When friends or guests visit Hanoi, I would often bring them here to experience the food Obama and Bourdain famously munched on during their visit. However, I think this will be the last time visiting. I understand restaurants having certain sanitary issues, but having a live insect on the veggies just shows how carelessly they handle food before serving.

You've probably heard about this place because of Anthony Bourdain and Obama, but it is worth a visit. It's pretty large inside, with lots of tables. They basically make 2 things and both of them are nice and very reasonably priced. Defo worth your time checking out.

We had to try this restaurant that Obama and Anthony Bourdain went to. Reviews said that this was a tourist trap but the food was actually so good! The pork was cooked really well and the broth was very flavourful. Absolutely delicious! The restaurant was efficient so we were seated right away. We were luckily seated right next to the table that Obama and Anthony Bourdain ate at. Highly recommend you try this if you’re ever in Hanoi. P.S. Make sure you check your receipt before paying because they almost charged us extra for the wet tissue that they never even provided.

If you are looking for a place to enjoy some authentic Vietnamese cuisine, check out Bún chả Hương Liên. They serve a mouthwatering combination of grilled pork and rice noodles with tangy fish sauce and garnished with herbs and vegetables. The portions are generous, the prices are more than reasonable and the flavors are unforgettable. Of course, not everyone is a fan of this place, especially the staff, who seem to have lost all interest in their jobs. They greet you with a bored look, take your order with a sigh, and bring your food with a shrug as if they are doing you a favor by serving you. Maybe they are tired of the fame or maybe they just don't care. Either way, don't expect any hospitality from them. This is definitely a must visit eatery in Hanoi. The barbecued pork is tender, juicy and smoky with a spicy glaze that pairs perfectly with the noodles and the sauce. It's the kind of dish that makes you forget about everything, even the disinterested staff. Just don't forget to bring your appetite and sense of humor. And maybe a tip for the staff, because they sure look like they need it.

Bun Cha was great and very affordable. Thank you to the owner for not increasing the price even though this place has become super popular after the Obama visit. When you are here, make sure to order their fried spring rolls as well. I prefer the small rolls to the big ones. They are always super crowded and the queue management is quite poor so make sure you are pushy enough to get a table.

Top bun cha in Hanoi. Incredibly tender grilled pork with perfectly flavoured fish sauce. The seafood roll was also very well fried and generous with ingredients. Hassle-free process from placing my order to making payment. Highly recommended!

(September 2023) I’m not sure what the difference is between “the special bún chả” for 60k and “bún chả” for 50k as it’s not explained in the menu and the pictures look the same. The special bún chả tasted good but I thought it (especially the meat) lacked the nuance of my favourite bún chả sold in a dirty alley (Bún Chả Cô Nhung). The service was quite fast but lacked personal touch, which was understandable since the place was packed with customers. We were surprised to find out there were probably 3 or 4 floors that belonged to this restaurant when we went to look for the table Obama and Bourdain dined at 😳

It's not the cute cozy place you'd think based on the pictures from when Obama and Burdain were here. It's a multi storey well oiled machine ready to process buses full of tourists. However, compared to the other two Bun Cha I had this was the best with balanced broth and outstanding pork. Toilet on the 2nd floor, it's in acceptable condition. Prices are still reasonable. Also tried the fried roll, it's packed with meat so if you get both, come hungry.

The Bun cha is really good! Delicious BBQ meat. Spring rolls are also very tasty. Since our Airbnb is right next door we’ve been there a few times in one week. Sadly only once we were able to try the skewers (they always seem to run out of them!!), also super tasty. It’s great they have a short menu because the service is efficient and there are no lines. The whole thing feels very genuine and the Obama angle gives it a fun twist 🍜

Though, a small place, yet this restaurant is one of the best in the world not only because it is a Mischelin Star rated but also it has been visited by some of the world's greatest personalities like the former US President Obama and the late Anthony Bordain. What I liked the most about this restaurant was the simplicity in its food. Minimal food lists in the menu and yet it tastes great and also healthy. It is also cost effective. If you are a local Vietnamese or a tourists, you should visit this place and have great food...

