He especially loves ‘banh trang’, or Vietnamese rice paper, which he says is famous beyond the borders of Vietnam.

Chad Kubanoff has worked in HCM City for two years. On his YouTube channel with hundreds of thousands of followers, he regularly posts videos about cultural and culinary experiences in Vietnam.

Most recently, Chad received his parents Craig and Carol from the US to experience an original food tour by motorbike. The chef, with a Vietnamese tour guide, learned about Vietnam’s culinary culture and had opportunities to taste delicious street dishes in HCM City.

Banh trang nuong was the first dish they sampled. Chad told his parents that it was famous beyond Vietnam and is called ‘Vietnamese pizza’.

The tour guide led Chad’s family to a well-known eatery in district 7, which serves different banh trang versions in a well decorated space.

There are many versions of banh trang, with different flavors and toppings. The waiter recommended three banh trang products, the best sellers of the eatery.

After a few minutes of waiting, they were served hot, crispy grilled-rice papers cut into bite-sized triangles. The crepes had a thin and crispy cover, simply prepared with some green onions, dried beef on top, and omelet below. The best way to enjoy this dish is holding the crepe in your hand and dipping it in very thick sauce. 

Crag said he liked to eat rice paper in the original style, which has the best taste. He also likes the sophisticated way Vietnamese prepare dishes: putting many ingredients in one dish.

After that, the group tasted another version of banh trang, rolls with cheese filling, and banh trang with diverse fillings (squid, pork floss, purple cabbage and mayonnaise).

After putting the ingredients on the rice papers, the papers were grilled on a charcoal stove. Cooks then skillfully rolled the paper into a crepe shaped like a tube. They can be cut into bite-sized pieces or left whole for diners to hold and enjoy.

The American chef said he was introduced to banh trang 10 years ago when he first came to Vietnam. And he often orders banh trang because it is delicious and cheap, just VND25,000-50,000.

Phan Dau