Enjoy authentic Hue-style pancakes in Hai Duong

Bringing Banh Xeo to the North

After 3 pm, the banh xeo restaurant on Nguyen Quy Tan Street (Hai Duong City) was already crowded with customers. The owner was working at full capacity to meet the customers' demands.

While scooping flour and making pancakes, Mr. Nguyen Dong, the shop owner, said that he is from Quang Dien district (Thua Thien - Hue). His family has been making pancakes for generations, so when he grew up, he followed the traditional profession. Instead of staying in Hue, some members of his extended family moved to the North to start a business. To date, Mr. Dong's family has 4 pancake shops in the North, including 2 in Hai Duong.

According to Mr. Dong, the ingredients for making banh xeo are quite simple, just rice ground into flour, then spread on a pan and added with fillings. "However, making a delicious banh xeo that diners will remember forever after just one bite is not easy," said Mr. Dong.

The rice used to make the cake must be good quality rice, soaked for 2 hours until soft, then ground into flour. Add a little turmeric powder to make the cake crust more attractive. The cake filling has bean sprouts, shredded carrots, shrimp, and minced lean meat that has been marinated with spices. The pan is heated up and then a layer of flour is spread on top, the hands move the pan skillfully so that the flour covers the pan. At that time, the pan will make a "sizzling" sound, so the people who make the cake call it banh xeo.

The filling is added last, the amount of filling depends on the customer's needs. Then, cooking oil or fat is added and the filling is left for about 5 minutes to cook, then all the fat is poured out to limit the amount of grease sticking to the cake. The cake is folded in half, removed from the pan and placed on a plate.

When eating banh xeo, the equally important part is the dipping sauce and the accompanying spices. The dipping sauce is mixed with fish sauce, boiling water, chili, garlic, sugar, lemon... in the right proportions to have the rich flavor of fish sauce, the refreshing taste of lemon and the aroma of garlic. Banh xeo is eaten with raw vegetables and cucumber. All are wrapped in a thin rice paper. "A delicious banh xeo is one that is crispy when eaten but the crust is not broken, mixed with the cool taste of bean sprouts, the richness of meat and shrimp and the flavor of the accompanying raw vegetables," said Mr. Dong.

Known far and near

Although it has only been open in Hai Duong for nearly 2 years, Mr. Dong's banh xeo restaurant is known by many people. Every day, he opens the restaurant from 8 am to 10 pm, and it is always crowded with customers. In addition to selling on the spot, Mr. Dong also delivers to customers' homes upon request. Ms. Nguyen Thi Trang, a regular visitor to Mr. Dong's banh xeo restaurant, on Dinh Van Ta Street (Hai Duong City), shared that she likes the rich flavor of the banh xeo here. The crust is not too thick or too thin, very crispy, fragrant and rich. The cake is also low in fat, so it is not boring to eat.

Ms. Trang's feelings are also the comments of many diners when enjoying banh xeo. Some people come here because the restaurant prepares clean and careful ingredients, the tables and chairs are neat and eye-catching. Some people feel that the prices are suitable for consumers, not too expensive. Some people also like the soft, gentle voices of Hue people. "Hearing that Hue people speak very well, I also like to go out to eat with friends when I have free time. The restaurant serves quite quickly, not making customers wait long. Now if you want to eat authentic Hue banh xeo, you don't need to go far," said Ms. Pham Thi Huong, a customer of the restaurant.

Every day, the restaurant sells an average of 200 banh xeo, priced at 20,000 VND/piece or more depending on customer requests. The difference between this banh xeo restaurant and some other restaurants is that the cakes are smaller and the ingredients are only basic, close to everyone, anyone can eat. Not only that, when coming to the restaurant, diners can also enjoy some typical Hue dishes such as sweet soup, banh bot loc... Because of such diversity, the restaurant has attracted customers of all classes and ages.

Sharing about his plans, Mr. Dong hopes that the restaurant will always be loved by diners so that it can be attached to Hai Duong for a long time.