U.S PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA WITH BUN CHA HANOI

U.S. President Barack Obama ate one of Hanoi’s must-try delicacies for dinner on his first night in the Vietnamese capital on Monday 23 May 2016

It was a rare sight – US President Barack Obama sitting on a flimsy plastic stool, having a simple Vietnamese meal in a Hanoi restaurant with celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.

The US$6 bun cha meal they shared on Monday (May 23) caused a huge buzz on the Internet, with many taking the opportunity to sing the praises of delicious yet affordable Hanoi street food.

Since then, the restaurant Bun Cha Huong Lien has experienced a surge in customers, with many flocking to try the dish that has been dubbed “bun cha Obama”

You can smell this dish even before you see it.

Every city has its own distinctive smell and for the streets of Hanoi, it is the delicious aroma of pork grilling early in the morning.

This quintessential Hanoi dish features marinated pork patties and pork belly grilled over a charcoal fire, perfectly complemented with rice noodles, herbs and a fish sauce broth.

President Obama and Bourdain picked a good spot to have the meal in Hanoi, as the restaurant Bun Cha Huong Lien is a family-style eatery known for having one of the best bun cha in the city.