I was introduced to banh cuon on my first visit to Vietnam, on a trip to Hanoi with friends. It was served on the breakfast menu at the Sofitel Metropole and I liked it so much I ate several portions before we headed out in search of a second breakfast. To our surprise, we found a street vendor making it so I ate even more.
Banh cuon is similar to Chinese cheung fun (rice-flour rolls), where a thin paste of ground rice and water is cooked on a cloth set over a steamer before being placed on an oiled plate (the oil prevents it from sticking) and rolled or folded. Both dishes are judged on their smoothness; the best have a silken texture. It can be served plain (where it's eaten with herbs after being dipped in fish sauce) or folded around ingredients such as minced pork, mushrooms and fried shallots. As I discovered on that first trip to Vietnam, banh cuon is a popular breakfast dish, although some vendors make it throughout the day.