Bánh bèo & Bánh bột lọc

Bánh bèo and Bánh bột lọc are bite sized, savory Vietnamese dishes from the city in Vietnam that my father is from, Huế. Bánh bèo is uniquely served on small, individual dishes, and my father always told me that stacking the dishes became a competition of who could eat the most. Bánh bột lọc is wrapped, steamed, and served in banana leaves, and perhaps part of how much I love this dish is because of the element of surprise. When we eat these dishes, my father always reminds me to drown my bites in the slightly sweet and spicy Vietnamese dipping sauce served on the side, Nước chấm. I’ve been to many Vietnamese restaurants in New York and these specific dishes are rare to find. Ever since I was young, my family would often make an entire trip to Philadelphia to visit an authentic Vietnamese bakery called Ba Le that has a vast selection of traditional Vietnamese desserts, sauces, and dishes. For gatherings, my family sometimes orders large platters of Bánh bèo and Bánh bột lọc from a local family in Queens. When I visited my family in Huế in the summer of 2023, I was so excited to try Bánh bèo and Bánh bột lọc from my aunt’s neighbors. It was served exactly how I’d always eaten it, but it was even more special now that I was enjoying it with my family in Vietnam. Whenever I think of the taste of Vietnam, the first thing I think of are these two special dishes.