Street snacks - my childhood's favorite - Part Three

I think every of us has some favorite snack in our childhood, how much we wish to have, love to eat, and sometime ready to fight for it! 

I remember one evening, when I was about 10 year old, before dinner, I was so upset because my mom didn't allow me to do some kid's things, in tears I said to mom :" I go away, I don't come back!". And I did. But my "go away", my "don't come back" can last only for 15 minutes, where did I go in this 15 minutes ? 

I went to a street hawker near to my parent's house to watch how he prepared "bánh tiêu" (deep fried Chinese donut) on small table and next to him - big pan with boiling oil! At that time I was always surprised how this small dough became a big donut in the oil! To me it's like a magic!

Bánh bò or honeycomb cake 

But we don't eat usually "bánh tiêu" alone, we eat with another also "magical" cake (at least to me!), "bánh bò"! I don't know how to call it in English, but at certain places they call "steamed rice cake" or "honeycomb cake"! Bánh bò literally means "cow cake" (!?) some people said this name comes from its inner texture which resembles beef liver ! Really no idea!

Honeycomb cake with deep fried Chinese donut (bánh tiêu)

Bánh bò made from rice flour, yeast, sugar, sometime with coconut milk or pandan leaf extract. This cake can be steamed or baked! I prefer steamed, less oil! I said magical because so difficult for me to make this cake perfect. It should be soft, fluffy but chewy, nice and smooth texture, nice flavor. Mine is just a disaster!

Another version of honeycomb cake! Smaller,  sweeter  and tastier 

Street vendor of honeycomb cake, deep fried Chinese donut and char-way

Street vendor of honeycomb cake (bánh bò), deep fried Chinese donut (bánh tiêu), char-way (giò cháo quẩy - in the photo). He's not the one in my childhood's story but wooden desk, big pan with oil, "magic" dough ... are the very same! You still see three pieces of dough with filling on his desk, that  the vendor prepares for deep fried chinese filled bun (bánh bao chiên)!  

Where to buy: at many street corners, esp.  in district 5, near to schools, but my favorite is at Tran Binh Trong street, near to my old catholic school Chí Thiện (now renamed Trần Bình Trọng)! Business hours: from 3:00 PM - 5:00PM!