Bánh Xèo

In a perfect example of Vietnamese cuisine as a blend of French and Asian influence, this dish is very similar to a crêpe in concept, but the result is quite different. The batter contains no egg, rice flour is used instead of wheat, throw in some coconut milk, turmeric, scallions, and a lot of oil for cooking, and you get a much crispier, more flavorful thin pancake than the springy French crêpe. Bánh Xèo translates to "sizzling cake" due to the sound it makes when the thin water-based batter hits the hot oil in the pan. It's eaten kind of like a lettuce wrap- you tear off a chunk and wrap it in red leaf lettuce with sprigs of mint, and dip it in a sauce (there is no seasoning in the filling itself).

This is the kind of dish that takes some practice to properly execute; like a crêpe, it's tricky to flip or fold perfectly. I made two versions. My first go was okay and I learned a lot. My second try was better, but still not spot on. I just need experience to nail it.

Bánh Xèo with Vegetables
Vegan AND gluten free! Featuring fried tofu strips, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, carrots, celery, cellophane noodles, and mung bean sprouts. Served with a soy-based dipping sauce (yes, there's gluten in soy sauce, but there are easy alternatives- I'm looking at you, tamari).

Bánh Xèo with Shrimp and Pork
This is the more simple, traditional iteration: shrimp, pork, onions, and mung bean sprouts. I served it with a fish sauce-based dipping sauce. As much as I wanted to like the vegan one, I ended up liking this one better, in large part due to the pungent sauce.

As a final note, I'm a stickler for proper pronunciations, and bánh xèo is pronounced like "bon-SAY-oh". With an attempted accent for a Western tongue, it's closer to "bon-SOW" – "bon" rhyming with John and "sow" rhyming with how. No matter what, it's a great dish!