A large, thin, turmeric-yellow rice-flour crêpe fried crisp and folded over shrimp, pork, bean sprouts, and sometimes mung bean.
Torn into pieces, wrapped in lettuce or mustard leaf with herbs, and dipped in nước chấm. Eating it with your hands is normal and expected.
Central & South
Southern bánh xèo are big and coconut-rich. Central versions (and the related bánh khoái of Huế) are smaller, thicker, and sometimes served with a peanut-sesame sauce instead.
A social dish — someone stands at the stove making them one at a time while everyone else eats immediately, which makes it a family-gathering food.