Nguyen Thi Nga says chef who died last week was ‘friendly and folksy’ on visit to Hanoi

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The owner of a Hanoi noodle shop where Anthony Bourdain slurped down “bun cha” with the former US president Barack Obama has expressed her shock and sorrow 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 about $3 (£2.20) – and photos of the casual dinner quickly went viral.

Bourdain was found dead last week while in France filming an episode of his Emmy-winning CNN food and travel programme, Parts Unknown. He was 61.

“I was surprised and sad when I heard about (Bourdain’s) death,” said Nguyen Thi Nga, the co-owner of the Bun Cha Huong Lien restaurant.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Barack Obama and American chef Anthony Bourdain shake hands at a shopping area in Hanoi, Vietnam, during his visit in 2016. Photograph: Carolyn Kaster/AP

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

Anthony Bourdain obituary Read more

Bourdain visited 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,” Nguyen Quan, a customer, said.