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Here comes the weekend and I am thrilled to have some time to watch all those TV shows that my faithful DVR is storing for me, almost to the point of running out of memory. I usually set it up to record selected Foodnetwork shows or other cooking shows from PBS channels and the long running Travel Channel’s show, hosted by Chef and Author, Anthony Bourdain. I decided to watch the latter. Why? Because it was a new episode about Vietnam, and I am very fond of South-Asian cuisine, especially Thai and Vietnamese.

The show started with Tony and his local friends going to have breakfast at a small street restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). The dish they had was called Banh Xeo (pronounced Bun-Zao). It is the Vietnamese take on a classic French item – Crepes. Only these were not regular crepes. The name translates into “sizzling cake” which comes from the sound they make as the batter hits the hot pan. Since wheat was not a commodity commonly found in Vietnam, the locals make their crepe batter with non-glutinous rice flour, ground turmeric and coconut milk. They are filled with green onions, beans sprouts, fatty pork strips and cooked shrimp.

The idea is to get the crepe crispy enough on the outside and still soft inside so you can fold it over the filling. Banh Xeo is traditionally served with dipping sauce called Nuoc Cham and a bundle of fresh greens, including mint, mustard greens, lettuce and others.

WOW!!! Even without smellevision I could get the sensory explosion this dish gives you. I knew I was bound to try it at home. Had to try it. And so I went to the Vietnamese “Thanh Nga” store, 119 N Hastings Ave, and found there all I needed for this project. In fact, I got a ready-to-use Banh Xeo dry mix that worked great. In the produce fridge I discovered every kind of green leaf there is. On top of all these very encouraging findings, the prices were almost ridiculous.

I made the dish at home and it turned out outstanding, just as I thought it would be from watching, crispy, spicy, full of textures. As I made it, I was thinking about the name of the show and it dawned on me that besides the obvious meaning, there is another one, deeper, in a sense.

I have heard quite a few people from town that say they do not go into this store for all kinds of reason: there is a funny smell, the lady does not speak English very well, it is kinda scary and so on. Don’t we just have some reservations about other ethnicities around us in town, which will hinder us from going in, try new things, enjoy some fresh flavors and pay an extremely low price for items that are higher-priced in other stores in town?

Give them a try, support their business and enjoy a variety of fresh greens, herbs and other produce all year. There is another Asian store, “Asia Market” on 1st street as well that carries similar items and others as well. Leave your reservations outside and explore the wonders of the Far East. It is definitely worth it.

Banh Xeo Recipe

(Vietnamese Coconut Crepes with Pork, Shrimp, and Bean Sprouts)
Adapted from Southeast Asian Flavors
Makes 6 ten-inch crepes

Ingredients:
Rice Batter

• 2 cups rice flour
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt1 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup canned coconut milk
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced on extreme angle, about 1/4 inch thick

Fillings:

• 1 cup lard or vegetable oil
• 1/4 lb. pork shoulder, cut into thin slices
• 1/4 lb. small shrimp, peeled and deveined, slices in halves lengthwise
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sliced yellow onions, about 1/8 inch thick
• 1 to 2 medium long red chilies, sliced thinly into rings, about 1/8 inch thick
• 3/4 cups sliced mushrooms, 1/8 inch slices
• 2 cups bean sprouts (trimmed preferred)

Method:

1. In a large bowl whisk together the rice flour, turmeric powder and salt. Add water and coconut milk and whisk until mixture is smooth.
2. Strain through sieve if there are lumps. Set batter to rest for 30 minutes.
3. Heat up a 10-inch non-stick saute pan or skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon lard/oil and then add one portion of pork, shrimp, onions, scallions, and mushrooms. Stir fry until pork and shrimp are half done, and ladle 1/2 cup of batter into pan. Swirl pan to coat bottom evenly. Add bean sprouts over half the crepe (on the right).
4. Drizzle another 1 tablespoon of lard/oil around outer edge of crepe and lower heat to medium.
5. Cover pan and cook for 1 minute. Remove cover and continue to cook until edges begin to brown. Loosen crepe from bottom of pan with a soft silicon spatula (hard spatula would break the crepe). When bottom turns light brown and crispy, fold crepe to encase bean sprouts.
6. Places pieces of cooked banh xeo inside a lettuce leaf, dip in nuoc cham and serve immediately.

Nuoc Cham Recipe

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 3 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1-2 bird’s eye chilies, cut into very fine rings
• 1 clover garlic, minced finely (optional)

Method:

1. Add fish sauce, water, sugar and lime juice into a small bowl and mix well until sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Add garlic and chilies and stir.
3. Use as tableside condiment as desired.

About the author: Oren Kariri

I’m Oren Kariri, the new Executive Chef of Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital. I have a passion (some would say obsession) for food. I love cooking and baking and everything that goes with it – entertaining, teaching culinary arts and enjoying a good meal. I love shopping for groceries and specialty items and I see food as a part of culture and society. I love to incorporate these added values to my recipes and my culinary endeavors. Join me on this fun ride and maybe you will discover more about our community and food-related possibilities.