The Obama special was perfect, comes with a fried seafood roll appetizer, Hanoi beer, and the main bun cha course that comes with bun noodles, pork pattys and grilled meat in a bowl of fish sauce. The fish sauce was better than what you could have in Western countries - not too salty and not too oily. We got to sit right next to where Anthony Bourdain and Obama sat which definitely added to the experience!

We came here to try Bún chả for the first time in our trip to Vietnam. The reviews and popularity of this place (for presidential reasons) didn’t disappoint. Even the place being odd and the service staff wasn’t the best (not smiling at all), the Bún chả was delicious. From the broth to the smoked flavorful meat. I recommend this place if you are looking for the food above all.

Amazing local food. You can tell it’s where locals like to eat and is not a tourist trap. The pho it served tasted exceptional and was bursting with flavours. The local beer is nice too. Also Obama ate here and they kept the cutlery he used and display it.

Delicious!!! Loved it! One set of bun cha includes a big bowl of meat deep in fish sauce, a big dish of bun (noodles) and a dish of veggies. Only 50K per set. I'm surprised because the dish is so tasty with such a big amount of food. I was soo full and happy walking out the door. The place is super crowded, which is understandable. You might wait up to 30mins to get your dish, if it's peak time. But it's totally worth it. The staff is fast, luckily. Would love to come back.

It is overrated because of Obama being there to have lunch. You kind of forcing to eat what Obama ate before! Not many choices you can order even for the drinks. The Bun Cha: grilled pork, herbs with broth and fish sauces xx rather sweet broth for me and is cold and not even hot. A no no for me as I enjoyed hot pho better! The fried crab roll is so so but the special bun Cha : combination of pork , crab and prawn that you need to dip in special fish sauce in order to taste good. You would likely sit at level 3 where there’s aircon provided and make comfortable. If you like pho style, don’t come here. Food is not bad but limited choice and just so so in my view bcos I don’t like sweet broth and lukewarm broth!

Came here post lunch peak to have a meal but was surprised at how busy it still was. The second floor had emptied out a bit more but the floor was horrendously dirty and it was clear that the staff were struggling to clean up the mess. Food took around 20 minutes to come - it’s objectively tasty and good value, especially knowing Obama and Bourdain ate here as well, but the restaurant doesn’t do much to build on the experience. Overall not a bad place but nothing much to rush for.

Came for the Korean variety shows and Obama's favorite restaurant. BBQ rice noodles and spring rolls are delicious, but they can get a bit overwhelming if eaten for an extended period.

Bad looking food with amazing favor, soft with crispy grilled pork combined vermicelli which absorbing full of soup. The seafood roll is another you shouldn’t miss, lots of fillings can absolutely service your stomach! More tips, one combo meal may be too much for one person, 2 persons share with one combo and one noodle soup will be suitable!

This is a restaurant visited by Obama. The pork and sausages are bbq and taste sautéed. The rice vermicelli is to be put in the soup which has lots of papaya slices. Seafood rolls are made of prawns, crab meat and pork. Amazing value for money and great tastes.

Absolutely tasty, I haven’t tried another bun cha but this one tastes great. The pork meat is soft and cooked right, the soup is a bit oily and delicious. The vermicelli is also very nice and sweet. Major props too for the owner for letting me go to ATM first because I left my money at hotel. Thank you for putting much trust on me haha.

AS A VIETNAMESE, I THINK THIS PLACE IS JUST A TOURIST TRAP. I think I should tell tourist this, if any restaurant get famous and earn a bit here in Vietnam, they will eventually get cocky and treat customer like you need them instead. This used to be like my favourite bun cha place. However, as the place become more and more popular they started to loose their charm. I visited the other day and the experience was terrible. I got there at lunch time so it is quite busy, but there were like 3 staffs at the motorbike parking shouting at my brother and telling him to park at different locations. So annoying that everybody wants to command. Worst part is the flavour is just not there anymore. Completely bland. No char grilled flavour like bun cha suppose to have. And also, you have to walk past a disgusting toilet with an always opened door before you get to sit down and eat next to it. Trust me visitors, Hanoians don’t even dine here anymore. There are tons of better, cheaper bun cha out there.

