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Meet Daniel Ngo and David Pham of Banh Xeo Boys in Santa Ana, Orange County

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Ngo and David Pham.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
David and I met at work about eight years ago. It was your typical 8-5, clock in, clock out, sit at a desk, call center type of work. My boss set me up with David, he was my trainer in the call center. We got to know each other and realized we had a lot in common outside of work as far as sports teams (Lakers and Green Bay Packers), music (Hip-hop/Reggae) and FOOD (everything). Especially since we were able to relate to the same home cooked Vietnamese dishes from our moms. We were always going out to try new dishes. We were going to a lot of food truck meets at the time and would always say it would so cool to have our own truck one day. But if you asked us what we would’ve served out of the truck, we had no idea. We love a good burger and taco like everyone else. We were always trying to improve on a dish that we had tried, but it never quite worked out like we intended.

We then started to think that we could make and sell tacos. But we really had no experience other than, we knew what we liked in a taco and how we thought it should taste. While researching the taco side of catering business and trying to design a cart with as low a budget as possible, light bulb! We noticed that the process of cooking Banh Xeo “Vietnamese Crepes” is very similar to process for making a taco with handmade tortillas. Banh Xeo was something traditionally made in both of our households for special occasions since it is very labor intensive to prepare and cook. And when our moms would make Banh Xeo you wouldn’t see her eat until everyone has eaten since she has to man the stove and make everyone a hot fresh crepe.

We started to look into used taco cart equipment to see what we could use. We then realized there was no playbook for what we were about to do so basically we had to figure it out ourselves. We looked into how French Crepe catering and Taco catering was being done at the time and created our own setup.

But we still didn’t know how to cook a decent Banh Xeo. So we both went to our sources, our moms. We realized that both of them had opted to use a pre-mix batter from the Asian Market and all we had to do was add liquids and fry the Banh Xeo. That was easier said than done. The first few that we attempted came out like omelettes. We decided if we were really going to try and sell these that we should make our batter from scratch and so we did. We had a few dinner parties, invited friends, they gave us real feedback. Most were saying, “it’s not crispy enough, or not enough coconut flavor, or not as good as my moms”. So we tried again and again and again and we finally dialed in a recipe that everyone now seems to really enjoy and the best part is that we were able to keep it Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Egg Free.

We bought the equipment for about ($1500) and filed as an LLC in 2019. We got our first catering job in May 2019 and no idea how to quote or charge the client, luckily she was very understanding and was willing to work with us new kids on the block. Long story short for our first event we were overpacked and underprepared. But the guests told us that the food was pretty good and that it was a great idea and to keep going. So we did.

We continued to improve our recipe and little by little and dialed it in. The catering jobs were just starting to come in. To the point where we were booked weeks ahead, months ahead. Keep in mind we were only catering on the weekends because we still had M-F jobs. But after work Thurs. and Fri. is when we would do all of our prep work for the weekend’s events.

We were juggling our regular jobs, catering and trying to find a place to do a pop event. We settled on 4th St. Market and then Covid-19 hit and everything was up in the air. All of our events got canceled, we had to issue a bunch of refunds on deposits.

But even with everything going on, we now have an opportunity to provide curbside takeout and delivery Thursday – Sunday 12pm-8pm (via Grubhub, Doordash and Postmates). We even have Cook-At-Home Banh Xeo Kits so guests can cook at home also.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Not at all. We’ve basically learned as we went along. How to file for LLC, paying taxes, applying for health permits. Thank goodness for Google. Neither of us have ever run our own business let alone a fully customer service based on-site catering company. We still continue to learn everyday. Now we are learning how to run it in more of a restaurant setting vs. the outdoor catering setting.

Banh Xeo Boys – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are the Banh Xeo Boys, we specialize in Vietnamese Crepes knows as Banh Xeo. The word “Xeo” describes the sizzling sound the batter makes when hitting the hot pan. The word “Banh” is a general word for any type of bread or cake. We’d like to bring new light to and old traditional Vietnamese dish that not many are familiar with. Our bold flavors and exceptional customer service definitely sets us apart.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Being able to take care of and provide for my family. Breaking the norm and being able to work for ourselves.

Pricing:

  • The Saigon Hangover (Choice of Pork Belly or Chicken) $12.50 +tax
  • The Lonely Fisherman (Shrimp) $13.50 +tax
  • Flour Power (Vegan Option; zucchini + mushrooms) $12.50 +tax
  • Chicken Gone Fishin’ (Chicken + Shrimp) $14.50 +tax
  • Swimming Pig (Pork Belly + Shrimp) $14.50 +tax
  • Cook-At-Home Banh Xeo Kit (Includes everything you need to make about 4-5 Banh Xeo)

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