When visiting Da Nang this autumn or upcoming winter, never miss trying the hot and delicious traditional cakes of this nice coastal city. Made from simple and local ingredients like rice flour, sticky rice flour, and fresh shrimp, through the skillful hands of locals to “bánh bèo“, “bánh bột lọc“, or “bánh nậm” will immediately explode your senses with amazing flavors. Thus, over many years, these reasonable dishes are creations that are special to this Central area and relate to the childhood of many locals. Following this rich tradition, “Bánh gói Ông Cọ” is a decades-of-years-old restaurant serving two traditional Vietnamese cakes tracing their origin almost 100 years ago, passed down through generations of the family. It is also a must-visit place for food lovers who want to taste the real authentic taste of Da Nang’s cuisine. 

The Rustic Charm of the Architecture

Although situated at the corner of a small alley of the busy downtown Hoang Dieu Street, Banh Goi Ong Co has drawn the attention of the locals, even visitors fooling around in Da Nang, with the irresistible natural fragrance of the banana-leaf-wrapped cakes wafting through the air. 

The restaurant’s design represents a minimalistic and intimate style, reflecting traditional Vietnamese characters. Rustic bamboo walls with wooden tables and chairs complete the authentic atmosphere. The tables are placed close together, creating a Vietnamese culinary experience that reflects the familiar communal culture of traditional Vietnamese restaurants. On every table is a bamboo tube that contains chopsticks and spoons. It all exudes a warm and friendly atmosphere, creating a feeling of closeness and comfort with the customers.

Traditional Family Cuisine since 1946

At the heart of the operation is Ms. Phuong, an energetic woman in her apparent fifties, stationed at the food counter right at the entrance exhilaratingly greeting one with deft hands and a warm smile that leaves marks in the mind of any visitor to the restaurant. 

As guests savor the delicious traditional cakes, Ms. Phuong opens up about her deep connection to this specialty dish, a legacy passed down from her grandmother. “During the war, my grandmother was the pillar of our family,” she begins, her voice tinged with nostalgia. “Every day, she carried a yoke on her shoulder, filled with various traditional cakes, to Xep Market, now located on Le Duan Street. Her hot cakes, steaming with fragrant vapors, always had customers eagerly waiting. She made them from simple ingredients like rice flour, sticky rice flour, and fresh shrimp. Each cake was carefully wrapped in banana leaves by her skilled hands, creating individual packages of warmth and flavor.”

Ms. Dien, her daughter-in-law, proudly supplements, “I heard that whenever the deliciously steamed fragrance of her grandmother’s leaf-wrapped cakes filled the air, people would immediately line up, packing the small alley. So, you can just imagine how delightful these cakes must be for your taste buds.”

Ms. Dien shares that she was fortunate enough to have helped her grandmother when she was young, whereby she also inherited her passion and these treasured recipes. “While helping my grandmother, I learned to handle each step of making a cake. Besides mastering the crafting skills, I also learned the meticulousness, patience, and deep cultural and family values that go with it. That is why I named the restaurant Bánh Gói Ông Cọ after my son (Cọ) so that these values will be passed the torch from my generation to a new generation in our family as my grandmother did to me.” Today, the taste of these cakes remains as a testament to her grandmother’s perseverance and has continued to be passed on through her family business.

Culinary Highlights at Bánh Gói Ông Cọ

When you pass by Bánh Gói Ông Cọ, you can never miss the trays and trays of succulent, full bánh bèo bowls on display. Bánh bèo was served in small bowls with a delicate, snow-white bottom topped with your choice of two types of shrimps-either dried or fresh and wet-fully covered in scallion oil to give off an earthy flavor. Each bowl is topped up with crispy pork skin, roasted peanuts, and fried shallots that provide the satisfying crackle to this comforting bowl. “I personally select, pre-process, and cook all the shrimp. For the dried shrimp, I steam and pound it myself because I like the perfect texture that to me, it is best to serve,” Ms. Phuong says while stirring the shrimp and meat sauce.

Bánh nậm is a bit similar in texture to bánh bèo but different in shape. It is a round, flat cake wrapped in banana leaves. At this restaurant, the shell of the cake is transparent, turning puffy white when steamed into soft and slightly chewy. The filling is a mix of very flavourful minced fresh shrimp, lean meat, sliced wood ear mushrooms, fried onions, and spices. The aromatic mixture is put right in the middle of the cake. Bánh nậm at Bánh Gói Ông Cọ always appeals to the locals’ attention with its appetizing filling and tender texture.

Another must-try dish that one should not miss at Bánh Gói Ông Cọ is bánh ít ram, which is a cake that captivates one’s interest so easily by its appearance. This delicacy is made of two layers combined into one texture, which creates a euphoric sensation. The bottom layer consists of a crispy, golden fried base that provides the crunch, while the top layer is made from glutinous rice flour and is soft, sticky, and chewy. The contrasting textures together create a delightful experience that is so surprising and satisfying when savored. These layers merge with the subtle sweetness making bánh ít ram a memorable and alluring part of the local culinary experience.

“In the afternoon, whatever free time I get, I use to soak rice and sticky rice and grind them in preparation for cake flour the following day. For me, what’s more important than anything is that my hands be in the preparing and cooking processes for all products, just to make sure that their quality still meets my grandmother’s standards. In this way, the cakes are always delicious and fresh when being served to customers, and it is also a way I remind myself each day what my passion is,” she asserts, emphasizing her firm commitment to high quality and care paid to every step of her work and toward her beloved customers too.

“However, these cakes are not complete if there doesn’t come a bowl of fish sauce of Bánh Gói Ông Cọ that is balanced to perfection, making a balance among sweet, sour, and just a tingling of spice,” Ms. Dien shares her thoughts while busy packaging cakes and fish sauce for customers. It rounds out the sharp aspects of the flavors, cuts through the richness with the acidity from the lime juice, and has just enough spice in it to give a slight kick that knits the whole together. With each further dip into the sauce or drizzle over the cakes, the experience amplifies and makes what was already a delightful cake into a truly unforgettable taste sensation.

Last but not least, “To complement our savory cakes, this refreshing drink of homemade corn milk with pandan jelly, together with these traditional treats, will give that perfect pairing,” Ms. Dien says with a warm smile as she hands over the cooling drinks. The sweetness and richness in the corn milk beautifully balance with the juicy, crunchy texture of the pandan jelly, offering a delightful contrast of textures and tastes. “Visitors, especially foreigners, mostly return and keep coming back Bánh Gói Ông Cọ for this unique sweet milk, which no one can resist trying out once,” she adds with a proud tone.

Bánh Gói Ông Cọ
Address: 338/14a Hoang Dieu, Hai Chau, Da Nang
Tel: 0794080808
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BanhGoiCongCo
Opening: 6AM – 7PM