Homestay 21& Sweet Yoga House

The bright-red lettering looks smart against the artificial turf on a wall. For over 10 years, this small family business has been serving crispy bánh xèo pancakes alongside snacks. Try their bánh xèo tôm nhảy – the wafer-thin crispy crust is done in the style of Binh Dinh province, topped with fresh shrimps. Dip in fish sauce or peanut sauce for complementary flavours. Nem nướng is deep-fried pork sausage with a great peppery taste.

The family, who hails from Huế, opened this shop in 2014 to sell Huế’s version of bún bò, or beef noodle soup. The umami-loaded broth with beef meat and bones simmers overnight, building balanced, big-boned flavours. They use medium thick rice noodles. Popular toppings include beef tendon, rib, brisket and tongue, as well as pork trotters and crab balls. If you want to sample all the toppings, opt for the đặc biệt version.

Bánh Xèo 76 has a charcoal grill at the entrance for grilling pork. The menu includes classic Vietnamese dishes such as pancakes, corn rolls and noodles with grilled pork. Made from fresh corn and bursting with flavour, the homemade corn rolls are encased in a thin, crispy golden skin.

The 70+-year-old owner inherited the heirloom fish sauce recipe from her family. With chilli, garlic and fruit, the pungent seasoning is the heart and soul of her búm mam, cold rice vermicelli dressed in fish sauce and topped with meat, veggies and peanuts. The most popular topping is crispy roast pork; the thập cẩm version includes pork, beef sausage and cured raw pork balls. Fresh sugar cane juice makes a perfect companion to the noodle dish.

Dripping in lush greenery, this simple shop feels like an indoor garden. Its signature dish is a crispy bánh xèo pancake filled with beef, squid or shrimp, alongside herbs and veggies, wrapped in rice paper and dipped in a peanut sauce. Another speciality from Da Nang is bánh tráng thịt heo – rice paper roll filled with sliced pork belly, ribbon rice noodles and fresh herbs. But its umami-loaded fermented anchovy sauce is what delivers the oomph!

This humble shop, open daily from mid-afternoon, has been trading for over 40 years. It focuses on just two affordable dishes: bánh bèo and bánh đập. The steamed rice cakes arrive in sets of five, the tender bases topped with a rich pork and wood ear sauce, finished with shallots and peanuts. Made to order, the subtly tangy bánh đập pairs crisp rice crackers with a soft rice wrapper; the accompanying sauce strikes a balance of sweet, salty and fermented notes.

Following its relocation, the restaurant now occupies three floors, offering a more spacious and comfortable setting. The exotic Indian-inspired design adds character, while the kitchen remains true to authentic traditional flavours. An experienced Indian chef helms the kitchen and his extensive menu features iconic dishes from the north to the south of his homeland. Kick off your meal with a refreshing papadam dipped in mint chutney. Then try the saag ghosh, a lamb and spinach curry from Northern India, even better with garlic naan to mop up the creamy sauce.