Bánh xèo is a classic Vietnamese dish, and is one of the hottest dishes that's been coming off our woks this past month!
Pronounced 'Bahn Zeeow', these sizzling, chewy, crispy Vietnamese crêpes are made from tumeric, rice flour and coconut milk - which makes them gluten free and a gorgeous bright yellow.
Usually filled with pork, prawns and bean sprouts, Bánh xèo is a hands-on dish: traditionally, you tear off a section of the filled crepe, wrap it in a lettuce leaf and dunk it in a dipping sauce.
BÁNH refers to the crepe, and XEO is the sound of the batter hitting the pan.
Vietnamese cuisine always features the 5 elements and corresponding 5 taste senses:
(ngũ vị): spicy (metal), sour (wood), bitter (fire), salty (water) and sweet (earth)
To correspond to five internal organs of the body:
(ngũ tạng): Gall bladder, Small intestine, Large intestine, Stomach, Urinary bladder
To include five types of nutrients:
(ngũ chất): Powder, Water or liquid, Mineral elements, Protein, Fat
To try to contain five colours:
(ngũ sắc):
White – Metal Green – Wood Yellow – Earth Fire – Red Black – Water
And to appeal to the five senses:
(ngũ giác): Food arrangement attracts eyes, sounds come from crisp ingredients, five spices are detected on the tongue, aromatic herbs stimulate the nose, and touch in the manner of eating.
Bánh xèo is no exception to these rules; it's a delicious mix of temperatures, textures and flavours. Crunchy, cooling lettuce, tender and crispy crepe, the hot filling with basil and mint, and the salty-sweet fish sauce and sour lemon dipping sauce.
We used to have Bánh xèo on our permanent menu, and now we've brought it back on our specials board!
For $16, you can choose to either have a Prawn Bánh xèo (Gluten Free)
or a Tofu Bánh xèo (Vegan + GF)
Both are served with a beautiful fragrant salad + dipping sauce.
Have you tried our Bánh xèo yet?