Despite finding a hair in our seafood spring roll, this was delicious. They unfortunately ran out of the ordinary spring rolls.

Nice place to have bún chả. People usually call this bun cha Obama because he came here during his last visit in Vietnam. It lives up to the hype to a certain extent. The special bun cha has a lot of meat so you might wanna stick to the normal version for less. We tried our best to finish it. Highly value for price (only 60K)! It can be crowded but they have a lot of seating on upper floors. Can take a lot of work to climb the stairs :)

Actually go here without high expectations, just curiosity. But it was indeed a very good set of bún chả & nem chay. Smokey, tender, sweet & savory goodness. The best I had so far. Reasonable price. Yes, the service can be more friendly, but it’s prompt. And I found that most staff in local restaurants in Vietnam aren’t really friendly neither. Still a must visit in Hanoi. Avoid lunch time or dinner time, though they have plenty of seating. It can be very crowded.

The taste of Bun Cha is not even that good compared to the high price. This place is filled with tourists so you can tell the locals definately are not eating here. What i hate the most is the dirtiness and bad service of this place. There were trash all over the ground and the table was slippy like its not cleaned appriopriately. The waiter forgot our order and had an attitude while asking for our order again. I drove motorbike to this place and the security guy did not even bother to help us park. If you are a tourist that is looking for an authentic experience of eating Bun Cha, deffinately do not visit this place.

Yummiest food and the best bun chal in whole of Hanoi. It is a must try restaurant and whoever recommended it to Obama was truly a foodie and had a great taste. Make sure you do not miss, we tried from the Obama Menu. The Bun cha, the rice string roll and even the lemon flavoured coke was amazing. The price is reasonable and you might have to wait if you go during peak hours

Definitely worth the visit to one of the best Bun Chas in all of Vietnam. Combo Obama was the go-to-menu & we had to order one more 'The Special Bun Cha' cuz it was so good. Great price & highly recommended when in Hanoi. RIP A. Bourdain.

The grilled pork here offers a signature taste with amazing tenderness which is hard to find elsewhere. The spring roll filled with a good amount of pork and prawn makes it definitely worth the price.

Definitely do try other bun cha places prior to trying this location.The broth was noticeably lacking in fish sauce. They do have fish sauce on the side to adjust to your liking. If it is your first time make sure you wrap everything in herbs and dip into the sauce. The veggies and herbs really helps balance out the richness of the dish.

The service was quick and the food was pretty good. It was certainly one of the better Bun Cha I had during the trip. I'm sure there are better places and this one lives off its fame, but the food was good

This is the Bun Cha place that Obama and Anthony Bourdain ate at. It took me awhile to finally come here because my Vietnamese friends told me it was overpriced and not as tasty as it should be. I finally decided to try it out and I disagree. So far, this is the best Bun Cha that I’ve had. The soup is hot, the pork is perfectly grilled, and all the ingredients are fresh. Yes, the price is about double compared to other local Bun Cha places but it’s worth it and it’s still very cheap compared to western standards. I highly recommend this place.

Very delicious bun cha with reasonable price and good portion. This place was visited by Obama. So I was just give it a try and was very lucky sit beside the table Obama was sitting

Finally made it here on the last morning of a 5 day trip. Having already had breakfast at the hotel, we got the Obama special to share. There was no wait for a table around 9:30 am but it did take a while for the food to be served. I’ve never had bun cha served in this way, but it felt intuitive as to how to eat it. The pork meatballs, grilled pork and fried seafood roll were hot and made to order.

Pres Obama and Anthony Bourdain made this eatery very popular. The Bun Cha is delicious, soup is a bit sweet, the pork bbq was delicious, lots of greens on the side. Price is affordable at 50k VND

I enjoyed my Bun Cha very much. Arrived around 9:30am weekday. Not busy at all. The 2nd floor wasn’t open yet but the employee let me go upstairs to take some pictures after another customer helped me ask for permission in Vietnamese. Thank you, nice lady for your help.

Bún chả - one of the first reasons we chose Hanoi as our next destination. While Anthony Bourdain and Obama ultimately brought us to this location, the food and friendly staff are another factor to visit. The multi-storied location makes you feel immersed in authentic Vietnamese culture. The ingredients blend so well together despite being so simple. Broth, rice noodles, meat, garlic, and chilis - the perfect meal, at such a cheap price.

