Vietnam noodle shop pays a unique tribute to Anthony Bourdain where he dined with Obama

The little restaurant where former US president Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain shared a simple meal back in 2016 has now cemented its place in history.

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 USD 3 - and photos of the casual dinner quickly went viral.

Ever since the news of the untimely death of the celebrity chef Bourdain came in, there has been a sense of gloom at the eatery.

"I was surprised and sad when I heard about (Bourdain's) death," Nguyen Thi Nga, co-owner of Bun Cha Huong Lien restaurant told a news agency.

"(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.

The two sat on low plastic tools and shared a meal and a pint of beer each as they spoke about food, white house and more in that episode.

To honour the late chef and the former president, the table and stools have been preserved with a glass enclosure around it.

Obama posted a tribute on Twitter to Bourdain soon after the news of his death broke. Obama shared a picture of the pair drinking beer during the meal which took place during his state visit to Hanoi."“Low plastic stool, cheap but delicious noodles, cold Hanoi beer.” This is how I’ll remember Tony. He taught us about food — but more importantly, about its ability to bring us together. To make us a little less afraid of the unknown. We’ll miss him.(sic)," Obama wrote.

Bourdain came to Vietnam several times throughout his life, making several TV programmes about his fascination with the country's food.