The bánh xèo Saigon, shrimp and pork belly crispy savory crepe is seen along with other menu items at Xeo Yum along Long Point Road in Houston, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
Pho and banh mi may be the darlings of Houston’s Vietnamese food scene, but Cuong Nguyen wants more people to discover banh xeo.
A savory crepe from Southern Vietnam, banh xeo is made from a rice flour batter tinged with turmeric. The batter is swirled into a paper-thin crepe and filled with caramelized pork belly, shrimp and bean sprouts, then served with fresh herbs and sweet-and-sour fish sauce.
Nguyen has built a strong following for his banh xeo since launching Xeo Yum at Conservatory food hall in 2023, becoming one of Houston’s first restaurants dedicated entirely to the niche dish. When the food hall abruptly closed last year, Xeo Yum was forced to shut down with it.
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After a yearlong hiatus, Nguyen is back with a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Spring Branch, the neighborhood where he grew up.
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Xeo Yum reopened this week at 10049 Long Point, receiving a flood of customers in its first days, Nguyen said. Before the restaurant’s return, he said his customer base would constantly ask when he would open again. He’s had customers who have driven from Beaumont and Alvin. Restaurant hours will be limited until a late July grand opening. Daily open times can be found on the restaurant’s social media.
Owner and chef Cuong Nguyen makes bahn xeo at his newly opened restaurant Xeo Yum.
Jason Fochtman / Houston Chronicle
“My ultimate goal was to come back to Spring Branch, to serve my community,” Nguyen said. “I want to introduce more Vietnamese cuisine to the masses… Everybody knows banh mi and pho, but we’re more than that.”
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The name Xeo Yum, pronounced like “say-oh yum,” is a play on “so yum,” Nguyen said. The restaurant is an extension of his food hall stall with a map of Vietnam at the entrance, Vietnamese umbrellas hanging from the ceiling, bamboo on the windows and a large-scale photo of 1970s Vietnam.
While banh xeo continues to be the signature dish, the menu also includes spring rolls, pho, tamarind wings and vermicelli plates. Some of his favorite dishes are indicated on the menu like bo ne, a steak and eggs dish served in a skillet, along with bo luc lac, known as shaking beef. He plans to add weekly specials in the future.
“Banh xeo isn’t a mainstream dish; it’s more of a street food in Vietnam, but it’s getting more popular since we opened our last restaurant,” Nguyen said.
Various menu items from Xeo Yum, including Bô Né, sizzling steak and eggs, are seen in Houston, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
Bò lúc lac, rice with shaking beef, is seen at Xeo Yum along Long Point Road in Houston, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
Owner Cuong Nguyen serves variations of authentic Vietnamese dishes at Xeo Yum along Long Point Road in Houston, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
Nem núöng cuôn, grilled pork sausage rolls, is seen at Xeo Yum along Long Point Road in Houston, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
Various menu items from Xeo Yum, including Bô Né, sizzling steak and eggs, are seen in Houston, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
The bánh xèo Saigon, shrimp and pork belly crispy savory crepe is seen along with other menu items at Xeo Yum along Long Point Road in Houston, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
Bô Né, sizzling steak and eggs, is seen at Xeo Yum along Long Point Road in Houston, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
Bô Né, sizzling steak and eggs, is seen at Xeo Yum along Long Point Road in Houston, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
The bánh xèo Saigon, shrimp and pork belly crispy savory crepe is seen at Xeo Yum along Long Point Road in Houston, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
Nem núöng cuôn, grilled pork sausage rolls, is seen at Xeo Yum along Long Point Road in Houston, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
Patrons dine at Xeo Yum along Long Point Road in Houston, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
Patrons dine at Xeo Yum along Long Point Road in Houston, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
Xeo Yum along Long Point Road in Houston, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
Nguyen immigrated from Vietnam to Houston at the age of 10. He hadn’t worked in a kitchen until he started Xeo Yum, but he had always been interested in food, especially his mother’s cooking.
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His life changed in 2013 when he was diagnosed with kidney disease. On dialysis, he was forced to navigate food and cooking in a different way to fit a new diet that most people would consider bland. He received a kidney transplant in 2021, and took that as his second chance.
He always loved his mother’s home cooking and knew he wanted to open a Vietnamese restaurant. After cooking for friends and family, he got an opportunity to run a three day popup at his friend’s food stall at the former Houston food hall Railway Heights Market in 2022. The popup quickly gained traction and he sold out every day.
“My destiny is to be in the kitchen,” he said. “When you love what you do, you’ll never get tired of it.”