Eating banh can (rice flour pancake) in Saigon

One day, I jokingly wrote on Facebook: "Eating a banh can (rice flour pancake) in Saigon made me so happy I almost cried." And it was true. The first time I saw a sign across the street from my apartment building that said, "Banh Can, Banh Xeo," I was surprised, then overwhelmed with joy. From then on, my longing for Nha Trang, as a banh can addict, was finally satisfied. This banh can stall belongs to a family originally from Phan Rang, so although the banh can isn't the authentic Nha Trang version, it still helped me and my children satisfy our cravings.

The Phan Rang-style rice pancakes in Saigon aren't cooked in a clay oven with charcoal, but in a stainless steel oven with circular holes, topped with 16 earthenware molds; even more uniquely, there's a gas stove underneath. The owner explained to me that this is necessary to keep up with demand when there are many customers; if they used clay molds like in Nha Trang or Phan Rang, they wouldn't be able to cook in time.

To me, the banh can (rice flour pancake) in Nha Trang and Phan Rang are completely the same. In Phan Thiet, the banh can has more fillings like braised mackerel, boiled eggs, pork skin, etc., which isn't suitable for those who prefer the simple Nha Trang version with just eggs, squid, shrimp, or beef, served with chili garlic fish sauce, scallion oil, and sometimes a meatball or fish sauce depending on the restaurant. The Phan Rang version is also similar in taste and texture, with almost identical batter, eggs, scallion oil, and fish sauce. In terms of presentation, Phan Rang banh can is topped with scallion oil and chopped mango. For someone like me who loves Nha Trang banh can, this way of eating isn't as satisfying. The scallion oil should be added to a thick fish sauce, the chopped mango should also be in the sauce, with crushed chili peppers, and a meatball – that's the perfect way!

I suddenly remembered that during the Covid-19 lockdown, I ordered a rice pancake maker, hoping that when we had free time, the whole family could gather around the stove and enjoy making rice pancakes. However, I only made rice pancakes once. It was inconvenient to light a charcoal stove in an apartment building because of the smoke, and I was afraid the fire alarm would go off. I later gave the rice pancake maker to a friend's family.

During my culinary exploration, I noticed that Phan Rang and Nha Trang share many similar dishes. For example, I particularly enjoyed the fish noodle soup in Phan Rang, which I tried once and found very delicious. Being coastal regions, the cooking methods are similar; the fish is flavorful and the fish cake is just as fragrant as Nha Trang's.

Now that the culinary map is no longer limited to specific regions, in Saigon I see many Phan Rang-style banh can (rice flour pancakes), and in Lai Thieu there's a famous stall selling banh can, banh xeo (Vietnamese savory pancakes), and fish noodle soup that I tried once and found quite delicious. The deliciousness perhaps also satisfied my longing for Nha Trang and for home.

On a rainy Saigon day, I tiptoed across the street to buy a banh can (a type of Vietnamese pancake). While waiting for the vendor to cook it, the aroma of the baked batter filled the air, making me incredibly homesick. And I felt so lucky that just 100 meters from home, a step down the street was enough to satisfy my longing for Nha Trang, to satisfy my craving for this familiar dish, a staple of Nha Trang people that I miss when I'm far away.

KIM DUY

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/doi-song/am-thuc/202507/an-cai-banh-can-o-sai-gon-49c24b8/