Yummy food, we tried the "The Special Bun Cha", it was delicious! Yummy BBQ Noodles. There are pictures of Obama who visited on the walls. he apparently visited 25/05/2016, apparently a typical western place to visit like the same one found in Ho Chi Minh City called "Phở 2000" which Bill Clinton Visited and had his first Pho.

The food here is great. The only thing is that the restaurant is a bit small and cannot accommodate a large group. Normal service, they just do their job properly. The restaurant is visited by many tourists and is located in a location that is quite easy to find. Reasonable price near the old town. 65VND for 1 bun cha and 1 drink

Not as good as its made out to be. Massive foodie here and it has to be one of the least favourite meals I've had on my travels through Vietnam. Rather overhyped

Quick and fast service. I enjoyed the taste of The Special Bún Chả. There’s nothing too special about the rest of the other dishes I ordered.

We arrived about 7pm and the guy at the counter welcomed us inside. The ladies inside asked us to go up to the 2nd floor and they sat us right opposite where Obama and Anthony Bourdain sat. The lady who took our order was very friendly and asked us if we would like a bun Cha per person and we said ok as well as ordered the oolong tea in a bottle which went great with the bun Cha. We saw alot of other tables of locals ordering the seafood roll and decided to also order it.. my oh my it was delicious! Service was speedy and the food was tasty. The meat has a nice charred taste and just matches so well in the broth which is sweet-ish.

Most probably the most famous eatery i. Vietnam as Mr Obama ate here with Anthony Bourdain in 2016. We did not get the Obama combo as we don't drink beer. The meat was very flavourful and the broth/soup was a bit sweet. Service was quick

The Obama combo is a must try. The meat is very flavourful. GF Opinions: order one Obama combo per person, trust me, you don’t wanna share it. 10/10 would go back.

The famous noodle place that Obama visited. They have a set named after him (Obama set, consits of one noodle, one fried seafood rolls and abottle of beer). It taste good. The rolls itself is worth the visit. I've been in Hanoi on business trip for so many occasions and I visit this place every single time. The noodle is so refreshing. The bbq pork that come with it is also nice. Must try. 10/10

My whole meal cost around $5 bucks (usd). I had bun cha, spring rolls, an order of noodles and 2 waters. The meal was average and the service was bad. I could not stop cracking up at the people around me commenting how delicious their meal was. The meat was rubbery and a poor cut but at that price it should be expected. I know Bourdain and Obama ate here but I believe It was to get the local experience because this meal didn't have a lot of flavor. I think a lot of these google reviews are about tasting the local flavor and being embedded with the vietnamese. I felt that as well but when I review, the food always has to come first and although this meal was cheap, it was lacking. The reason I am giving this place 4 stars is because, this touristy old quarter district has started gouging tourists especially when it comes to food and this place has not and I have to give them credit - 3 stars for food and an extra star for value.

During their trip to Vietnam in 2016, Obama sat down with Bourdain for his CNN travel and food show Parts Unknown. They ate Bún chả RIGHT HERE :-) Food is delicious and served promptly. Menu is simple with prices attached displayed on each table wall. I went for the Obama Combo, comes with a beer and bun cha. Ask for garlic and chilli on the side (eat like the locals). The famous table, seats and cutlery is still preserved in a glass house on level 2 - go check it out!

Service is slow as the place was packed on all storeys but it is worth the wait. The fried rolls are tiny so ordering 2 per person is good as 1 simply isn't enough. Loved the flavour of the grilled pork patties and pork belly. Huge portion guaranteed to leave you satisfied when you've demolished the Bun Cha :-) might give up beef since I now know pork can taste this good...😉 Wish service were faster. I ordered 2 extra spring rolls before my Bun Cha has even arrived. Even after finishing it, the extra spring rolls hadn't arrived... The place is definitely more popular amongst tourists as its packed on all levels but for a more authentic experience, Bun Cha 74 Hang Quat! :-)

A very crowded place during lunch time. You may have to go around long time before having a table if you come with a big group of friends. Otherwise, food is good and price is reasonable.

