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Banh khot has long been one of the signature dishes of Vung Tau ward, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Vung Tau City, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province). Along Hoang Hoa Tham street - known as the banh khot street - there are many restaurants serving this dish. However, Cay Sung banh khot restaurant, located at number 19, is still the name most frequently mentioned.
The pan for making banh khot (Vietnamese savory pancakes) at Cay Sung restaurant is practically burning all day long due to the constant flow of customers.
Mr. Hung, 61, the owner of the restaurant, said that the place has been open for nearly 30 years and has never moved. The name "Cay Sung" (Fig Tree) also came from a very simple detail: "In the past, there were two large fig trees in front of the restaurant, so I named it that to make it easy to remember." Although the two trees were cut down long ago due to sidewalk replanning, the name has remained with the restaurant for many years.
The restaurant is open from 9 am to 9 pm every day, but the preparations begin early. Mr. Hung and his family members usually go to the market at dawn to prepare and pre-process the ingredients before serving customers. The restaurant space is divided into several areas, with the kitchen located in a separate corner. Here, the pans for making banh khot (Vietnamese savory pancakes) are always blazing hot, emitting thick steam.
Nearly three decades have passed, yet the shop's recipe remains unchanged. The pastry shell is made from rice flour diluted with water and a touch of coconut milk. The proportions are carefully adjusted so that the pastry is neither too runny nor too dense when baked. The batter is then evenly spread into deep-set molds, placed on a large pan already filled with a generous amount of cooking oil.
Currently, the restaurant offers four main fillings: shrimp, squid, meat, and oysters. The fillings are placed directly onto the batter while the pancakes are cooking, allowing the filling and crust to blend evenly during frying. When the pancakes are golden brown and crispy, they are quickly removed from the pan and sprinkled with scallion oil for added richness and a distinctive aroma.
Fillings such as shrimp, squid, meat, or oysters are placed on the pastry shell and cooked to a tempting golden brown.
Mr. Hung said that in the past, in Vung Tau, people used to call it "making banh khot." "Banh khot had to be made with pork lard. Once the pan was hot and the lard melted, they would spread it evenly over the surface before pouring in the batter," he said. However, this method was time-consuming, so nowadays people have switched to using cooking oil. Some restaurants even fry the banh khot in advance, then re-fry them when customers order, making them dry, crumbly, and lacking moisture and softness, significantly reducing their deliciousness. At his restaurant, the banh khot is only made after the customer orders, so the waiting time might be longer, but the quality is always guaranteed.
A plate of banh khot (miniature savory pancakes) here is always served piping hot, with the deep golden color of the crispy crust clearly visible. The pancakes are served with fresh vegetables including lettuce, mustard greens, perilla leaves, and mint, along with some shredded papaya and carrots, and a bowl of sweet and sour fish sauce. Chopped chili peppers are also always available on the table so customers can adjust the spiciness to their liking.
The accompanying vegetables are served first.
Everyone enjoys banh khot differently. Some diners like to wrap the banh khot with vegetables in green cabbage or lettuce leaves, roll it up, and dip it in chili fish sauce. Others choose to dip the banh khot directly into the fish sauce, eat it with vegetables, but without wrapping it.
Regardless of the style, most diners appreciate the harmonious blend of the crispy outer shell, the tender filling, and the freshness of the fresh vegetables. This combination creates a multi-layered flavor experience: the richness of the scallion oil, the sweet and savory taste of the shrimp and squid, the nutty flavor of the oysters, the mild spiciness of the bok choy, and the refreshing coolness of the fresh vegetables, preventing diners from feeling satiated even after eating a lot.
A plate of mixed banh khot (miniature savory pancakes) containing 7 pieces costs 70,000 VND. In addition, the restaurant also sells shrimp, oyster, squid, and meat porridge for 50,000 VND per bowl. Customers can also order other drinks such as iced tea, sugarcane juice, or cold coconut water to enjoy on hot days.
Many people choose to enjoy banh khot by wrapping it in mustard greens or lettuce with various herbs and dipping it in chili fish sauce.
Besides the food, the restaurant's ambiance is also a plus. Opposite the restaurant are old chò trees, and around April and May, the chò seeds are blown down onto the street by the wind. Many diners like to sit at tables near the storefront to enjoy their bánh khọt (Vietnamese savory pancakes) while watching the seeds fly – a unique sight not easily found elsewhere.
The restaurant has expanded to include two additional seating areas to accommodate the growing number of customers, especially during the summer tourist season. However, every lunchtime, from around 11 am to 2 pm, the restaurant is still frequently overcrowded. "On weekend lunchtimes, there are almost no empty tables," Mr. Hung shared. The parking area in front of the restaurant is not large enough, so he often advises customers to take a taxi or tour bus and then call a car to pick them up when leaving to avoid the crowds and the need to find parking.
The restaurant is usually crowded at lunchtime and on weekends.
Simple in both its name and service style, Cây Sung's bánh khọt (miniature savory pancakes) restaurant has maintained its unique position for nearly three decades. Throughout that time, what keeps customers coming back is not only the delicious food but also the familiar, rustic atmosphere – something rarely found amidst today's increasingly fast-paced life.
