06. Savoury Vietnamese Pancakes
When you need some mini savoury pancakes, vietnamese style
Bánh Khọt is a Vietnamese dish that requires almost as much work as making your own rice paper roll. Doomscrolling social media had me stumble on this dish which made me wonder if there was somewhere closeby that would sell it. Being based on the western suburbs of Brisbane, there was this place in Inala that sold Bánh Khọt.
So how do you eat Bánh Khọt?
Bánh Khọt is served as a lettuce wrap - you take the crispy mini pancakes, with their savory flavor and satisfying chewy texture, and wrap them in fresh greens before dipping in traditional Nước Mắm sauce. Like many Vietnamese dishes, it offers a perfect balance of fresh greens, chewy texture, and protein from the prawn and pork filling. It is similar to the crepe variation Bánh Xèo with similar ingredients but much more meatier.
I could critique this dish (like the pancakes could be crispier!), but these days, if a dish is even 80% as good as the best version, I'd be content. The tradeoffs to get the best version could be the difference between queuing an additional hour, which is definitely a consideration if you have kids!
What other Vietnamese dishes should I try or write about next?