Vietnamese Egg Rolls

Vietnamese Egg Rolls & Mike Nguyen Interview Milwaukee Podcast Network

Today, on Cooking with Milwaukee Community Leaders, Teach for America Milwaukee Executive Director Mike Nguyen is featured. He chats with host Charlie. Mike shares his family’s immigrant story, his educational journey, and his leadership work in the city.

Vietnamese Egg Rolls

In the cooking segment, Mike demonstrates his favorite childhood recipe—homemade pork and shrimp egg rolls. He discusses Teach For America’s mission, funding challenges, and the importance of coaching and community.

Mike’s sons, Apollo and Russell, are willing participants and help prepare the food. And we get help from an audience member, Andre.

You can also listen to the podcast audio version of this interview and cooking episode –

Vietnamese egg rolls are known as chả giò in the South. In the North, they are called nem rán. They are one of Vietnam’s most beloved dishes. They’re crispy, aromatic, and packed with layers of flavor that come from a unique mix of ingredients and cooking techniques.

🥢 What Makes Vietnamese Egg Rolls Special?

1. The Wrapper

Vietnamese egg rolls traditionally use rice paper (bánh tráng) rather than wheat-based wrappers.

• When fried, rice paper creates a light, crackly, blistered texture.
• Northern versions often use wheat wrappers, resulting in a smoother, more uniform crust.

---

2. The Filling for Vietnamese Egg Rolls

A typical filling is finely chopped and well-balanced:

• Ground pork (or shrimp, crab, or chicken)
• Cellophane noodles (miến) made from mung beans
• Wood ear mushrooms
• Carrots
• Shallots or green onions
• Bean sprouts (optional)
• Egg (to bind)
• Fish sauce, pepper, and a touch of sugar for seasoning

---

3. Frying Technique

Vietnamese egg rolls are fried twice in many households:

• First, at a lower temperature to cook the interior.
• Then again, briefly at a higher heat for a crisp, golden finish.
• This keeps them crunchy longer, even when served with herbs and dipping sauce.

---

4. How They’re Served

Vietnamese egg rolls are usually enjoyed:

⭐ Serve with a simple dipping sauce

⭐ Vietnamese Egg Rolls as an appetizer

Wrap lettuce leaves and herbs such as mint, cilantro, and Thai basil. Dip them into nước chấm. It is a sweet–salty–tangy dipping sauce made from fish sauce, lime, sugar, garlic, and chili.

⭐ As a full dish

In bún chả giò — a noodle bowl with:

• Vermicelli rice noodles
• Herbs
• Pickled veggies
• Egg rolls
• Crushed peanuts
• Nước chấm

5. Vietnamese Egg Rolls Variations

• Chả giò hải sản – seafood version with shrimp or crab
• Nem rán Hà Nội – northern style, often lighter in color
• Vegetarian chả giò – tofu, taro, mung bean noodles, jicama, mushrooms

---

🍽️ What They Taste Like

Expect a very crisp exterior. The interior is savory, slightly sweet, and aromatic. Enjoy the bright freshness of herbs. Experience the zesty punch of dipping sauce. Every bite hits crunchy, juicy, herbal, and tangy notes at once — a very Vietnamese balance.

Cooking Secrets for Men

Please “like” our YouTube Videos and follow us on our YouTube Channel. Cooking Secrets For Men is also on other social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

If you like this recipe, Vietnamese Egg Rolls, you will also enjoy trying another one. It is our recipe for Mexican Chicken Enchiladas.

Cooking Secrets for Men in the News

We have been fortunate enough to get positive publicity for our website, YouTube channel, and Social Media presence. Here are a few examples:

Our series, Cooking with Milwaukee Community Leaders, is featured in the “Milwaukee Magazine” May 2023 edition, “Civic Gastronomy”. Click here to read the full article.

A few days later, they were discussing me on the radio. It is a local Foodie show,  “This Bites” on Radio Milwaukee 88.9, featuring dining critic Ann Christenson from Milwaukee Magazine and Radio Milwaukee’s resident foodie, Tarik Moody. My series, Cooking with Milwaukee Community Leaders, is in the show’s first few minutes.

“Cooking Secrets for Men” is on the list of the Top 20 Men’s Cooking Websites on the Internet. You can read that article here. See where we rank for Men’s Cooking Websites.

Cooking Secrets for Men is now on the list of Milwaukee’s Top 50 Foodie Influencers on Instagram.

More Articles

We were featured in a Redfin article! Check it out here: Designing the Perfect Kitchen for Home Cooks.

Shepherd Express (Milwaukee) article on our Cooking with Milwaukee Community Leaders show – you can read that article here

Good Counsel HS (My Alma Mater) Magazine article about Cooking Secrets for Men – you can read that article here.

Meet Charlie DeSando – featured in the “Voyage Tampa” article, available to read here.

CanvasRebel Magazine Interview, available here.

E-Cookbooks for free Download

All of our e-cookbooks are available on our download page. 

If you have any comments or questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at cookingsecretsformen@gmail.com.