A Taste of ... Vietnam with Nate Houpapa from Cafe Hanoi

Bánh xèo is a pancake made with rice flour, coconut cream and tumeric in a wok, filled with pork and shrimp. Photo / Supplied

I first went to Vietnam before I worked at Cafe Hanoi. Since running the kitchen there, I've been three more times and I'll go again in August. Relaxing in Hanoi's Old Quarter on the side of the street, eating and drinking, is my favourite thing to do. You immerse yourself in the culture that way, because food is such a big part of Vietnamese culture. And you can feel the history in the buildings around you.

Relaxing in Hanoi's Old Quarter on the side of the street, eating and drinking, is Houhapa's favourite thing to do. Photo / Supplied

As soon as I get off the plane, I get a banh mi from an old lady with a stall on a street corner. It comes in a baguette, with pate, grilled pork, coriander and chilli. It's all about the bread; it's made with rice flour and wheat flour, which gives it the crunch on the outside and chewiness in the middle. It's delicious and costs $1.90.

When I was in Ho Chi Minh in August, I ended up at a place called Oc Oanh, a seafood restaurant well off the tourist track. All the seafood was cooked twice on open charcoal grills on the side of the street. The grilled octopus was the best I have ever had, so tender and smoky.

Bánh xèo as it's served in Vietnam. Photo / Supplied

My all-time favourite Vietnamese dish is Bánh xeo. I first had it at a street stall — gas burners and woks on the street — near the War Memorial Museum. It's a pancake made with rice flour and coconut cream and turmeric in a wok, filled with pork and shrimp, and served with herbs and lettuce. You get crunch, sweetness and salty flavours, all in one bite. It's the perfect dish.

Nathan Houhapa at Cafe Hanoi with his all-time favourite Vietnamese dish, Bánh xèo. Photo / Supplied

Banh Xeo

Makes 4 pancakes / serves 4

200gm pork belly, sliced
200gm shrimp meat
80ml oil, canola
1 large lettuce – iceberg or butterhead
Bunch mixed herbs (coriander/mint/Thai basil/Vietnamese mint)

Pancake Mix

125g rice flour
125g coconut cream
220ml tap water
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt, plain
10g spring onions, green part – sliced into rounds

Mix all ingredients together and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes before you cook

Nuoc Cham

1 cup warm water
½ cup sugar
¼ cup fish sauce
2 fresh limes – juice only
4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1 red chilli – diced finely seeds and all

Dissolve sugar in the water then add rest of ingredients. Make at least an hour before you eat to let the flavours develop

To make the pancake

Heat 1Tbsp of oil in a 20cm non-stick pan on high heat.
Add 50 grams of pork and 50 grams of shrimp and fry for 2 minutes until it starts to cook and colour.
Add a ladle of the pancake batter and swirl the pan to coat the bottom and let it come up the sides a little.
Turn the heat down to medium and cook for around 5 minutes until the batter is nice and crispy on the bottom.
Use a spatula to loosen the pancake from the pan.
Sprinkle the bean sprouts on the pancake and use a spatula to fold the pancake in half.
Place on a serving plate and repeat three times with the rest of the ingredients.
Serve with the lettuce leaves, herbs and nuoc cham.
Cut the pancake into pieces and use the lettuce leaf to make a wrap with the pancake and the herbs
Dip into the nuoc cham and enjoy!