Nhon Hoa Sandwich Bar — Restaurant in Greater Strathcona

We actually stumbled upon this place on a whim. We were in the area to run some errands and quickly searched for a place to eat nearby. I saw Nhon Hoa and their banh mi pictures so I was willing to give it a try. That one decision made this place all the more special because it was a HIT.

We walked inside and it was pretty small. There's two tables by the front and a narrow hallway by the side of the shop that fit a couple of smaller tables against the wall. Their menu was quite extensive, they had so many options to choose from. But we came for banh mi's, and they amazingly had so many meat options to choose from. My boyfriend got the Beef Satay banh mi, and I got the Lemongrass Chicken banh mi. Also they had a big drink menu too, so I got the Black Milk Tea with boba pearls.

Service was pretty quick, wait time wasn't too long. The inside was pretty simple, very hole in the wall. We took it to go and enjoyed our food at home.

So my first impression started with the Black Milk Tea with boba. From the first sip, I knew this place was going to be a certified banger. This wasn't a fancy boba place where I could customize the sugar and ice level to my liking at different percentages, but I was astounded that the sugar level was perfect. The hint of sweetness came from the boba pearls rather than the drink itself. I didn't even have to ask or customize, but this place nailed my palette and exactly how I like my boba. If they could do that, I knew that their sandwiches would deliver.

And I was right. My Lemongrass Chicken sub was phenomenal. It was easy to tell that the bread was freshly made in house. The outside was toasted and slightly crispy, but not too hard where it scrapes the top of your mouth. But the inside part of the baguette was soft. The veggies inside tasted fresh and crisp. I don't know what's in that special mayo, but it coated the veggies and meat wonderfully. The Lemongrass Chicken was flavorful, had a great combination of sweet and savory. Both our sandwiches were wrapped and it helped so much keeping the contents and sauce from spilling everywhere.

My boyfriend got a Beef Satay sub. Both sandwiches were superb and you can't go wrong choosing between the two, but I think I was a little bit more partial towards the Beef Satay. For me I tend to choose more savory in the sweet and savory combination, and I felt like the Beef Satay had the perfect savory and umami combination together. Flavor was a bit more deeper in the Beef Satay.

I love banh mi and I have to say that this is the best banh mi I've ever had in my life. 5/5 for me. This banh mi is the one I'll always think of and compare to when I try other banh mi's. Nhon Hoa Sandwich Bar, you know what you're doing, you ATE, we ATE, you're just that girl. And I'll be loving you no matter how far...

Great little spot for a quick bite on a hot day. Fresh fruit bubble tea, salad rolls, vermicelli, Vietnamese subs... what more could you ask for?

There are 2 small tables inside and 2 small bistro size tables outside.

Free one hour parking around the corner in front of medical supply store or paid parking out front on Whyte (But 15 minutes is free!)

This has been my go to this dance comp season when I've got 1-2 hours to kill while my kiddo prepares to perform at the U of A. In the winter/colder months I like Remedy on 109th to kill time (free parking when you register your license plate).

This week I had fresh fruit mango bubble tea (excellent and not too sweet), Vietnamese iced coffee (sweeter than I prefer so next time I'd ask for more ice or add a little water), and satay beef salad rolls (decent for a quick to go).

The fresh baguettes baking in the back smelled divine but I didn't feel like eating much with this 27 degree early May heat.

Two thumbs up!

PS Cash...

A word of caution for those with any allergies: This business makes set menu items and they do not make any accommodations. They will also make no effort to give you any notice or caution.

I had the beef satay sub with specific notes for no fish or peanuts. Yes I do appreciate that fish or peanuts are often a feature of plenty of cuisine. If that was going to be an issue the business could have informed me and I would have moved on to some other item or business.

I was not properly notified that the business would not accommodate my allergy concern. Instead the business received my order with my request for no peanuts and no fish, and provided me with a sub with likely some peanuts or fish or both.

For what it's worth, the sub for the very few bites that I did take, did taste good. What reactions came afterwards was very...