World’s first Sizzlewich restaurant opening in Charlotte and serving up Vietnamese stuffed crepes

“My grandmother always cooked for me, and one of my favorite foods was banh xeo, a Vietnamese crepe/pancake,” owner Tony Vo told the Agenda.

Sizzlewich will have an open layout, so you will be able to see how the Sizzlewiches are made.

What exactly is a Sizzlewich?

It’s Tony’s name for a banh xeo, which is a Vietnamese rice flour crepe stuffed with meats and toppings.

“It’s unlike anything you have ever tasted,” said Tony. “It’s crispy on the outside and full of flavors on the inside. It’s best when you eat it right away after it’s cooked.”

Made with rice flour, a banh xeo is filled with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts, and served on a bed of lettuce, fresh mint, and basil with a side of spicy dipping sauce.

Banh xeo translates to “sizzling cake” which describes the sizzling sound when the rice batter is poured onto a hot pan. Thus the restaurant name, Sizzlewich.

The idea is a tribute to Tony’s grandmother who had a banh xeo ready for him every time he came home from school as a kid. “Because of her dedication, I made a promise to myself that I would one day open up a restaurant that served banh xeo.”

As Tony reflected on his new Sizzlewich concept, he told me that he lives by the following Herman Melville quote: “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.”