Definitely no frills. Seat yourself in any available chair. A long table is shared with other customers. A waiter will come to ask for your order. The menu is on the wall. Food is great and reasonably priced. Definitely a must try. I was both hungry and excited to try the food I forgot to take a photo of the bun cha itself and the spring rolls. I tried both types of spring rolls. Small one with crab, shrimp and pork was very tasty. Big one with shrimp and noodles is equally good.

Had the Bun Cha and the Obama combo. Food is really tasty. Really nice grilled meat patty. Unfriendly staff who didn't bother getting ice for the beer. Fried seafood roll was meh. But the vegetable roll was very nice.

Bun cha was great, meat was perfectly cooked and the broth was delicious. The fried seafood roll was really good as well. *be aware that the wet napkins they handout are NOT free* My only issue here is that the server included in our tab 2 wet towels which we did not order. They were automatically given to us so I initially thought they were free then I noticed they were on the menu for 3k (not a lot of money but it's the principle). After I saw this I informed we didn't want them. The server seemed a little bothered by this. I also had to remind her to remove them for our tab otherwise we would have been charged. I think this is a poor business practice as it seems like a sneaky way to get a few extra dong. They should not be handed out unless someone asks for them as it tricks people into paying for something they think is free. For this reason I rated service a 2. The wet napkins also aren't necessary as you aren't eating with your hands and there are napkins available.

We went to Bun Cha Huong Lien to get the Obama Special. We went in the evening and the restaurant was pretty packed. Could have been that a big storm had just blown in and it was pouring outside. There are multiple levels to the restaurant and you will be walking upstairs - just something to note if that's difficult for you. It took us a little looking but we were finally able to find a table that would fit our party of eight people. The vermicelli noodles were hurriedly set down on the table. We had to send some of them back, as there were bugs crawling on some of the plates and it was clear that some of the plates were still dirty. We had bun cha and the seafood roll. We pretty much all agreed that the bun cha was extra sweet, but maybe that's to some people's liking. The seafood roll was interesting - and I'm not sure that's a compliment. Overall, I'm glad we tried it but I would suggest getting bun cha from another establishment if you really want to enjoy the meal. This restaurant seemed rushed and seemed to pay a little attention to service or detail.

Wanted to check out this place when I was doing research on Hanoi, although there were lots of photos of Obama and Anthony Bourdain, nothing else was related to them. Bun Cha was pretty tasty, and portion of meat and the rice vermicelli were generous. Though some reviews said it's a tourist trap, but there were lots of locals patronising this store as well. So it's a recommendation spot if you are here in Hanoi

Absolutely amazing experience. Food came super fast and was delicious. Space was well air conditioned on second floor and staff were extremely friendly. We’re seated right away. Would definitely recommend for a quick lunch with friends. Would certainly return.

From vegetarian options are only spring rolls. They are served with some kind of soup to deep in and you can have vermicelli noodles with that. The food was average and we had some stomach issues after : / maybe the bun cha is better…

Beware when paying here, some food aren't served but almost paid for extra and the exchange are not accurate as well. Luckily we double checked before going so do take note on that. The table Obama sit is on the 2nd floor and the toilet is on the same floor.

You can pay with cash only! They don't take credit card. Obama Combo is 120kđ. Bun Cha was good, but fried seafood roll was so so.

Super delicious "Obama" soup with super tasteful "burger" meat. I believe that it was more traditional before the popularity because of Obama and Burdain but we wouldn't know about it either, so I am not complaining. The meat was super tender and delicious. Not good for vegans!

Meat was very soft and flavorful. We ordered the famous bun cha and the egg wrapped seafood. This is the kind of food I wouldn’t mind having over and over again. Also very affordable. The special bun cha costs only VND60,000.

Amazing bun cha. Ordered the Obama which is well worth it. The broth is simple but complex. Order the Obama and you won't be disappointed. The grilled pork is especially tender and flavorful.

Having had a few other bun cha in Hanoi, I still think this is one of the best. Flavour was great and not too sweet. Beautiful seafood roll. Lots of locals and tourists. I went at lunchtime and got seated straight away. Absolutely worth the visit.