Banh cuon (rolling steamed cake) – one of traditional cake make from Vietnamese rice powder, has its own attractive feature, from the appearance to the special taste. Although Vietnamese people often eat Banh cuon in the morning as light breakfast, nowadays, it can be served at noon or night in many restaurants in Hanoi. The recipe is simple, but the art of cooking Banh cuon is really a challenge for those who want to do it yourself at home. Banh cuon is made from a thin, wide sheet of steamed fermented rice batter filled with a mixture of cooked dry minced pork, Moc nhi (minced wood ear mushroom), and La he (minced shallots). It’s often served with Cha lua (Vietnamese pork sausage) and dipping fish sauce called Nuoc cham. You can drop an essence of Ca cuong (belostomatid) to make the dish more perfect. And, can you do a Banh cuon in only 10 seconds like the talent cook? Let’s join our street food tour to taste Banh cuon or come to at least one of 4 following Banh cuon restaurants to enjoy this delicious dish.
1. Bánh cuốn Bà Hoành – No.66 To Hien Thanh street, Hai Ba Trung district
This restaurant may be one of the most long-standing one in Hanoi, and a very familiar brand name to Hanoi gourmets.
– Banh cuon here has a very attracting looking: immaculate white color, fragrant flavor of rice powder, and spread as thin as a paper sheet. You can enjoy it with cha lua or greasy grilled pork!
– The price is only US$1.5 for a full set of Banh cuon
2. Bánh cuốn Thanh Vân – No. 12-14 Hang Ga street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi
– Thanh Van restaurant offers Hanoi foods but its Banh cuon is the most famous dish. Banh cuon here is spread so thin and its scent is so sweet. The traditional minced pork can be replaced by chicken or shrimp as per eater’s preference. Nuoc cham also has two options: traditional fish sauce or ca cuong sauce. Besides, Cha lua here is very good quality.
– Price: US$1.5 for a full set of Banh cuon
3. Bánh cuốn Bà Triệu – No. 101 Ba Trieu street, Hai Ba Trung district
– If you like open air, you can choose this destination for a totally breakfast style of Hanoi in the morning. You will be served a delicious full set of Banh cuon right on the open air on the pavement of the street. However, the menu has various options with more than tens of different types of Banh cuon: free-meat, shrimp, egg, etc..
– Each type of Banh cuon has its own fragrant and taste, but the most favored one may be Bánh cuốn nấm tôm (banh cuon with mushroom and prawn inside). It is so white, so thin, so scented and so tasty thanks to the nấm hương, mộc nhĩ and fresh prawn.
– Price is lower than other restaurant: US$1 ~ 1.5 for a full set of Banh cuon
4. Bánh cuốn Gia An – 25 Thai Phien street, Hai Ba Trung district.
– Gia An restaurant has good view and space, with enthusiastic waiters. You can choose several types of Banh cuon to discover the different tastes of each one. The dish is full and in very good quality. Moreover, the appearance is also clean and nice; bring you a comfortable feeling from the first step here.
– The price is quite high compared to other restaurant: about US$ 1.5 ~ 2.5 for a full set of Banh cuon.
5. Bánh cuốn Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm – No. 19 Nguyen Binh Khiem street, Hai Ba Trung district.
– Located in a good place with not much vehicle transportation helps the restaurant to attract more guests. With low price while the quality is so good that this restaurant is always crowded. Sometimes eaters will have to queue up in long line until their turn but it is worthing, isnt’ it?
– Price: attractive price which is lower than US$1 for a full set of Banh cuon.
