Bun cha leads 7 Vietnamese meat dishes in Asia's top 100 list

Overview & Key Highlights

Hanoi's grilled pork and noodle dish bun cha ranks 28th in TasteAtlas's Top 100 Asian Meat Dishes list, in which six other Vietnamese items also find a place.

Detailed Story & Culinary Insights

The rankings received over 36,000 ratings, of which about 17,000 were verified as legitimate.

Bun cha is a dish tied to Hanoi, where it is believed to have originated.

It consists of grilled pork served in a cold broth and served alongside rice vermicelli noodles and greens like lettuce and perilla leaves.

Bun cha attained global fame in 2016 when it appeared on the TV show "Parts Unknown" in which host Anthony Bourdain shared a meal with former U.S. President Barack Obama in Hanoi.

To enjoy some of Hanoi's finest bun cha, consider visiting these five Michelin-spotlighted eateries.

In 34th place in the list is bo nhung dam, a beef hotpot made with a vinegar-flavored broth. The soup base is enriched with coconut water, lemongrass, and onions, and the dish is served with beef, vegetables, and herbs.

Despite its name, you can also use squid or shrimp instead of beef.

It is eaten by wrapping chunks of cooked meat and vegetables in rice paper and dipping in mam nem or fermented fish sauce.

In 41st place is bo kho (beef stew), which can be eaten on its own, with a baguette, or over noodles.

The stew features beef and carrots simmered with aromatics like lemongrass and spices to create a spicy broth. Its history remains unclear, but the dish is believed to blend influences from both the east and west.

Bo luc lac, or shaking beef, comes in 51st place. Diced beef is seared in a hot pan with vegetables. Once a delicacy saved for special events, it is now more common but still considered a restaurant specialty. A similar version named lok lak is served in neighboring Cambodia.

In 69th place is thit kho tau or caramelized pork belly. Pork belly is marinated with soy sauce, fish sauce, and spices and simmered with hard-boiled eggs until tender. The dish is often served with rice or pickled mustard greens. Although eaten year-round, it is an essential dish during Lunar New Year.

Nem lui (grilled ground pork on lemongrass skewers) ranks 81st. This Hue specialty features ground pork wrapped around lemongrass stalks. The skewers are grilled over charcoal until charred. To eat it, diners pull the meat off the stalk, roll it in rice paper with herbs and vegetables, and dip it in a peanut-sesame sauce.

Rounding out the list at 96th is bo la lot or beef wrapped in betel leaf. The beef and betel leaves are grilled over charcoal and served with rice noodles, herbs, and mam nem. The way to eat it is by rolling the beef roll with noodles and herbs in rice paper and dipping in the sauce.

Topping the overall list is Indonesia's sate kambing or charcoal-grilled mutton or goat skewers. Turkey's oltu cağ kebabı, a roasted lamb dish, is second, and China's siu mei or meats roasted on spits is in third place.