
Bún chả Hương Liên
Famous for its 'Obama Bun Cha', this Hanoi eatery offers authentic Vietnamese grilled pork and noodles in a cozy, no-frills setting.

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Bún chả Hương Liên

Highlights
Must-see attractions
Famous for its 'Obama Bun Cha', this Hanoi eatery offers authentic Vietnamese grilled pork and noodles in a cozy, no-frills setting.
Avoid Peak Hours
Visit early or late to dodge crowds and minimize waiting times for a more relaxed dining experience.
Order the Obama Combo
The 'Combo Obama' offers the full experience with bun cha, spring rolls, and beer.

Quick Facts
Cuisine
Vietnamese
Price
$
Phone
+84 24 3943 4106
Address
24 P. Lê Văn Hưu, Phan Chu Trinh, Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Highlights
Discover the most iconic attractions and experiences

The 'Obama Bun Cha'
Experience the iconic dish that hosted President Obama and Anthony Bourdain, featuring expertly charred pork patties in a flavorful broth.

Authentic Kitchen Atmosphere
Dine in a cozy, no-frills space that feels like a bustling local kitchen, offering a truly authentic Vietnamese experience.

Flavorful Grilled Pork
Savor the exquisite taste of marinated pork, grilled to perfection, retaining tenderness and rich herbal aromas.
Plans like a pro.
Thinks like you
Insider Tips
from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit
Avoid Peak Hours
Visit early or late to dodge crowds and minimize waiting times for a more relaxed dining experience.
Order the Obama Combo
The 'Combo Obama' offers the full experience with bun cha, spring rolls, and beer.
Vegetarian Option Available
Veggie spring rolls are a good option for non-meat eaters and are surprisingly tasty.
Chili Alert!
Be cautious with the chili peppers, as they can be quite fiery.
Tips
from all over the internet
Avoid Peak Hours
Visit early or late to dodge crowds and minimize waiting times for a more relaxed dining experience.
Order the Obama Combo
The 'Combo Obama' offers the full experience with bun cha, spring rolls, and beer.
Vegetarian Option Available
Veggie spring rolls are a good option for non-meat eaters and are surprisingly tasty.
Chili Alert!
Be cautious with the chili peppers, as they can be quite fiery.
What Travellers Say
Reviews Summary
Bun Cha Huong Lien is celebrated for its authentic and flavorful bun cha, particularly the grilled pork patties and the unique sweet and sour broth. While many praise the taste and affordability, some diners note that the service can be rough and the cleanliness could be improved. The restaurant's fame, stemming from President Obama's visit, draws many tourists, but locals attest to its consistent quality and flavor.
"Very straightforward and tasty! Just take the Obama set, it’s an easy and good choice here.
The bun cha was spectacular with succulent and tasty minced pork. Grilled taste is strong and the pickled vegetables in the warm broth were sweet and crunchy. Spring rolls were rather ordinary, but still nice due to the crab meat inside.
There is air conditioning and the tables feel spacious enough for 4 people. Service is quite fast. Recommended to come here early around 10AM for less crowd."
Nat G
"My friends loved it but as I don’t eat meat there wasn’t much for me except the veggie spring rolls, which were actually very good. The atmosphere inside feels like being in someone’s kitchen. It’s fun to visit knowing it’s one of Obama’s favorite spots. The staff was super friendly and the service was fast and efficient. I wouldn’t recommend it if you don’t eat pork and cleanliness could definitely be improved."
Sara TIMUR
"One of the tourist destination serve good food. The American president, Mr. Obama, once came to dine here.
There are plenty of seat and table on the second and third floor, no need any long queue.
The attitude of service have to fixed, quite rought and not listening."
Kasemsan Predaboon
What People Like
What People Dislike
Frequently Asked Questions
The most famous dish is the Bun Cha, especially the 'Combo Obama' which was enjoyed by former President Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain.
Yes, despite the fame, locals and tourists agree the bun cha remains authentic and flavorful, offering great value.
