The shop has about 6 tables, placed close together but neat. There is a corner with free iced tea and ice cubes for customers to serve themselves – very nice because the tea is cool and clean. The space is simple but everything is clean and organized, even chopsticks and bowls.
🔥 Menu has only 2 dishes but very good
They serve only 2 dishes: bun cha cham and bun cha chan. Both have pork belly and pork tenderloin marinated well, then grilled on charcoal so the smell is fragrant with meat and smoke. The pork pieces and minced pork balls are cooked well, soft and juicy, not dry.
🥢 Bun cha cham:
A bowl of dipping sauce hot and fragrant, full of grilled pork, pickled kohlrabi and carrots. Fresh vegetables are served separately in a small basket. When eating, you dip the bun into the sauce, the taste is sweet and sour, and take a bite of hot grilled pork – very suitable for summer because there is no hot steam rising to your face like bun cha chan.
🍜 Bun cha chan:
A bowl of bun with grilled pork soaked in broth made from pork bones, topped with chopped spring onions. The broth is clear, naturally sweet, and tasty. This dish is better for cold days because drinking the hot broth makes you warm.
Price: 30,000 VND/bowl (~1.1 USD), cheaper about 0.2 USD than other shops. Maybe the shop is new so they sell cheaper to attract customers, or maybe they will keep this price later.
Coca Cola here is 10k/can, cheaper than other shops (15k) and they give ice too.
Bun is fresh, vegetables are clean, dipping sauce is good – small details but very satisfying.
The shop is under Phu Lo bridge, Soc Son, Hanoi, near the traffic light intersection. You can smell the grilled pork from far away.
“Bun Cha Cham – Bun Cha Chan” at Phu Lo is small but the quality is good. It’s a place to eat fast, clean, tasty and very affordable. If you pass this area, try a bowl – you will like it from the first bite of grilled pork.
This article has images and content 100% from me @a-alice!!
See you in the next post