Unlike the usual bun cha shops in Hanoi, the bun cha shop of Ms. Nguyen Thi Trang (from Ninh Binh ) in Le Van Thiem (Thanh Xuan, Hanoi) uses square pieces of cha, served with vermicelli noodles instead of vermicelli noodles. Ms. Trang said that the shop has been open for two years. "Square bun cha is how many diners call it to distinguish between Ninh Binh bun cha and Hanoi bun cha. My family has been making this dish for four generations, so I want to bring it to Hanoi to introduce to diners," said the shop owner.
Bun cha in Hanoi usually uses pork patties or pork balls. Bun cha Ninh Binh also makes pork balls but arranges the meatballs into large squares, each piece about 400 - 450 grams of meat. After arranging them into squares, the chef will grill them over hot coals.
According to the restaurant owner, every day, the restaurant buys fresh pork to process, grind and marinate to make sausage. "I use shoulder meat, rump meat and fat in the right proportions. After grinding, I mix the meat with spices such as fish sauce, MSG, and basil powder. Basil powder helps the sausage smell fragrant. And unlike Hanoi sausage, Ninh Binh grilled pork sausage is not marinated with lemongrass," Trang shared.
The charcoal must be really red before the owner puts the meat in to grill. Only then will the meat be evenly golden brown, not burnt, crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. The restaurant uses charcoal to make the meat more fragrant. Each "giant" square piece of meatloaf costs 100,000 VND. "When grilling meat like this, the meat will lose less fat, keeping the sweetness and softness on the inside," the owner said.
Each portion of grilled vermicelli with grilled pork at the restaurant costs from 40,000 to 55,000 VND. A regular portion will include vermicelli, a piece of grilled pork (each square piece of grilled pork can be divided into three pieces), raw vegetables and fish sauce. The fish sauce is skillfully mixed according to the restaurant owner's family's recipe, and the accompanying papaya is indispensable.
"This square sausage is charred on the outside, soft on the inside, the meat is very sweet and fragrant. The owner grilled it just right so there was no unpleasant burnt smell. I just needed to use the tip of my chopsticks to separate the large sausage into bite-sized balls. The dipping sauce is both sweet and sour, very harmonious," said Mr. Tran Nam (Thanh Xuan), a customer at the restaurant.
Every day, the restaurant sells 300 - 400 servings of bun cha. In addition, the restaurant also has Thanh Tri rice rolls and seafood spring rolls.