19-year-old bun cha restaurant 'hidden' in a small alley in Hanoi, sells out 200 portions every noon

For 19 years, Mrs. Thoa’s bun cha shop in Thinh Hao alley still has no big signboard, nor does it advertise on social media. The shop only sells directly, not affiliated with any food delivery app.

"At my restaurant, customers introduce each other and come to support me. I don't know how to use any technology to advertise," Ms. Thoa said with a smile as she busily wrapped the noodles to take home.

W-bun cha Ha Noi.png — The bun cha restaurant is hidden in a small alley, very hard to find. Photo: Huy Nguyen

Some diners at the restaurant shared that they learned about Mrs. Thoa's bun cha when reading comments in Hanoi culinary groups.

The restaurant is called “secret bun cha” by many people because it is located in a hard-to-find location and does not advertise. However, the restaurant is popular with customers because the food is delicious and the prices are very cheap. Each full bowl of bun cha costs only 35,000 VND.

"More than a year ago, I accidentally found out about this restaurant. The first time I came here, I was surprised to see the amount of meat in the noodle bowl was one and a half times more than the same price in other places, and the noodle bowl and accompanying vegetables were also full. The owner was generous and cheerful. When the noodles run out, customers can ask for more," said Ms. Vu Thi Le Thanh (Ha Dong, Hanoi ).

Ms. Thanh and her friend often come here whenever they crave bun cha. "On average, we come to the restaurant once every two weeks. We live more than 10km away but we don't mind traveling far. The only fear is that when we get there, the restaurant has run out of stock," Ms. Thanh said.

W-bun cha Ha Noi.jpg — Ms. Thanh and Mr. Thong are regular customers of the restaurant. Photo: Huy Nguyen

The entire food preparation area, charcoal grill, counter and 7 sets of plastic tables and chairs are all contained in the first floor of Mrs. Thoa’s family. This space is just over 30 square meters wide but clean and cool.

In recent years, due to the large number of customers coming in during lunchtime, Ms. Thoa opened another dining room a few houses away.

The restaurant opens from 10am to 1pm every day (closed on Sundays), with the busiest time being from 11:30am to 12:30pm. At that time, the tables are packed with customers. Many times, by just after 12pm, Mrs. Thoa has sold out all her bun cha and has to make an appointment for customers to come back the next day.

The bun cha restaurant is crowded despite being located in a hard-to-find alley. Photo: Huy Nguyen

"Every day, I can only make about 200 servings of bun cha. Once they're sold out, I stop to ensure the best quality for customers and my health," said Ms. Thoa.

In 2006, Ms. Thoa started selling bun cha right in the neighborhood. She went to famous restaurants to enjoy the dish and then researched the recipe for marinating the meat, mixing the dipping sauce, grilling the cha...

"When I first opened, I asked my neighbors and customers for feedback. I took it in and adjusted it little by little, to find the most suitable ratio of fish sauce, sugar, MSG, vinegar, pepper, and cooled boiled water. The first week, I tasted the sauce until I was full, and couldn't eat anything else," she recalls.

Mrs. Thoa admits that she loves good food and is very meticulous when it comes to cooking. Early every morning, she receives meat delivered from a familiar source, checks the quality herself, then prepares and marinates the meat with traditional spices such as brown sugar, seasoning powder, minced shallots, and pepper. The meat is marinated for at least 30 minutes before being grilled over charcoal.

W-IMG_3595 (1).jpg — Bun cha at the restaurant is only served with meatballs and grilled pork patties, no spring rolls. Photo: Huy Nguyen

For the meatloaf, Mrs. Thoa uses pork belly, with more lean meat than fat so it is not too greasy. The meatballs are made from pork shoulder to be crispy and fluffy.

The whole sausage is grilled, displayed on stainless steel trays and sold, not grilled first and then grilled again when customers order like many places.

"I don't have many staff and there are many customers. If I grill the meat right after the customers arrive, I won't be able to serve them in time. In the winter, I microwave the meat, and in the summer, I put it in a bowl and pour in warm dipping sauce. The dipping sauce is kept warm at 70 degrees in an electric pot," said Ms. Thoa.

With this method, when enjoying, the ham is still warm, fragrant, and rich in spices. Grilled meatloaf just right, not burnt so it's soft and retains moisture.

"All sausages must be made from fresh pork to be delicious. If the meat is not fresh, no matter how you season it, it will not be attractive. My sausages are sold out every day, never left for the next day," Ms. Thoa shared.

The grilled meat patties are sliced into large, moderately thin pieces and marinated well. The meatballs are chewy and crispy, with the aroma of pepper and shallots. The dipping sauce is traditionally mixed, with a slightly strong flavor. Diners can add chili, minced garlic, and garlic vinegar to their liking.

The restaurant's pickled papaya in vinegar and sugar is also popular with diners because the papaya pieces are crispy and slightly sour, helping to balance the dish and reduce richness.

Ms. Le Thi Hoa (Dong Da, Hanoi) has been eating bun cha at the restaurant for more than ten years. Although she has enjoyed bun cha at many famous restaurants in the Old Quarter, she still likes the bun cha here because the dipping sauce is to her taste, the grilled meat is not too dry, and does not have an unpleasant smell of charcoal smoke.

Ms. Thoa said that the reason the bowl of noodles costs 35,000 VND is because she does not have to pay rent. In addition to the two support staff, her husband is also responsible for parking and watching the vehicles.

"My husband has his own company, but he comes home at 10am to help his wife. At 1pm, the shop stops picking up customers, he rests, then returns to the company to finish work," she said.

Since 2017, Ms. Thoa has been proactive in offering discounts or free drinks to customers in difficult circumstances and poor students. At the restaurant, customers can drink water and iced tea for free.

Bun cha Ba Thoa does not have a very special flavor but is popular with customers because of its stable quality and reasonable price. The restaurant is located in a small alley, with many houses but still has a parking space for about 20 motorbikes. If customers come by car, they will have to park far away and walk in.

Not everyone dares to try this Bac Ninh specialty, Hanoi customers order 60km delivery home. Although it does not need to be cooked with heat, thanks to the elaborate preparation process and some ingredients and spices, this dish has become a famous Bac Ninh specialty, attracting gourmets to enjoy.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/quan-bun-cha-19-nam-nup-ngach-nho-ha-noi-moi-trua-ban-het-veo-200-suat-2446392.html