We sampled the banh cuon nhan thit nuong, or steamed rice rolls with chargrilled pork, at Huynh on Emanuel for lunch the other day. The cute little rolls came crowded in a soup bowl with a vinegar and fish sauce dip on the side. I thought of them as Vietmanese pigs in a blanket. When the waitress saw us dipping each roll, she suggested we just dump the dipping sauce over top of the rolls. I guess that's why they come in a bowl.
The handmade rolls were perfectly wrapped, and the well-done charred pork was terrific. The rolls came with a garnish of green onions and fried onion crisps rather than the bed of vegetables the menu described. There are five banh cuon items on the menu at Huynh. The other choices are ground pork, fried onions, crushed dried shrimp and a combination roll. I need to branch out and try some other fillings one of these days, but the barbecued pork is hard to beat.
