For many years my husband and I used to visit different countries in South East Asia every 3-6 months. We did so mainly to refresh his visa. Penang and Bali were favourite spots. We always understood how lucky we were to be able to travel so much, but the pandemic has made it feel like a dream. On our first couple of trips to Hanoi, we didn’t particularly enjoy the food (apart from custards and co
ffee, which we loved instantly). There didn’t seem to be as much variety in the types of dishes on offer (compared to our home in Thailand). The cuisine seemed a lot simpler. We regularly travel for food, and love new experiences, but we just weren’t wowed as so many foodies are when visiting Vietnam. On our third visit we had our first decent bowl of bun cha, and fell in love. We began eating it every day, and in time, our love for bun cha taught us to appreciate other Vietnamese dishes. The carefully balanced flavours. The contrast of textures. The use of fresh herbs to add a floral dimension to taste and smell. The application of a variety of simple cooking techniques to create a surprisingly complex food experience. Bun cha introduced us to her brothers and sisters, one-by-one. We don’t have to do visa runs anymore, but we return to Hanoi every chance we get. Although we still eat bun cha for lunch (almost) every day, we have favourite spots all over the city now for pho, banh cuon, bun ca, xoi, bun bo nam bo, banh duc nong, nem nuong etc. We haven’t made it back to Bali or Penang in many years. So Lucky’s is our humble love letter to bun cha. We hope you enjoy your time with us, and that in some small way our food makes you want to visit Hanoi someday, or return.