To avoid crowds and long waiting times, it's recommended to visit early around 10 AM or later in the day.
Yes, the veggie spring rolls are a tasty option for those who don't eat meat.
The 'Combo Obama' includes bun cha, a fried seafood roll, and a Hanoi beer, offering a full taste of the signature meal.
While the food is highly praised, some reviews mention that the service can be a bit rough and cleanliness could be improved.
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Bun Cha Huong Lien has wholeheartedly embraced the alias Bun Cha Obama since 2016, when the erstwhile president visited Hanoi and dined here with celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. The bun cha (grilled pork and rice vermicelli noodles) and nem hai san (seafood spring rolls) are decent, but it's worth visiting just for the photography documenting the occasion. It's plastered all over the eatery.
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In the lower French Quarter is Quan Bun Cha Huong Lien, which became famous after Anthony Bourdain took Barack Obama there (which is about as much cred as a destination can get). However, some locals insist that the food is pretty uninspiring and you always have to wait in a crazy line to get said uninspiring food. Instead, I recommend Nom Nguyet just down the street.
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You can find bun cha, a popular dish including char-grilled sliced pork belly and meat patties served with herbs and thin rice noodles, basically everywhere in Hanoi; Bun Cha Que Tre and Bun Cha Huong Lien are two of my favorites.
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Providing the best bun cha in Hanoi, Bun cha Huong Lien remains famous for hosting former US President Barack Obama and the late chef Anthony Bourdain for dinner in May 2016 as an episode of Parts Unknown, broadcast on CNN. One of the eatery’s secrets to drawing customers is its exquisite pork marinating process, which allows the meat to keep its tenderness, richness, and herbal aromas after grilling. Bun cha Huong Lien Hanoi became a big hit after hosting former US President Barack Obama (Source: Collected)
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Bun Cha Huong Lien, also known as “Obama Bun Cha” following the visit of the former US President with Anthony Bourdain, has seen its fame skyrocket. However, the true allure of this restaurant lies in its expertly charred pork patties and meaty skewers dipped in a flavor-packed sweet and sour broth. The walls adorned with photos of Obama’s visit might lure tourists, but the locals have long known that Bun Cha Huong Lien serves some of the best bun cha in Hanoi.
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Famously known as the “Obama Bun Cha” place, this local favorite serves up charcoal-grilled pork in rich, sweet-savory broth with fresh herbs and noodles. The restaurant gained worldwide fame after President Obama and Anthony Bourdain dined here in 2016, but it has long been a favorite among locals for its consistency and flavor. Seating is casual, portions are generous, and the dipping sauce hits the perfect balance of salty, sweet, and tangy.
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Located at 24 Le Van Huu, Hai Ba Trung District, Huong Lien Bun Cha is not only a famous restaurant for Hanoians but also famous around the world when President Obama chose it to enjoy during his visit to Vietnam. The restaurant has a spacious, clean space, serving Bun Cha with a unique flavor, fragrant grilled meat, harmonious dipping sauce and fresh vegetables. This is an ideal place for those who want to experience authentic Bun cha Ha Noi.
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Last but not least, Tony’s final on-screen meal in Hanoi is with the one and only President Barack Obama. With plenty of security and lots of trustworthy extras in the background, the pair sit down to enjoy bún chả at Bún chả Hương Liên. (Tom Vitale tells the entire story of this meal in his book, In the Weeds: Around the World and Behind the Scenes with Anthony Bourdain, which is well worth a read for many funny and heartwarming stories.)
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Opened since 1993, honorably served dinner for President Barack Obama and American celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain during their time in Hanoi in 2016, Bun Cha Huong Lien has become one of the iconic Bun Cha restaurants in Hanoi. They even have added in their menu Obama set that he ordered here. Due to its reputation since then, there will be a long queue waiting for an awesome set of Bun Cha in the restaurant, however, it’s worth the wait.
