This Vietnamese street food on Buford Highway is sizzling fun

If only you could hear the sounds from the kitchen before you dig into a plate of bánh xèo at Nam Phuong. The dish’s name means “sizzling cake” in Vietnamese, referring to how it sounds when the rice batter hits a hot pan with a sputter and hiss.

Similar to a cross between a crepe and an omelet, bánh xèo is a popular Vietnamese street food, with a crispy exterior and signature yellow coloring from the addition of turmeric in the batter. The plate-sized fold-over is stuffed with pieces of shrimp, minced pork and bean sprouts. It comes with a side of pickled vegetables (carrot, cucumber, daikon shreds) and a heaping stack of raw leafy vegetables and herbs (basil, mint, sawtooth coriander).

Break off a piece of the steaming golden pancake, wrap it in lettuce, and tuck in fresh herbs and ribbons of pickled vegetables. Then, dip it into the zingy, sour-sweet nuoc cham sauce for a many-textured, flavor-packed bite. It’s a great dish to share, and even the name is fun. Say “baan-say-ow,” and smile.