Quan Lua restaurant review

Come with all your senses: they’ll start pinging when you’re a few metres away, thanks to the aroma of the charcoal grill. It’s that kit that elevates the bun cha: smoky pork patties and pork belly slices bobbing in nuoc cham enriched with fat and fire. On the side: mint, lettuce and thick rice vermicelli. Mix it all in your small bowl, chuck in lemon and chilli, and find your own sweet-salty-smoky-spicy bliss point.

The crab soup banh canh cua is thick and sweet, loaded with textural surprises like quail egg and pork loaf. Green papaya salad with springy beef jerky comes in a caramelised umami-rich dressing, punctuated by bursts of apple. Add a kumquat drink for salty snap

Soundtrack? A fellow diner’s phone streaming Vietnamese TV. Decor? Bare-boned at first glance, but look closer: a cared-for altar, a live orchid and a happy plant in the corner.

Must-order: Bun cha Hanoi.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.

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