Like the salad roll, the “banhxeo” is a do-it-yourself dish that involves the messy but deliciousprocess of wrapping the crepe in lettuce with cilantro and basil.Though the filling might fall out on your table, you will be completelylost in the crispy, warm combination of lettuce and crepe, and theattentive staff will happily clean up after you.

“Banhxeo” is prepared differently throughout the country. Tourists travelingabout in Vietnam are sure to encounter a different recipe, andsometimes even a different name, for “banh xeo” depending on whichregion and province they are visiting.

Theseare a pale yellow spicey Vietnamese style crepe. One piece on thebottom, and another on top encase what is usually a salad consisting ofbeen sprouts, prawns, boiled pork, taro and carrot. Drenched in fishsauce, and you have a deliciously messy slice of fine pleasure. Thedish is round, and you cut it into slices, like a pizza, so itresembles a triangle on the main platter, but usually by the time itarrives on your plate, it could resemble anything really.

In the Southern region,the “banh xeo” is the size of a large dish and yellow in color due tothe employment of turmeric powder. The Southern people always addcoconut milk to the rice flour to make the crepe extra delicious. Thecrepe is stuffed with bean sprouts, mung beans, shrimp and pork. Asweet and sour fish sauce and fresh vegetables are used asaccompaniments.

In the Central region,“banh xeo” cooks make a smaller crepe that is white in color. In Hue,the crepes are called “banh khoai”, which is similar to “banh xeo”, butsmaller in size and stuffed with fennel, sour star fruit, green bananaand a thick soy sauce.

Inaddition to selling the crepes to patrons, vendors also prepare them enmasse for birthday parties and festivals. Northern preparations of“banh xeo” are similar to the ones down south, but include specialfillings like slices of Indian taro and manioc. In some regions, “banhxeo” is prepared thick, but Southern crepes are characteristicallythin, crispy and served fresh out of the frying pan. The secret toextra-thin crepes is a deep frying pan and a quick wrist to coat thefrying pan with the batter before it starts to set.

Where to enjoy “banh xeo”?

In Hanoi,there are a lot of addresses for you to enjoy “banh xeo”, such as 22Hang Bo Street, “Quan Ngon” restaurant at 12 Phan Boi Chau Street or“Chin Tham” restaurant on Thai Ha Street.

In HCMC,southern-style “banh xeo” can be found at Banh Xeo 46A on Dinh CongTrang Street, District 1 or An la ghien Restaurant at 54A Nguyen VanTroi Street, Ward 15, Phu Nhuan District. Those seeking a meatlessversion of “banh xeo” can find them at vegetarian restaurants on An LacRestaurant, 175/15 Pham Ngu Lao Street, District 1, and Thien NguyenRestaurant, 174 Calmete street, District 1.