Vietnamese · Central and Southern Vietnam
Banh Xeo
Bánh xèo (sizzling cake) is Vietnam's crispy crepe — a turmeric-yellow rice flour batter poured into a screaming-hot oiled pan, filled with pork belly, shrimp, bean sprouts, and green onion, then folded in half when the exterior is fully crispy. Eaten by tearing pieces off, wrapping in lettuce with fresh herbs, and dipping in nuoc cham. The sound (xèo — sizzle) when the batter hits the pan is the dish's name.
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I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
200ml
coconut milk
full fat
Your own market
100ml
water
Your own market
30g
tamarind paste
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
20g
fish sauce
Your own market
10g
sugar
Your own market
4
large eggs
Your own market
200g
shrimp
41–50 count, peeled
Your own market
150g
pork belly
sliced 6mm
Your own market
60g
onion
sliced 6mm
Your own market
60g
mung bean sprouts
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
2
scallions
cut 4cm
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
2
Thai bird chilies
sliced
Your own market
For Batter
100g
rice flour
Origin · ThailandWismettac · Vancouver →
50g
tapioca starch
Origin · BrazilNot yet stocked in British Columbia
5g
turmeric powder
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
5g
kosher salt
Your own market
180ml
carbonated water
Your own market
Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.
II
The Method
1
Whisk batter ingredients until smooth and frothy; let rest 5 minutes.
2
Heat 15ml vegetable oil in 30cm non-stick skillet over high heat until just smoking.
3
Ladle 120ml batter into center; tilt and rotate to spread evenly to edges.
4
Arrange shrimp, pork, onion, and mung sprouts across half of crepe; cook 3 minutes until edges brown and crisp.
5
Crack egg onto empty half of crepe; let cook 2 minutes until white sets but yolk remains runny.
6
Fold crepe in half; transfer to serving plate.
7
Drizzle with sauce made from coconut milk, water, tamarind paste, fish sauce, and sugar; scatter scallions and chilies over top.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where bánh xèo lives or dies is the first 60 seconds — when the batter is poured into the hot, oiled pan, it should create an immediate, aggressive sizzle. Swirl the pan to spread the batter to the edges in one motion. If you hesitate, the batter sets in the centre before it reaches the edges and the crepe is thick in the centre and thin at the edges. One confident swirl, then leave undisturbed until the edges begin to crisp and pull away from the pan.
Pillar V
Cross-cuisine parallels are part of membership.
The dishes this one teaches you, across the cuisines — on every recipe.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Charles Joguet Chinon Clos de la Dioterie
Domaine Charles Joguet · Chinon
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Wine
From British Columbia
Wine
Without alcohol
GT's Synergy Organic Kombucha — Gingerade
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Non-alcoholic
Why each one works is part of membership — Enter · from $49 a year →
The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
Enter · from $49 a year