Banh Xeo · Vietnamese Crispy Pancake

For a very, very, very long time Vietnamese food intimidated me. I didn’t ever think I could cook it as well as my mother, grandmothers or aunties… so I didn’t even bother. So at home I would always cook Italian, Turkish, French, American, Chinese, Japanese, you name it, I’d try it. But never food from the motherland. Nah uh. ‘I’m not good enough!’ I thought. Then, a couple of years ago, I threw caution to the wind and went for it, and I’ve never looked back. It’s just so damn light, fresh, delicate, fragrant, and most of the time so simple to make.

And now, there’s Phamily Kitchen on Smith St, which pays homage to these family favourites, along with nods to the Victoria St/Footscray/Cabramatta/Inala/Darra restaurants of my youth.  Bright colours, pastel pink ceilings, melamine cutlery, Chinese tea, freaky-coloured drinks, it’s all there.

This month I’m going to feature five of my fave family-style recipes, all of which feature on the shop menu, to hopefully demonstrate that Vietnamese food is more than just Pho and Banh Mi (which we’ll show you how to make anyway!).

Whenever my friend Nathan and I wander down to Victoria St for an impromptu feed, he always feels compelled to order Banh Xeo. Since most places smash it out in the largest family-sized wok they can find, it usually becomes a group meal – a bit of a spectacle, especially when we’re a bit rowdy. However on a recent trip back to the motherland I discovered that the ladies at Ba Le Well Kitchen in Hoi An cook them in these elegant little pans, on butane burners in a row of 12 at a time. I was inspired by this slightly daintier cooking method – it’s less of a food orgy, and far tastier than the jumbo family-woks I’ve become accustomed to.

This dish is great for so many reasons. Besides being amazingly crispy, and easy; it looks damn impressive – the batter is easy to make, the bright yellow colour pops on the table and is certain to get mouths watering. Ask Lucy, she insisted on eating it on both shoots! (*guilty as charged! – Lucy)

For the dressing, dissolve sugar in warm water, and gradually add the fish sauce to taste – some brands will be stronger than others so go easy and add until it tastes about right. Pop a squeeze of fresh lemon or a dash of white vinegar in for zestiness. Set aside.

Make some quick pickles. Grate the carrot and daikon, and let soak in the fridge in vinegar, water and sugar for at least ten minutes.

To make the pancake batter, whisk together rice flour, cornflour, tumeric and coconut milk. Add 1 1/2 cups water and salt, whisk well. Let batter sit for 10 minutes, then stir in spring onions.

Heat a small 20-24cm non-stick frypan with a little oil over near high heat. Whisk batter well each time beforehand. When oil is shiny but not smoking, tilt pan and evenly ladle a thin layer of batter on.

Quickly add prepared fillings to the batter before it sets.

Cook crepe until almost dry and crispy (it’s gotta still be moist enough to fold over). Add a neat handful of bean sprouts and let cook down for 2-3 minutes.

Fold crepe over with spatula, slide the crepe onto your plate.

Serve with shredded lettuce leaves, pickled carrot, daikon, coriander, fried onions and the nuoc cham dressing.

Phamily Kitchen
374 Smith Street
Collingwood, VIC 3066