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Famous spot where Obama/Bourdain ate, specializes in Bun Cha, simple/busy local eatery, iconic status. Trying famous Bun Cha, experiencing local Hanoi vibes, budget eats, Bourdain/Obama fans, and delicious grilled pork. Eat like a president at Bún Chả Hương Liên, famously known as “Obama Bun Cha.” This unassuming local eatery shot to global fame after President Obama and Anthony Bourdain shared a meal here.
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There are many establishments serving bun cha but probably the most famous is what the locals call the “Bun Cha Obama” restaurant, or Bun Cha Huong Lien, made popular by one TV episode in Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown where he hosted the former US president to a meal of grilled pork. For this reason, many visitors from all over Vietnam and abroad regard Bun Cha Huong Lien as a must-visit in Hanoi.
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Bun Cha Huong Lien is one of a few places in Hanoi that has had the honor of being featured in many famous international media platforms like CNN and the Daily Mail. This happened back in 2016 when former US leader Barack Obama visited Vietnam and stopped by to enjoy a complete serving of Bun Cha - a specialty in the area. Since then, it has been affectionately known as "Bun Cha Obama" by locals.
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Though there are as many restaurants and vendors in Hanoi as there are stars in the sky, many tourists make a point of coming to this bun cha spot solely because it’s where Anthony Bourdain and President Obama sat down for a meal. I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes when my wife first suggested going. But in the end, I’m glad we made it the last thing we did in Hanoi (besides catching the train).
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Cha Ca La Vong gives its best taste when it is still boiling in a vegetable oil pan. Eating this special dish requires some techniques for the best enjoyment: grasp a piece of fish and then use a spoon to draw some boiling oil in the pan to pour onto it and eat with rice vermicelli, peanuts, coriander, dill, spiced fresh onion and an indispensable ingredient – mắm tôm (fish sauce).
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President Barack Obama and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, Bun Cha Huong Lien (also known as Bun Cha Obama) offers a consistently delicious version of the dish. The restaurant’s charm lies in its no-frills approach, focusing solely on serving excellent food. Their pork patties are particularly noteworthy, with a perfect balance of lean and fatty meat that’s incredibly juicy.
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Bun Cha Huong Lien, located in the heart of Hanoi, is famous for its delicious Bun Cha and gained even more attention when former US President Barack Obama dined here in 2016. The restaurant has a cozy, traditional Hanoi vibe, with low tables, plastic stools, and walls decorated with nostalgic photos and paintings. It’s the kind of place that makes you feel right at home.
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This place was made instantly famous when President Obama and Anthony Bourdain dined there together. I had my reservations about eating here as I usually steer clear of hyped-up places such as this, but it was 2 minute’s walk from my apartment. And, my local host recommended it, and he’d been right about one other best Hanoi restaurant on my list, so I valued his opinion.
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Bún Chả Hương Liên or Bun Cha Obama is certainly popular name for diners who are passionate about this dish. The shop has become even more famous because US President Barack Obama has visited and enjoyed it. Each piece of Chả (Grilled Pork) is marinated with the restaurant's own unique flavor, grilled just right way and temperature to make the meat tender and delicious.
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Since May 23, 2016, the name Huong Lien suddenly became famous to the world thanks to the drop-in of US President Obama in his 3-days business trip in Vietnam. Actually, Bun Cha Huong Lien has been well-known to the Hanoi gourmet since its foundation in 1993. Bun Cha Huong Lien owns a moderate sauce taste which is sweet enough and the elegant sour of vinegar.
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Don’t let the simple appearance of this dish fool you — the chewy vermicelli, grilled fatty pork, and sweet and sour dipping sauce all come together to form an amazingly complex flavour profile. When in Hanoi, eat bun cha as the Hanoians do. Have it the Northern way by mixing the vermicelli in the broth and slurping it up as you would a bowl of noodles.
