Nhon Hoa Sandwich Bar (Whyte Ave)
10154 - 82 Ave NW, Edmonton AB
On Whyte Avenue, east of 102 Street, there is a round sign projecting over the sidewalk, picturing a tiny cartoon chef hoisting a huge sandwich over his shoulder. This is Nhon Hoa, south Edmonton’s preeminent spot for banh mi, Vietnamese submarine sandwiches.
Banh mi are served on long rolls called baguettes, though they are not really the same thing as the Parisienne baguettes they make (for instance) down the street at Boulangerie Bonjour. Banh mi baguettes have been smartly re-worked into a more user-friendly sandwich bread: they are shorter, narrower, more tender, and more delicately crisp than their French progenitors. While the fillings are limitless, the bread is invariably smeared with mayonnaise and packed with lightly pickled vegetables (always carrots, sometimes also daikon), cucumber spears, a generous bouquet of cilantro, and rounds of sliced jalapeño.
Nhon Hoa is a small, homey place, the counters charmingly cluttered with trays of glowing green pandan jelly, packets of Goldfish crackers, and hand-written placards advertising the week’s specials. Underneath the main counter, on the floor, is one of the small altars customary in Vietnamese homes and businesses.
The house special at most banh mi shops is a cold-cut combo. At Nhon Hoa this is the modestly titled “#3 Combo”, a pleasantly approachable nose-to-tail pork experience. It contains a mild liver pâté spread; Vietnamese sausage that looks like a greyish version of baloney, subtly flavoured with anise and punctuated with black peppercorns; bacon roll that seems to be thin lardons of un-rendered pork belly; and a lovely pressed headcheese made with rosy cured pork and aspic. The exotically spiced charcuterie, the forceful cilantro, and the undulating heat of the jalapeño work together to make a sandwich that is simultaneously punchy, complex, and comforting.
Besides the cold-cuts there are scads of hot sandwich fillings to explore: grilled pork, ochre-stained chicken satay, and shredded tofu, to name a few. “Juicy meatballs”, if not exactly as advertised, are certainly moist and tender. All sandwiches come lightly toasted, gently steaming in their tight plastic wrapping.
For a self-described sandwich bar, Nhon Hoa’s offerings are expansive. There are fried items like spring rolls and green onion cakes, a variety of soups, noodle bowls, blended drinks, and bubble tea. In the pop fridge you can also find homemade sweets like corn pudding, potted flan, and a layered concoction of coconut cream and chewy green squiggles.
Nhon Hoa has another location downtown, on 106 Avenue. There is also a business called “Nhon Hoa 2” on 97 Street which, despite its similar name, is almost certainly unrelated: the menu and the sandwiches are noticeably different, and there is no heroic cartoon chef on the signage.
