History

Banh cuon is a long-established North Vietnamese dish, made by steaming a fermented rice-flour batter over fabric stretched across a pot of boiling water. Banh Cuon Gia Truyen at 14 Hang Ga has steamed the rolls since 1973. The dish is traditionally a breakfast in Hanoi but is now served all day. Banh Cuon Ba Hoanh on Tho Xuong is in the Michelin Guide for the same technique.

Common allergens: Gluten (in soy), Soy, Pork

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 45 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Advanced

Ingredients

  • 200g rice flour
  • 30g tapioca flour
  • 600ml water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 300g minced pork
  • 15g dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked and chopped
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • Black pepper
  • Fried shallots and cha que slices to serve
  • Nuoc cham: 4 tbsp fish sauce, 4 tbsp lime juice, 4 tbsp sugar, 200ml warm water

Method

  1. Whisk rice flour, tapioca flour, water, salt and oil. Rest 1 hour minimum.
  2. Saute shallots, then minced pork until cooked. Add wood-ear mushrooms, fish sauce, sugar and pepper. Set aside.
  3. Stretch a non-stick cloth over a pot of simmering water (or use a non-stick crepe pan over low heat).
  4. Ladle a thin layer of batter onto the cloth (or pan). Cover for 30 seconds until set.
  5. Lift the cooked sheet with a thin spatula or chopstick. Place on a oiled board.
  6. Spoon 1 tbsp of filling along one edge; roll up tightly.
  7. Repeat with remaining batter. Top with fried shallots, cha que slices and nuoc cham.

Tip from the editors. The first sheet is always a failure. The pan or cloth must be lightly oiled and the batter must be very thin.

Where to eat bánh cuốn

Bánh Cuốn in Hanoi

Bánh Cuốn Gia Truyền ★ 4.4

Vietnamese$old-quarterDaily 06:00-14:00

Banh Cuon Gia Truyen in Hanoi plates silky rice rolls with pork and wood-ear mushroom for 40,000-60,000 VND on Hang Ga, steamed to order since 1973.

Try: Banh cuon steamed rice rolls

Order: Banh cuon with pork-and-wood-ear filling plus a slice of cha que cinnamon pork sausage.

Tip: Breakfast and lunch only; closed mid-afternoon. Cash only, plates run 40-60,000 VND.

14 Hang Ga, Cua Dong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Bánh Cuốn Bà Hoành ★ 4.4

Vietnamese$old-quarterDaily 06:00-14:00

Banh Cuon Ba Hoanh in Hanoi is a Michelin-listed banh cuon counter near St Joseph's Cathedral, plating hand-ground rice rolls with shiitake and wood ear.

Signature: Banh cuon steamed rice rolls, Pork-and-mushroom filling, Cha que cinnamon pork sausage

Order: Banh cuon with pork and mushroom filling, served with cha que cinnamon pork and a small bowl of nuoc cham.

Tip: Breakfast and lunch only. The rolls are steamed to order over a cloth-stretched cauldron; ask to watch the work at the front.

66 Tho Xuong, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

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