2023 Author: Cody Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 11:20
The other day at Bún chả Hương Liên, in the heart of Hanoi, Barack Obama ate a $ 6 meal with Anthony Bourdain. The cook, writer and tele-chef known for his love of the most adventurous street food, described the dinner in a series of tweets and in an Instagram post.
As the BBC website noted, looking at the photos of the lunch shows a lot of strange things.
The other diners seem oblivious to presences, albeit very bulky, like that of the president of the United States and a universally known tele-chef. Even in the presence of photographers and cameramen, not to mention the president's security department.
They appear to be appearing who have no idea who is sitting at the table next to them. Unlike the crowd outside the restaurant, let's say less contained.
The menu featured Bun Cha, a Vietnamese dish of rice noodle in broth and grilled pork, all washed down with Hanoi beer. In social media there were questions about the placement of food: the symmetry between plates, bowls and chopsticks seemed disturbing to most.
Many praises to the president for the use of chopsticks, also directly from Bourdain, who noted in particular how he holds them when not in use, that is, lined up on the bowl. Keeping them submerged in the bowl is considered rude.
A photo taken from another angle, however, reveals an unprecedented detail: the red wand that fell and ended up under the table. Ouch ouch, Obama loses points.
Some people objected to the overly casual style of the venue that wouldn't do Hanoi restaurants justice, see wobbly stools and a casual drink like beer.
By the way, what beer? “Let's hope it's Bia Ha Noi,” wrote a Hanoi user on Instagram.
Another wondered what the president of the United States and the world's most famous tele-chef had to talk about. Everything has been speculated: noodles above all, Donald Trump or the arms embargo on the Vietnamese country that Obama has recently canceled.
Nobody knows how long the lunch lasted. But it's estimated that a stout stomach like yours could brush off Bun Cha and beer in 10 minutes.
But who was it for, and what for? Perhaps to promote the new season of Bourdain's program. Who knows if the lunch was filmed by CNN cameras, where the author of Kitchen Confidential conducts Parts Unknown. Or from those of Travel Channel which instead broadcasts No Reservations.
However, it seems that the episode with the presidential lunch in Hanoi will be broadcast next September.
In the end, Bourdain, also on his Twitter profile, also declares the amount of the account: six dollars in all. Paid by me, he wanted to point out.