bun cha [Hanoi] in Chicago?

does anyone know of anywhere serving bun cha in Chicago? I'm specifically looking for what some refer to as Bun Cha Hanoi, though I think "bun cha" is interpreted to mean exactly that when in VN because they are known for it?

Dmnkly made me wonder in a post about ba le having a lemongrass sausage banh mi he loves... which sounds a lot like the sausage in bun cha if it were grilled, but I don't know...

I found at Hai Yen they have what they call Bun Cha Thang Long -- "Grilled marinated sliced pork and steamed pork meatball in house sauce with vermicelli noodles. " ... Frankly that doesn't sound too far off of regular "bun cha" but I ordered it and it just wasn't close. the meat was different, more like skewered pork IIRC. the "steamed pork meatball" sounds like the part I'm most interested in, but it wasn't at all like a charcoal grilled little pork patty. I admit also that I ordered it delivery, which while still great was probably not as good as eating it in the restaurant would've been. And that was at the Clark/Diversey location, last night I was at the Argyle and didn't notice it but maybe I wasn't looking hard enough.

(and yes there is a post or two on recipe for making it at home... http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=25409 )

bun cha from a restaurant in Hanoi (i'll write about that in another post, got some catching up to do...):

I wish. I'm always looking, but haven't found it in Chicago yet. Found a few kinda sorta close bun cha Hanoi dishes in Northern Virginia, but nothing nearly as good as the real thing in Hanoi. The problem seems to be from the fact that the Vietnamese in the U.S. are largely from Southern Vietnam and that bun cha Hanoi is a regional dish (someone, please correct me if I'm wrong).

I'd love it if someone would open up a bun cha Hanoi spot in Chicago. It seems that everyone who's had this dish loves it.

Ronna

I think your hypothesis is correct about why it's hard to find Hanoi specialties in Chicago. Erik M. and I were whining a few years ago about the impossibility of finding cha ca in Chicago, and I have yet to see it on menus in local restaurants. Rumor has it that there are places in Orange County that serve food from Hanoi, and I'm going to try to find them next month.

Had the Bun Cha Thang Long at Hai Yen on Argyle this Tuesday and it was just as you described. The same basic ingredients as the Bun Cha I know and love, but nothing like the ethereal pork patties to be found in Hanoi.

Someplace I have yet to try is Pho & I, which lists Bun with Grilled Pork on the menu. Anyone had it?

Northern Vietnamese cuisine is much harder to find in the U.S.. Most of the immigrants are from the South or Northern descent but transplanted to the South, therefore, finding authentic Nothern Vietnamese cuisine here almost non-existent. IMO, Northern style is more restraint and subtle in their flavorings, which does not appeal to the masses as well. More austere, when you consider the herbs and vegetables that the South adds to their dishes due to availability. Kind of like French wines and other sytle of New World wines (e.g. American, South American, Australian, etc.), but you are paid back in other qualities in exchange for the exuberance up front. **Ducking in case something is aimed at me for that comment.**

If you tasted the real thing in Hanoi unlike other dishes that translate well in foreign land, this dish doesn't, because the ingredients are actually quite simple in its beauty. it's the preparation and balance of flavor that is key. Here are the basic and essential aspect to Bun Cha Ha Noi that makes all the difference:
1. Quality of meat due to its origin - Meat in Vietnam is still free range, because they haven't commercialize nor mass produced it yet. Not to mention all of the other aspects, such as variety, etc.
2. Charcoal - There is nothing like real wood charcoal. Also, the wood that is indigenous to the region. Tending the fire just perfectly for that charring of the meats.
3. Cut of meats - They tend to use pork belly in Vietnam which is much leaner than in the US. Shoulder meat is usually the cut, which is way too lean for that fatty charred goodness.
4. Seasoning and marinating the meat - The ingredients are simple, but it's the restraint and balance that is the true art.

There are some restaurants in the US where I've experienced that Northern cuisine flavor profile: Le Colonial and Slanted Door in SF (on non-fusion dish in the early years).

In Paris, there is more of a Northern Vietnamese cuisine due to the closer ties and history with the French for various reasons.