‘Banh khoai’ is a special Hue pancake made from rice flour. It is stuffed with shrimps, pork, bean sprouts and spring onions, so it might looks similar to ‘banh xeo’ (Vietnamese sizzling pancakes). Actually, ‘banh khoai’ is smaller and thicker than ‘banh xeo’.

Some traditional Hue dishes being served at the Lang Toi Restaurant. Photo: H.L

Banh Khoai-Hue pancake is crispy and a bit greasy therefore it is served with raw vegetables including thinly-sliced green mango, carambola and unripe bananas.

Most notably, ‘banh khoai ca kinh’, a rustic dish associated with the lives of people in the Tam Giang lagoon, Thua Thien Hue Province, is undoubtedly a must try for foodies when travelling to the central city of Hue.

If you want to try the very famous Hue specialty in the heart of Da Nang, the Lang Toi (My Village) Restaurant, located at 227/85 Nguyen Van Thoai, Ngu Hanh Son District, is an ideal place.

Born and raised in Chuon Village, Phu Da Commune, Phu Vang District, Thua Thien Hue Province, Mrs. Doan Duyen, the owner of the Lang Toi Restaurant, and her husband know the recipe for this dish.

Mrs. Duyen said the cook only starts to make ‘banh khoai’ when customers order in order to keep the dish hot and crispy taste. With a crispy outer shell, soft inside and a fatty, sweet, and bitter flavour of fish whose scientific name is Siganus canaliculatus, the dish stimulates the taste buds of consumers.

‘Banh khoai ca kinh’ is served with a tasty dipping sauce made from pure fermented shrimp paste, adding only a few slices of chili and lemon.

According to Mrs. Duyen, cook will not remove guts from fish when making this dish because the guts contain many nutrients to help diner sleep well.

It is known that ‘Banh khoai ca kinh’ is only served by the Lang Toi Restaurant from the 4^th to 8^th lunar months because this is the best time for fishing season. The fish meat and bones are sweet and fragrant, whilst the belly of the fish is fatty, and slightly bitter.

At other times of the year, diners can be served ‘banh khoai’ with shrimps, squids, mussels, beef and pork instead of fish.

Notably, on Wednesdays, visitors to the Lang Toi Restaurant can choose the combo of a tray of ‘banh khoai’ stuffed with squids, mussels, pork, beef and shrimps. With the combo, they will be given 2 free glasses of pickled plum juice.

In addition to ‘banh khoai’, the restaurant offers a wide range of Hue specialties, including ‘banh loc’ (steamed clear tapioca cakes in banana leaves), ‘banh nam’ (rice dumpling wrapped in banana leaves), and ‘bun mam heoquay’ (rice vermicelli with anchovy fish sauce and roasted pork).

In addition to diverse menu, the idyllic space of the venue brings dinners a close and cozy feeling.

Reporting by HUYNH LE - Translating by M.DUNG