These grates are placed over a fire to be grilled to perfection. The result is a smoky, almost sour flavor that complements the sweet sauce so well. This grilling is a French technique. The French are a common influence on Northern Vietnamese food due to their colonization from 1887-1954.
The next component is not a soup, a mistake that I made when I first tried to describe it, but a dipping sauce. It is composed of a very common Vietnamese sauce – nước mắm (fish sauce). The fish sauce is diluted with water and sugar. You can tell the difference between different restaurants’ bún chả based on how sweet or savory their dipping sauce is. Then, of course, at each table are chilis, lime and sometimes garlic and vinegar to adjust the taste to the customer's liking. Personally, I always add a little of all to counteract the sweetness. This sauce is addictive; every time I have bún chả, I am always slurping from the bowl by the end of the meal.
The reason that bún chả has a dipping sauce and is not considered a soup is because of the way you eat the last two ingredients. When I ordered bún chả for the first time, I was more than content with the bowl of fish sauce and meat that came to the table. I was in shock when the waitress came back with four overflowing plates of vermicelli noodles (bún) and glisteningly fresh vegetables that she had to clear space on the table for due to the sheer size. The proper technique is to pick up chunks of noodles with the vegetables and dip them in the bowl before enjoying. I learned that there are two types of bún chả eaters: dippers and dunkers.
