Know Your Rolls: Spring Rolls, Lumpia, Egg Rolls, Chả Giò and More
Plus, Columbus Food Adventures’ holiday gift boxes are back.
Where to Find Some of the Best Rolls, Including Egg Rolls, Chả Giò, Lumpia and More
By Bethia Woolf
This summer, the roaming food influencer Rob Martinez proclaimed the egg rolls at Columbus’ own Ding Ho Restaurant to be “the best he’d ever tasted,” a proclamation that went viral to his substantial social media following. Ever since then, we’ve been thinking a lot about the Chinese-American snack as well as the wide range of unique and delicious variations found in cultures throughout the world from the Philippines to Senegal.
It didn’t take much digging to recognize that they all descend from the original Chinese spring roll—of which there are endless styles themselves. Below is a compilation of the various global variations on the theme they established, and where you can find them around Columbus.
Egg Rolls
Egg rolls are a clear and direct Chinese-American adaptation of the traditional Chinese spring roll. Their exact origin is contested, but they are often thought to have debuted in New York City sometime in the 1920s. Commonly filled with shredded cabbage, shredded carrots and a small amount of meat, typically pork (though often chicken, especially in Central Ohio), their signature bubbly crispy exterior comes from deep frying the wheat-based wrapper. The “egg” part of their name is thought to come from the addition of eggs to early versions, though that seems to have largely fallen by the wayside. A typical "New York-style" egg roll measures approximately two inches in diameter by six inches in length.
Find them locally at, well, just about every single Chinese and Chinese-American restaurant in the city. Ding Ho certainly comes highly recommended by Rob Martinez and is perfect for lovers of five spice. Other recommendations we’ve received include Dragonland, Golden Chopsticks and Asian Kitchen.
Chả Giò / Nem Rán
Chả giò, as they are known in southern Vietnam, (aka nem rán in northern Vietnam) are made with a rice paper wrap (bánh tráng), but locally they seem to be most often made with a thin wheat wrap. Vietnamese chả giò are usually smaller and thinner than egg rolls, with fillings that can include bean thread vermicelli noodles, glass noodles, cabbage, wood ear mushrooms, vegetables, ground pork, taro and shrimp. They are eaten both as a snack on their own (accompanied by nước chấm dipping sauce), and cut up for a topping on a—highly recommended—cold noodle dish known as bún chả giò. Local restaurants we recommend for chả giò and nem rán include Mi Li Cafe, Huong Vietnamese Restaurant and Lan Viet. Look to 6-1-Pho for vegan versions.
Gỏi Cuốn
Sometimes called summer rolls, fresh spring rolls or Vietnamese spring rolls, gỏi cuốn are chả giò’s fresher, unfried cousins. They are made from a moistened rice paper wrap commonly filled with ingredients such as vermicelli noodles, fresh herbs, cucumber and/or carrot as well as a protein such as pork or shrimp. You can find them locally at just about any Vietnamese restaurant in Columbus, and we’re partial to Huong’s version.
Lumpia
Lumpia are the Filipino and Indonesian versions of spring rolls, introduced by Chinese settlers and adapted to local tastes. In the Philippines, lumpia are usually filled with minced pork, but they are usually made with chicken or shrimp in Indonesia because of the large Muslim population. There are multiple regional variations of lumpia, including both fried, unfried and vegetarian varieties. The wheat-based wrapper is thin, and the filling is usually more meat-centric with few vegetables and no noodles. Filipinos also make a sweet, dessert-y version of lumpia called turón that’s filled with banana or jackfruit and drizzled with honey. Fried lumpia Shanghai are the most common type found locally. Find them at Kuya Ian’s Bistro, Bonifacio, Boni at Budd Dairy and the Sisig Experience food truck.
Nem
We were quite surprised when we first encountered nem at a Senegalese restaurant, but this African variant of spring rolls is a very popular street food in the West African country. Their origin is from Vietnamese women who married West African soldiers during the French-Indochina War and moved home with them after the war was over. Nem are made with vermicelli or glass noodles, carrot and ground meat (commonly ground beef) but sometimes with shrimp or chicken. Find them locally at Dabakh Restaurant.
Reuben Egg Rolls
Reuben egg rolls, sometimes called Irish egg rolls, use the Reuben sandwich fillings of corned beef, sauerkraut and cheese inside a deep-fried egg roll wrapper. Typically served with Thousand Island dressing as an appetizer or snack, Chef Dennis Wegner is said to have created the delicacy around 1990 at Mader's, a German restaurant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They seem to be a derivation of the corned beef egg roll that was invented in Detroit in 1978 when a Vietnamese deli employee, Kim White, was trying to use up corned beef scraps. You can find Reuben egg rolls at Dublin Village Tavern or Barley’s Brewing Co.
Notes
Around the Columbus Food Scene
The hip Tex-Mex joint El Camino Inn (238 S. Fourth St.), a sibling business to Club 185 and Little Palace, is set to close permanently this Saturday, Nov. 23. The closure of the Downtown restaurant is due to “lease negotiations,” according to an announcement on Instagram. Known for its street tacos, tortas, margaritas and retro stylings, El Camino first opened its doors in June 2012. It shut down in March 2020 because of the pandemic and did not reopen until October 2023.
In the holiday giving spirit? Columbus Food Adventures’ holiday gift boxes are back! These foodie “care packages” are carefully curated to include lovingly crafted artisan food products that are ready to enjoy right out of the box. Some of the local products featured include: spicy mustard from Schmidt’s, Owl Creek Tomme Cheese from Kokoborrego Cheese, Holiday Roast beans from Thunderkiss Coffee, buckeyes from Anthony Thomas and much more.
The Turkish American Society of Ohio (TASO) is hosting a special “Cooking Show” showcasing Uzbek cuisine from Central Asia. The cooking demo and discussion takes place 6:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23. at TASO (2885 W. Dublin-Granville Road). Reserve your seat here.