Bánh Cuốn: Steamed Rice Rolls


During a visit to Prague’s Sapa, I rarely miss the opportunity to have bánh cuốn rice rolls. These are rolls made from very thin rice dough filled with minced pork and mushrooms, complemented by a few pieces of Vietnamese pork sausage chả lụa, fresh herbs, and a bowl of warm sauce for dipping the rolls. The rolls are sprinkled with fried onions.

Bánh cuốn rice rolls
Bánh cuốn rice rolls

Vietnamese people most often consume this dish for breakfast, and it is very popular there. However, in Sapa, you can enjoy it all day long. For over ten years, I have been going to a small bistro where you have to climb up green stairs to the first floor in a rather unconventional way; the entrance is in the photo below. This bistro specializes only in rice rolls, and they have nothing else on the menu. However, that doesn’t matter, as they make the rolls flawlessly. The service is express, and the food lands in front of you within minutes of ordering.

Entrance to the Phuong Phuong bistro
Entrance to the Phuong Phuong bistro

One portion costs 160 CZK (approx. 6.80 EUR). As an appetizer, two people can easily eat from it, and the bistro takes this into account. If you order the dish for two, they automatically add another bowl of sauce so that each diner has their own. It is also possible to take the rolls to go. If you haven’t tried bánh cuốn rice rolls yet, be sure to remedy that and try this unconventional dish for us.

Bon appetit!

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