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Bun cha Huong Lien catapulted to international fame in 2016 when President Barack Obama and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain dined here during Obama's Vietnam visit. Their simple meal of bun cha, spring rolls, and beer was immortalized in what locals now call the "Obama combo". Despite its celebrity status, this humble eatery stays true to tradition.
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This restaurant is most acclaimed for being one the restaurants President Obama and Anthony Bourdain dined at on a trip to Vietnam. The restaurant is now ridiculously famous, but even before their visit, Bun Cha Huong Lien was already a must see on tourists lists of restaurants to try. As the name suggests, this restaurants specializes in Bun Cha.
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Bun Cha Huong Lien: Made famous internationally by President Obama’s visit, Bun Cha Huong Lien is the place to go for a taste of authentic Bun Cha. This dish features grilled pork patties and noodles served with a tangy dipping sauce and fresh herbs. The flavours are robust and satisfying, making it a favourite among locals and tourists.
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There are probably a million places in Hanoi to get your grubbies on some bun cha, and on our last trip we made a pretty good dent in those offerings. This time around, our top pick was Bun Cha Huong Lien. Not only is it one of the city’s best bun cha joints that has been around for years, it also hosted this guy a few years back…
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There is no need to wait until President Obama come to enjoy so that Bun Cha Huong Lien (Bún Chả Hương Liên, Bun Cha Obama) become famous; in the past, this eatery was famous and the regular address of many people. Pork pie here is not burning but very delicious. The pork pie piece is very clever, not dry but very soft, very good.
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This is the famous no-frills spot where former President Obama sat down with late chef Anthony Bourdain for a tasty bún chả. Bún Chả Hương Liên is acclaimed for its bún chả, a traditional Vietnamese dish consisting of grilled pork and noodles. It’s believed that bún chả actually originated in Hanoi, so trying it here is a must!
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I was a bit nervous that Bun Cha Huong Lien would be a bit of a tourist trip after being visited by Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain but when we stepped inside, the multi-storey restaurant was packed with locals!. It was my first Bun Cha experience and it was perfect. The food was fresh, flavoursome and I ate every last bite.
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Bun Cha Huong Lien—long-beloved but made internationally famous for a visit by President Obama and Anthony Bourdain—serves up one of the best Bun Cha in town. This dish, a Hanoi staple, consists of grilled pork over noodles, making it a popular must-have for food lovers. Address: 24 Le Van Huu, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi
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This family was where the U.S President Obama ate Bún chả with the former CNN celebrity chef,Anthony Bourdain, on May 23, 2016. “Total cost of Bún Chả dinner with the US President: $6.00. I picked up the check,” Anthony shared, adding, “Low plastic stool, cheap but delicious noodles, cold Hanoi beer.
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I don’t typically go for Vietnam Cuisine in sg but these 4 places definitely live up to their hype 🫡 📍 Bún chả Hương Liên The restaurant where Anthony Bourdain and Obama ate in 2016. Bun Cha is a dipping noodle dish and it was so fun to eat!. I love the texture of the noodles here and the mea
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Bun Cha Huong Lien gained international fame when former U.S. President Barack Obama dined here with Anthony Bourdain in 2016. This iconic restaurant serves bún chả, a quintessential Hanoian dish consisting of grilled pork patties, vermicelli noodles, fresh herbs, and a tangy dipping sauce.
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In fact, this restaurant has been long famous to the gourmet in Hanoi since its foundation in 1993. Bun cha Huong Lien restaurant has a moderate sauce taste that is sweet enough with the elegant sour of vinegar. The grilled pork is soft, smooth-tongued with strong taste of grilled onion.
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Another bun Cha place to try is the one that got famous from Obama’s visit. Bun cha Huong Lien is a little south of the Hoan Kiem Lake and bustling with locals and visitors. They serve their bun cha meat directly in sauce, along with a healthy heaping ot rice noodles and fresh veggies.
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A very famous spot in recent years after Obama picked this address for his dinner on his visit to Vietnam in 2016. Also because of the reason, it now has an unofficial name called Bun Cha Obama. Actually, this stall has been a well-known destination in local gourmet community.
