Banh Xeo

A crispy savoury Vietnamese crepe — the name means "sizzling cake" — made from rice flour batter coloured with turmeric, filled with prawns, sliced pork, bean sprouts, and spring onion, fried to a crackling finish. Eaten by tearing pieces, wrapping them in lettuce leaves with fresh herbs, and dipping in nuoc cham. The dish is a textural tour de force — crisp shell, soft filling, fresh herbal wrap, and fish-sauce dip. Turmeric adds gentle earthiness; prawns and pork bring sweet protein. The wine must handle fried fat, fresh herbs, and fish sauce.

Pairs Perfectly

Grüner Veltliner from the Wachau, Austria. The white-pepper character meets the herb wrap directly, the electric acid cuts through the fried turmeric crepe and handles the nuoc cham at once, and the green-bean register of Grüner finds common ground with the bean sprouts in a way that feels almost designed. A Kamptal Reserve from Austria delivers the same logic at a similar price point. For a different country expression, an Assyrtiko from Santorini, Greece brings the same electric acidity and saline mineral precision in a volcanic register that engages with the turmeric earthiness.

Pairs Well

Vinho Verde from Portugal. The bone-dry, slightly spritzy character cuts the fried fat with bubble-like efficiency, the saline edge handles the nuoc cham, and the lower alcohol stays clear of any chilli that finds its way into the wrap.

Riesling Kabinett from the Mosel, Germany. The slight residual sweetness tames any chilli in the dipping sauce, the slate acid handles the fried crepe, and the lower alcohol respects the dish's freshness.

Worth Seeking Out

Furmint from Tokaj, Hungary, in a dry expression. The smoky, honeyed, high-acid character of dry Tokaji Furmint meets banh xeo's prawns and crispy turmeric crepe with rare precision — the smoke register of the wine engages with the fried turmeric depth in a way no other dry white achieves.

Avoid

Oaked wines — clash with fried turmeric; heavily aromatic whites — overwhelm the herb wrap; tannic reds — fight the fried fat and the fish sauce; wines above 14% alcohol.

Failing That

A dry Riesling, Pfalz, Germany.

If All Else Fails

Sauvignon Blanc, Loire.

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