Smoke from grilled meat shops chokes Hanoi families

For more than a year Thanh Tung has kept his rented room on Chinh Kinh Street, Thanh Xuan Ward, tightly shut.

Regardless of season, his windows and balcony are never opened for more than five minutes because a busy bun cha shop operates next door.

From 10 a.m. until past noon each day, industrial fans blow grilling smoke from the shop onto the street. The area is often blanketed in haze and the smell of burned fat.

Tung stuffs foam into his door gaps and avoids drying clothes on the balcony for fear they will reek of smoke.

The 27-year-old says: "Whenever I open the door the smell of grilled meat rushes in and makes me nauseous. Some afternoons I feel so dizzy that I want to move just to breathe."

He said the persistent odor has put him off grilled meat and stopped him from inviting friends over since he is embarrassed for "living inside a smokehouse."

 

 

Smoke from grilled meat shops chokes Hanoi families

'Hun người' trong khói bún chả

Bich Thao’s household on Hang Giay Street, Hoan Kiem Ward, has lived in similar conditions for four years. Their 30-square-meter house, tucked deep inside a narrow alley, has its only window facing a light source sealed shut.

Nearly 20 of her neighbors, from elderly people to children, struggle to breathe whenever the bamboo-skewer bun cha shop at the entrance fires up its grills.

People there are also concerned about fire risks, as industrial gas stoves are placed along the shared alley.

Thao says her husband bought four gas masks and keeps them at home. "The smoke fills the house like we are rats being fumigated. On weekends I usually take my child to a relatives’ house to escape."

Last November people living in the alley submitted a joint petition to authorities through the public service app iHanoi.

The platform shows there are hundreds of complaints each month about environmental pollution from eateries, with more than half related to smoke from bun cha and fried spring roll shops.

People living on Tran Quy Kien Street, Cau Giay Ward, say these eateries are undermining the city’s efforts to reduce air pollution.

Similar complaints have been reported on Doi Can and Khuong Thuong streets, where charcoal stoves release dense smoke that affects traffic safety and air quality.

A similar problem has also been reported in other cities and provinces, including Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai, prompting frequent raids by authorities.

A bun cha shop on Hang Buom Street, Hoan Kiem Ward, Hanoi, uses multiple fans to release grilling smoke onto the street, on Dec. 26, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Nga

The shop owners themselves are suffering from the effects.

Lan, who has a bun cha shop in Hoan Kiem Ward, says prolonged exposure to smoke has left her with chest tightness and fatigue. "Without charcoal grilling, bun cha loses its flavor and customers. We are small shop owners and cannot afford tens of millions of dong for proper ventilation."

The 2020 Law on Environmental Protection strictly prohibits discharging untreated emissions and releasing smoke, dust or foul-smelling gases into the air. Depending on the severity, violators may be fined VND1 million (US$38) to VND1 billion, ordered to pay compensation or even face criminal charges for causing pollution.

Dr. La Quy Huong of the respiratory department at Hanoi’s Tam Anh Hanoi General Hospital says smoke from charcoal stoves and burnt fat is a toxic mix containing carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter PM2.5.

Cooking oil heated to high temperatures can also break down into more than 200 toxic compounds that damage DNA and increase the risk of lung cancer, she says.

A meta-analysis in China involving more than 9,500 women found regular exposure to cooking oil fumes significantly increased lung cancer risk even among non-smokers.

"Long-term exposure can also lead to bronchitis, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease," Huong adds.

A bun cha shop on Hang Buom Street, Hoan Kiem Ward, Hanoi, grills pork over charcoal, producing smoke and odors that affect nearby households. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Nga

But enforcement of the Law on Environmental Protection is challenging.

Bui Thi An, director of the Institute for Natural Resources, Environment and Community Development, says the challenge lies in the small scale and sidewalk-based nature of these businesses.

She suggests the city should help them switch to safer grilling methods or install standardized ventilation systems rather than rely merely on fines.

After numerous complaints via the iHanoi app, things have improved slightly in Thao’s alley.

She says: "We just want to breathe clean air. One person’s livelihood should not come at the cost of dozens of others’ lungs."

 

 

Smoke from grilled meat shops chokes Hanoi families

'Hun người' trong khói bún chả