Ken, a businessman from Japan, and his girlfriend, Kanna, recently took a short trip to Hanoi, spending time exploring the city’s culinary scene.

Ken shared that, as he frequently travels abroad for work, he uses these trips to create travel and food vlogs.

Whenever he visited Vietnam in the past, he would usually only eat pho and banh mi. So this time, Ken was eager to try other dishes, especially bun cha.

Ken and Kanna spent three days exploring Hanoi, including enjoying bun cha at a sidewalk eatery.

The couple chose a well-known bun cha restaurant on Hang Manh Street in Hoan Kiem District, which has been open for over 60 years.

They arrived on a busy weekend evening when the restaurant was crowded, with nearly all sidewalk seats filled.

After reviewing the menu, Ken and Kanna ordered two servings of bun cha and a plate of fried spring rolls. They were pleasantly surprised by the generous portions, which came with fresh herbs such as bean sprouts, lettuce, and perilla leaves.

Kanna was immediately impressed by the appealing presentation of the bun cha and eagerly tried a bite. She dipped the noodles into the fish sauce and took a taste.

Kanna commented that the dish had a sweet flavor, somewhat similar to Japanese tsukemen (ramen noodles dipped in sauce) and somen (thin noodles often served cold with a soy-based dipping sauce).

Kanna tastes bun cha and is pleasantly surprised by its delicious flavor.

Ken, meanwhile, was also delighted by the dish’s flavor, exclaiming, "Delicious!"

"This is my first time trying bun cha, and it’s truly delicious. I’m excited to have it again and have added it to my list of recommended places to eat," Ken shared.

In addition to bun cha, the Japanese couple praised the fried spring rolls. Kanna couldn't hide her delight and admitted that even though she wasn’t familiar with the dish, it was delicious.

Ken savors a large bite, praising the tasty dipping sauce and flavorful grilled pork.

Ken noted that the bun cha restaurant they visited is quite famous and was listed among the 70 Michelin Selected restaurants in 2023.

After enjoying the meal, he understood why the restaurant was always crowded. “I apologize for thinking that Vietnam only had banh mi and pho. It’s truly a shame we didn’t know about bun cha sooner,” Ken said.

In addition to bun cha, Ken and Kanna also enjoyed pho, tried egg coffee, and spent time shopping and exploring the Old Quarter at night.

Thao Trinh