Where is the taste of Vung Tau banh khot of the past?

Vung Tau has many typical dishes such as stingray hotpot, khoai fish, mai fish salad... But some tourists who come here humorously say that in their choice, banh khot is number 2, not number 1.

Banh khot with squid filling, served with vegetables, fish sauce, shredded papaya - Photo: HOANG LE

This is proven by the fact that every weekend, especially during Tet and holidays, on Hoang Hoa Tham, Ba Trieu, Nguyen Truong To streets where there are many banh khot shops, traffic jams are often observed. Khanh stood in a long line, waiting for an empty table to enter the shop.

Waited for an hour to eat banh khot

Ms. Ngoc Yen, who works in Japan, visited Vietnam and traveled to Vung Tau, stopping by Goc Vu Sua restaurant to enjoy banh khot.

This is one of the oldest and most popular restaurants in Vung Tau. She and her family waited for nearly an hour for their turn to get the cake.

The process of removing banh khot from the pan at Doi Khong Tuoc banh khot restaurant - Video : HOANG LE

"I didn't think the restaurant would be so crowded, and all around me were eager faces. The bread was crispy, served with vegetables, and the dipping sauce was delicious. It was worth the wait. But the staff here is a bit poor because they have to serve so many people," she commented.

Not only Goc Vu Sua restaurant, many restaurants selling banh khot such as Ba Hai, Co Hai, Co Ba, Cay Sung, Mien Dong are present on all important routes of Vung Tau to meet the enjoyment needs of tourists.

There was even a gold shop owner on Hoang Hoa Tham street who decided to close his gold shop to open a banh khot shop and it was very popular.

Bamboo Restaurant on Luong Van Can Street used to only serve locals, but when the road was widened and cleared, the restaurant became a tourist attraction. The advantage of the restaurant is that it is quite spacious, airy, and has a neat place to wash hands.

In the past, the cake was poured, now it's more like frying.

For people living in Vung Tau, or gourmet tourists, although they still choose banh khot to enjoy, they think that the flavor of the cake is not as delicious as before.

Making banh khot at Doi Khong Tuoc restaurant - Photo: HOANG LE

Ms. My Hanh, born and raised in Vung Tau, commented: "In the past, people called it "pouring" banh khot. When the tray of banh khot was hot, the worker put a piece of fat in the pan to let the fat melt slowly, coated the bottom of the tray and then poured the batter in. This method was meticulous and time-consuming. Now, to serve a large number of customers, people fry the banh khot quickly.

The workers pour a large amount of oil into the tray to heat it up, then pour in the flour so the cake cooks quickly and becomes crispy. Some shops even fry it first, so customers only need to reheat it. This method makes the cake hard and dry. The quality is greatly reduced."

Shrimp pancakes at Goc Vu Sua restaurant - Photo: HOANG LE

"The big restaurants on the street front serve tourists. Locals rarely eat there. Vung Tau has many banh khot restaurants located in small streets and alleys, using the traditional way of making banh khot. The price is only half the price of the big restaurants, but the food is still delicious," Ms. Hanh happily said.

Over time and circumstances, some restaurants do not retain the nostalgic flavor of banh khot from the past.

But perhaps in the midst of the sea of ​​clouds and water, take a hot and crispy banh khot, wrap it with mustard greens, herbs, a little shredded papaya and dip it in a bowl of fish sauce mixed with chili, the fresh green flavor of nature flows into the mouth, satisfying the taste buds.

That's why Vung Tau pancakes still exist and thrive today.

Even Vung Tau residents who live far away miss banh khot. Ngoc Han, a native of Vung Tau and currently a student at Hutech University in Ho Chi Minh City, said that every time she brings her friends home, she takes them to eat banh khot. Han said she has eaten at several banh khot restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City but still finds them not as delicious as the ones in Vung Tau.

Banh khot is a rustic cake, the ingredients are not difficult to find. But to make a delicious cake is not simple.

The flour for making the cake is rice flour. The rice must be of good quality and then ground yourself. You can add a little finely ground rice to the flour. The shrimp and squid used for the filling must be very fresh. The fish sauce used to dip the cake is also very important. Use good fish sauce, mixed with a salty and sweet mixture. Shred the papaya and put it in the fish sauce to soak.

The skillful baker creates a cake with a crispy crust, soft inside, shrimp, squid, and meat filling that is just cooked to perfection. When the cake is done, take it out onto a plate, sprinkle some fried shrimp and scallion oil on the surface. Banh khot is served with all kinds of raw vegetables, such as green mustard, lettuce, herbs...

In the past, banh khot only had shrimp filling. But to serve the diverse needs of tourists, today's fillings are more diverse, including meat, squid, shrimp and even quail eggs.

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HOANG LE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/con-dau-huong-vi-banh-khot-vung-tau-ngay-xua-20250511152527073.htm