Bánh xèo

In 2007 I visited Hanoi with my friend, Alex Meitlis, and found myself squatting in the dingiest of family-run street kitchens, experiencing the best food I’ve ever tasted. The freshness of the vegetables and herbs was mind-blowing.

Here’s a vegetarian adaptation of a traditional Vietnamese pancake, normally consisting of fatty pork and prawns. I added sweet soy to the dipping sauce to make up for omitting the ubiquitous Vietnamese fish sauce, nuoc mam.