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Trước khi Tổng thống Mỹ Obama ghé thăm và thưởng thức bún chả của quán, Bún chả Hương Liên đã rất nổi tiếng bởi hương vị vô cùng đặc biệt. Cùng với đó là không gian rộng rãi được chia thành 2 tầng. Cô chú chủ quán luôn thân thiện, vui vẻ và nhiệt tình phục vụ mọi khách hàng.
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President Barack Obama and chef Anthony Bourdain dined at Bun Cha Huong Lien. The moment, captured in "Parts Unknown," turned the dish into a global symbol of Vietnamese cuisine and continues to attract food lovers from around the world, according to the Michelin Guide.
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This bun cha restaurant gained fame after former US President Barack Obama visited and enjoyed a meal here. The restaurant has since been renamed Bun Cha Obama in his honor. The bun cha here is cooked in the traditional style, with the perfect balance of flavors.
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Bun Cha Huong Lien is definitely not a strange name to diners who are passionate about this dish. The restaurant became even more famous after US President Barack Obama dined there. Its spacious space is spread over two floors, providing a pleasant atmosphere.
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The famous bun cha enjoyed by U.S President Obama (Photo: xtremefoodies). While long-known by locals, Bun cha Huong Lien increasingly affirmed its reputation when U.S. President Obama and the late chef Anthony Bourdain came on their visit to Vietnam in 2016.
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This small and unassuming eatery gained fame when President Obama dined here during his visit to Hanoi. They specialize in bun cha, a delicious Vietnamese dish usually a hit with kids. The portions are generous, and it’s a casual and family-friendly spot.
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Bun Cha Huong Lien became famous overnight when Former President Obama dropped in to have Bun Cha on his business trip to Vietnam. It was even called Bun Cha Obama since then. Bun Cha here tastes good with a perfectly balanced sweet-sour dipping sauce.
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I went to a lot of places I saw on episodes of Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown – especially in Hanoi. But Bun Cha Huong Lien was probably my favorite spot he went to. It is most famous for being the restaurant he went to with Obama.
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Although it is typically good everywhere you find it (much like Pho), our favourite place had to be Bun Cha Huong Lien, and that may or may not have been because even the former President Barack Obama had been there!
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Perhaps no one is unaware of Bun Cha Huong Lien, which once hosted U.S. President Barack Obama during his visit to Hanoi. Located on Le Van Huu Street, it is a must-visit spot if you want to enjoy authentic bun cha.
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Having a meal at Bun cha Huong Lien Hanoi is a must-do on any Hanoi travel. This eatery has gained even more renown after the former U.S. President Barack Obama and renowned chef Anthony Bourdain dined here in 2016.
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Bun Cha Huong Lien (famously visited by Anthony Bourdain and President Obama) – Their bun cha (grilled pork with rice noodles) is legendary, and the communal seating makes it easy to dine alone.
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Aka the establishment that Obama visited in May 2016 with Anthony Bourdain. Got lucky as there was no wait. Everything was really good, fresh and very affordable too!
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Some famous addresses to try the dish are 74 Hang Quat Street and Huong Lien Stall on Le Van Huu Street that Obama and the late chef Anthony Bourdain visited in 2016.
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Cha Ca: Grilled fish seasoned with turmeric and dill, served with noodles and a variety of herbs. Cha Ca La Vong is the most famous place to try this dish.
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What is clear is this: you cannot leave Hanoi without feasting on Bún Chả Hương Liên’s now world-famous bún cho while rubbing elbows with the locals.
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Address: 24 Le Van Huu, Phan Chu Trinh, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi, Vietnam. Operating hours: 08:00 AM - 08:30 PM. Average price: 40,000 - 60,000 VND
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Location: 24 Le Van Huu, Phan Chu Trinh, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi. Open time: 8 am - 8 pm. Price: 50,000 - 120,000 VND per serving
Social
from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit