Warm phở broth is comforting on rainy days, fresh pickled veggies in a bánh mì are refreshing during hot summers, and fried pork rolls are a popular snack to pair with at any time of the year. But the lesser-known Vietnamese dish called bánh khot gives us yet another reason to fall in love with Vietnamese food. This bite-sized dish is a crunchy one-inch, cup-shaped crepe, made from rice flour and coconut milk batter, topped with shrimp and ground pork and served with pickles and fresh lettuce for a hands-on, do-it-yourself wrap.
One local place to try the dish is Bánh Khot Lady, a restaurant in the Little Saigon neighborhood of Orange County, an area that is often overshadowed by its neighbor to the north, Los Angeles. Although LA County has the highest population in the country, the “OC” is not far behind, ranking as the sixth-largest county in the nation. Both counties share a deep, diverse history and culture, dating back to the Native American Tongva people who lived in the area before waves of settlers and immigrants called it home.
Today, Los Angeles has fifty-five recognized ethnic enclaves, while Orange County officially acknowledges only about five, including Little Saigon - one of the largest cultural neighborhoods found in either county. It is home to a well-established Vietnamese community spanning first, second, and third generations who have called the United States home since the 1970s. The “lady” in Bahn Khot Lady is Xi Phan, who arrived in the U.S. as a Vietnamese refugee in 1982, and in 2020, she began helping her son, Tony Dang, turn her bánh khot recipe into a pop-up business, launched out of necessity during the Covid-19 pandemic. What began as a means of survival in uncertain times has since blossomed into a beloved destination for food lovers seeking an authentic taste of Vietnam.
Since 2020, Bánh Khot Lady has evolved from a popular pop-up concept to a brick-and-mortar restaurant, now run by Tony and his wife, Anh. The couple has generated a loyal following around this usually hard-to-find dish, both in the Little Saigon community and online. The family utilizes social media to feature high quality videos and insightful interviews that give in-depth understanding to the history of the family and their beloved crepe. In a featured video, Anh explains the regional differences of bánh khot preparation across Vietnam, saying, “My mother-in-law’s family is from Da Nang, where people make bánh khot with turmeric, giving it a yellow hue, as opposed to the city of Vũng Tàu, which does not use turmeric at all.” She adds, “Da Nang is also uniquely known for combining pork and shrimp, whereas other regions typically use only shrimp.”
Another key to Anh’s recipe is the cast-iron pan, which creates crepes that are crispy on the outside yet soft and chewy on the inside. A bánh khot experience would not be complete without covering your crepe in nước chấm dipping sauce. When restaurants offer versions of this Vietnamese dipping sauce that is sweet, sour, salty, and savory, it is usually a generic type, made with fish sauce sugar and water. Employees boast proudly that “everything at Bánh Khot Lady, including the pickled vegetables, eggrolls, and nước chấm dipping sauce is made-in-house, using fresh chili and onions, but with a milder kick, especially for kids or those who are sensitive [to spice].”
Bánh khot is somewhat addictive, offering the perfect contrast of flavors and textures. The acidity of nước chấm dipping sauce cuts through the savory coconut-milk batter, while the sweet shrimp pairs harmoniously with salty pork. Roll up your sleeves - this is hands-on eating at its finest. The warm and oily crepes are balanced by crispy fresh lettuce and tangy pickles. Dip it all generously in fish sauce and chili paste; one bite is ideal, but two are forgivable. Napkins are abundant but the urge to savor every drop of its rich, flavorful oils and sauces straight from your fingertips may prove irresistible.
Beyond serving food, Bánh Khot Lady has cultivated a community of friends, family, and Vietnamese community members who come together to share meals and create a sense of nostalgia. First-timers and longtime supporters gather not just for food but also for celebrations, holidays, and, most recently, relief efforts for the Los Angeles fires. Although there is often a rivalry between Los Angeles and Orange County, when the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires broke out in January 2025, Bánh Khot Lady was among the first OC restaurants to step in and offer support.
Just days earlier, the restaurant had finished another fundraising campaign, in which they raised $10,000 of donations and matched another $10,000 to support the K’Ho ethnic group in Lâ Ðông Province, Vietnam. Despite spending time, energy, and resources internationally, Tony Dang and team immediately took action to help in L.A., acting as a drop-off location for supplies and clothing at first, but their efforts quickly expanded into on-site services at fire relief centers, providing food and resources to first responders and displaced families. As the fires broke, Tony Dang felt an immediate call to action. “The whole reason why I opened a business was so that I can be a part of the community and help as many people as we can. When I heard of the fires, I knew we had to spring into action; I couldn’t sit there and do nothing,” Tony explains. Tony and his team served over 300 plates of chicken, rice, and egg combo meals just minutes away from where the fires stopped.
All over the L.A. area, food vendors rallied together in large numbers, forming coalitions of pizza makers, bakers, and more. Likewise, the team at Bánh Khot Lady partnered with other restaurants to increase their give-back potential. Through their collective action, businesses who were already facing economic hurdles sacrificed time, money, and resources, fostering a much-needed sense of community and mutual support in Southern California. Bánh Khot Lady’s response to the crisis proved that food is more than just sustenance - it’s a powerful force for unity, resilience, and generosity.
Published on February 24, 2025