JavaScript is off. Please enable to view full site.

​Sadness at Vietnam noodle shop where Bourdain dined with Obama

​Sadness at Vietnam noodle shop where Bourdain dined with Obama

Sunday, June 10, 2018, 09:54 GMT+7

The owner of a Hanoi noodle shop where Anthony Bourdain slurped down 'bun cha' with former US president Barack Obama expressed her shock and sorrow Saturday over the death of the globetrotting American celebrity chef.

Bun Cha Huong Lien restaurant in the Vietnamese capital's leafy Old Quarter soared to fame after the 2016 sit-down between Obama and Bourdain for his CNN show.

The pair shared a simple meal of pork noodles and fried spring rolls -- each dish worth around $3 -- and photos of the casual dinner quickly went viral.

Bourdain died by suicide while in France filming an episode of his Emmy-winning CNN food and travel program "Parts Unknown", the network said Friday. He was 61.

"I was surprised and sad when I heard about (Bourdain's) death," Nguyen Thi Nga, co-owner of Bun Cha Huong Lien restaurant told AFP.

Anthony Bourdain is seen in this photo by AFP
Anthony Bourdain is seen in this photo by AFP.

"(Bourdain) was a nice, friendly and folksy person... He praised our bun cha dish and its fish-sauce broth. He loved Vietnamese food," Nga said.

Obama posted a tribute on Twitter to Bourdain on Friday, sharing a picture of the pair drinking beer during the meal which took place during his state visit to Hanoi.

Bourdain came to Vietnam several times throughout his life, making several TV programmes about his fascination with the country's food.

Inside the restaurant, as hungry customers poured in for lunch on Saturday, diners gave extra attention to the glass box in which the table and chairs used by Bourdain and Obama are preserved.

"I came here to share the grief of the loss of such a talented chef... he was such a special person because he had such a great passion for Vietnamese food," customer Nguyen Quan told AFP.

Bowls of ‘bun cha’ are carried on a tray in the restaurant which Obama and Bourdain visited in 2016 in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: AFP
Bowls of ‘bun cha’ are carried on a tray in the restaurant which Obama and Bourdain visited in 2016 in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: AFP

The restaurant in Hanoi's leafy Old Quarter soared to fame after a 2016 sit-down between Obama and Bourdain for his CNN show

Bourdain died while in France filming an episode of his Emmy-winning CNN food and travel program 'Parts Unknown.'

The pair shared a simple meal of pork noodles and fried spring rolls.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

AFP

More

Read more

;

Photos

VIDEOS

‘Taste of Australia’ gala dinner held in Ho Chi Minh City after 2-year hiatus

Taste of Australia Gala Reception has returned to the Park Hyatt Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Vietnamese woman gives unconditional love to hundreds of adopted children

Despite her own immense hardship, she has taken in and cared for hundreds of orphans over the past three decades.

Vietnam’s Mekong Delta celebrates spring with ‘hat boi’ performances

The art form is so popular that it attracts people from all ages in the Mekong Delta

Vietnamese youngster travels back in time with clay miniatures

Each work is a scene caught by Dung and kept in his memories through his journeys across Vietnam

Latest news