The Borneo Post

Sadness at Vietnam noodle shop where Bourdain dined with Obama

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HANOI: 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 yesterday 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 US$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 programme ‘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.

“(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. — AFP

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