We’ll be the first to admit that when you think of Vietnamese cuisine the culinary winner here will always be PHO. And let’s face it folks, even Campbells has a PHO broth on the market right now. Everyone wants PHO, everyone loves PHO, everyone is PHO-crazy… and yes we are PHO-real. Like the great Anthony Bourdain said “"For me, a good bowl of pho will always make me happy". So we totally get it. PHO makes us happy too. We are at the end of the day Toronto PHO.
But what about the other dishes that rarely get to share the spotlight with this super popular Vietnamese noodle dish? What about Bun bo Hue? Goi cuon (Pork and/or shrimp rolls) or Cá Kho Tộ (marinated basa fish)? We can name so many but let’s focus on one of our own personal favorites Bánh Xèo.
Have you tried Bánh Xèo yet? The crispy and savory Vietnamese crepe that looks like an omelette but contains no egg. Bánh Xèo is pronounced Bon Zee-Ow. The word Bánh is used to describe anything made with flour while, Xèo refers to the sound the crepe batter makes when its poured onto a hot skillet. This yummy Vietnamese crepe is typically made with shrimp or pork, green onions and bean sprouts. And even though it looks exactly like an omelette and is even folded just like an omelette, it actually contains no egg. The yellow color you see in this crepe actually comes from immunity boosting turmeric that is used in the batter.
This “Sizzling cake” recently made headlines at the DA NANG International food festival where the world largest Bánh Xèo was made and broke a Guinness world record. This massive crepe ended up totalling in 150 kg and feeding 200 people. The dish was a collaborative effort by 10 Vietnamese chefs and 13 foreign chefs from China, Germany, Greece, India, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sweden and Turkey.
How do you eat Banh Xeo?
For the best bánh xèo experience, you gotta get them made fresh to order! They are not the kind of dish you can eat the next day.
Bánh xèo is also considered finger food, which means it was also meant to be eaten by hand. Typically you’d break off a bigger than bite size piece of the Bánh xèo and wrap it in a similar sized piece of lettuce. You can substitute lettuce for other greens as well. You then have the option to add fresh herbs like mint, basil, or cilantro (or all 3). And finally, you take your rolled Bánh xèo and lettuce and dip in in a traditional Vietnamese sauce such as nước chấm. (Fish sauce, lemon juice, garlic, sugar) and enjoy!
So the next time you swing by Toronto Pho try something different and add a little sizzle into your life. Our Bánh Xèo is always made fresh to order and is the perfect savory additional to your meal.
Ps. Don’t forget we are open at all three of our locations until midnight!
Looking for Pho near me? Look no further, Toronto Pho is a family-owned restaurant serving the best pho and late night eats. With 4 locations across Ontario, we offer fast delivery and online ordering for pickup or delivery through our easy to use app available for both Android and iPhone smart phones.
