Huong Lien vermicelli fever after President Obama event

At nearly 7 p.m. on May 29, many customers were still waiting at the door even though the Huong Lien Bun Cha restaurant (Le Van Huu, Hanoi) reported that it was out of cha.

The Bun Cha restaurant became famous after President Obama's dinner on May 23. The next day, all three floors of the restaurant were full of customers. Even though it hadn't opened yet, people came to ask for it. The "Bun Cha Obama fever" is still going on and by 7pm on May 29, the restaurant had run out of cha to serve, but there were still many customers standing outside or parking in front. Some regretfully left, while others happily took souvenir photos even though they hadn't had a chance to enjoy it.

The restaurant was out of stock but customers still came in droves, many regretting not having had a chance to enjoy the bun cha. Photo: Khanh Tran.

According to the restaurant owner, the President's arrival was not announced in advance to prepare for the event, they were only informed by a television crew that would be filming on May 23. Only a few hours before the President's arrival, when medical staff were sent to the restaurant to check, did everyone learn the news.

The owner also said that American chef Anthony Bourdain had been a frequent visitor to the restaurant. He loved the bun cha so much that he included Huong Lien’s address in his CNN series Parts Unknown. Scenes of chef Anthony and President Obama eating and chatting will be featured in the September episode.

Due to the President's request for cooler temperatures, the restaurant adjusted the air conditioning. The air conditioning system at the Bun Cha restaurant has been in use for a long time and did not need to be replaced as many people speculated after Mr. Obama's dinner. Regarding the menu for the two celebrities' meals, they both enjoyed Bun Cha with crab spring rolls, seafood spring rolls and beer.

In addition, the restaurant owner happily shared that the set of dishes served to the President was kept by the family as a souvenir instead of continuing to use it for other guests as usual.

According to VNE