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Top 3 Central Vietnamese Pancakes

Last updated on May 15, 2026
01

Bánh khoai (Hue Pancake)

4 ·

Bánh khoai is a traditional pancake originating from Hue. The batter is typically made with a combination of rice flour, water, eggs, sugar, and salt. It's fried in the pan and topped with sliced mushrooms, pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, carrots, Vietnamese sausage bits, and spring onions, then fried further until it's crispy and golden brown. Once done, it's traditionally served with a special dipping sauce that contains sesame, peanut butter, peanuts, and pork liver. Additional garnishes for the dish include shiso leaves, lettuce, and Asian basil. Because bánh khoai is so greasy, it's often eaten during cold weather.

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02

Bánh ướt (Steamed Wet Pancakes)

3.3 ·

Bánh ướt are paper-thin, almost translucent Vietnamese pancakes that are made with rice flour and tapioca or potato starch. Traditionally, they are steamed on specialized steamers and are typically served rolled, usually accompanied by nước chấm (fish sauce), chả lụa sausage, pork, and fried shallots. Loosely translated as wet cakes, bánh ướt is a popular street food item that's usually associated with Nha Trang, and it is regarded as a less elaborate, local version of bánh cuốn rolls.

03

Bánh căn (Vietnamese Mini Pancakes)

3.2 ·

These savory Vietnamese pancakes are made with a thin rice flour batter. They are cooked on outdoor grills which are equipped with a specialized terracotta bánh căn mold. The mixture is poured into the mold, and the pancake is then topped with a whole shrimp and scallions, or optionally pork or quail eggs. The pancakes are usually served with a fish sauce on the side and various fresh herbs and leafy vegetables which are meant to be used as wrappers. It is not clear when these pancakes first appeared, but their origin is often attributed to Ninh Thuận province, although they are enjoyed throughout South Central region. People often confuse bánh căn and bánh khọt. Although the two are very similar, the difference lies in the fact that bánh căn (as it's called in Central Vietnam) is cooked with a bit of oil and it remains soft, while bánh khọt (as it's called in South Vietnam) is fried in oil until crunchy and contains turmeric.

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About this ranking

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 3 Central Vietnamese Pancakes” list until May 15, 2026, 80 ratings were recorded, of which 52 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

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