Ingredients Seafood Shellfish Shrimp Crispy Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Crêpes) with Shrimp, Pork, and Bean Sprouts 5.0 (1,921) 1 Review When Vietnamese chef Charles Phan samples bánh xèo (aka "happy pancakes") at restaurants, he often finds that they aren't crisp enough. Phan thinks the perfect savory crêpe should be lacy thin and crackly crisp. After years of dedicated experimentation, he recommends refrigerating the batter overnight, so the starches have time to relax, then cooking the crêpes in a nonstick skillet. By Charles Phan Charles Phan Charles Phan is a James Beard Award-winning, Vietnamese-American chef. He owns The Slanted Door, a critically acclaimed restaurant in San Francisco. Charles has authored two IACP Award-winning cookbooks: Vietnamese Home Cooking (2012) and The Slanted Door (2014). He is a prolific restauranteur whose business portfolio includes seven Bay Area food and beverage ventures.Experience: Charles Phan's early interest in cooking took hold while helping his aunt in the kitchen, watching Jacques Pepin on television, and exploring San Francisco's food scene as a teenager. He studied architecture at UC Berkeley but left early with the idea of opening a modern Vietnamese restaurant. Charles began hosting small dinners for friends to refine his cooking techniques and develop his restaurant concept. In 1995, he opened his first Slanted Door in the Mission District where he grew up, later moving to a downtown location, then finally to the historic Ferry Building in 2004. Slanted Door is distinguished for its modern design, elevated Vietnamese cuisine, sustainable local ingredients, quality teas, craft cocktails, and wine pairing. The former architecture student's eye for detail was captured in the stunning food photography of his second IACP Award-winning book The Slanted Door. His Vietnamese recipes have appeared in Bon Appétit, Sunset, Food & Wine, The Splendid Table, and others.Over the years, Phan and his restaurant have been recognized by the James Beard Foundation more than 10 times. As the founder of The Slanted Door Restaurant Group, he is the creative force behind a portfolio of seven Bay Area food and beverage concepts, including a sandwich shop in Phan's old stomping ground, the Mission District.Education: Charles studied architecture at the University of California at Berkeley. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 7, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Quentin Bacon Active Time: 15 mins Chill Time: 20 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins Yield: 12 crêpes These are best served immediately, hot out of the pan. Ingredients Sweet and Spicy Vietnamese Dipping Sauce 2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 1 Thai chile, thinly sliced 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar 1/2 cup fish sauce 1 1/2 cups water Crêpes 1/2 cup dried mung beans 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, stirred before using 2 cups white rice flour 1 cup cornstarch 4 cups water 2 scallions, thinly sliced 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric Kosher salt Filling Vegetable oil, for pan-frying 3/4 pound boneless pork loin, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices 3/4 pound medium shrimp, shelled, deveined, and halved lengthwise 1 medium white onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced 3 cups bean sprouts Red leaf lettuce, for serving Mint leaves, for serving Directions Make the dipping sauce In a large mortar, pound the chopped garlic with the chile. Add the sugar and mash the ingredients to a paste, adding a few drops of the rice vinegar as needed to moisten the mixture. Pound until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in the remaining rice vinegar along with the fish sauce and the water and transfer the dipping sauce to a bowl. Make the bánh xèo batter In a small bowl, soak the dried mung beans in warm water until they are softened, about 30 minutes. Drain the beans and transfer them to a blender. Add the coconut milk and puree until very smooth. Transfer the mung bean puree to a large bowl and whisk in the white rice flour, cornstarch, water, scallions, and turmeric, and season lightly with salt. Let the batter rest for at least 20 minutes or refrigerate overnight. Make the filling and crêpes Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet. Add a few slices of pork, a couple of shrimp, and a few slivers of white onion and cook for 30 seconds. Stir the batter and pour 2/3 cup of it into the pan; tilt and swirl the pan to coat the bottom with a very thin layer of batter, letting it come up the side of the pan. Scatter 1/4 cup of the bean sprouts over the bánh xèo and drizzle 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil around the edges. Cover the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until the bottom of the bánh xèo is golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Slide the bánh xèo onto a plate. Serve with lettuce leaves, mint, and the Sweet and Spicy Vietnamese Dipping Sauce. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, serving the bánh xèo as soon as they are cooked. Make Ahead The dipping sauce and batter can be refrigerated overnight. Let the batter return to room temperature and stir before making the bánh xèo. Suggested Pairing A Vietnamese or Chinese beer would be a terrific companion for this crispy dish with its sweet and spicy sauce. Rate it Print