Bon Bon Vietnamese Sandwiches (wicker park)

Was- new bahn mi place in bucktown/wicker park??

help, does anyone know where this place is ? someone mentioned that a bahn mi shop has recently or is about to open and i'm very excited. i'm addicted to them and the schlep up to ba le (or nhu lan) is a long one. i never liked the bahn mi at fan si pan, so didnt mind when they closed. but if a new place exists and the food is good, this is news i can use. justjoan

(edit in of address)
Bon Bon Vietnamese Sandwiches
2333 W North Ave
Chicago, IL
773-278-5800

No idea if it's any good, but it's only a few blocks from me.

The place is called Bon Bon, 2333 West North Ave.

I'll let you know if I try it before you do.

I'm curious, too.

Read this interview with the owner last month. Sound like it's going to be pricier and less authentic than the existing Vietnamese-run spots. But, by focusing on quality ingredients, it may be as good or better.

I've been to Ba Le and Nhu Lan and think they are both only okay. They satisfy banh mi cravings, but they're just not spectacular. So, I'm looking forward to trying this new spot.

Ronna

thanks lancelac and Ronna. the place is 2 blocks from me. i'll be there soon and will report back, also. justjoan

I was there a few weeks ago. The owner could only be described as 'flustered' and the bahn mi just blah. Really nothing special. Which was a huge let down. Though I suppose there is something to be said for a place nearby (to me) rather than going to Lincoln Square (my new favorite) or Argyle.

I recently went to Bon Bon to try the (local - YEAH) banh mi. I had the classic and thought 'meh.' Decent bread. Fresh tasting. I enjoyed the pickled veggies, but something was missing from the meat - not enough flavor, perhaps too skimpy on the pate?

The menu is small - 5 types of banh mi and bubble tea. Inexpensive ~$4. Very nice owner. The decor is a bit precious, Hello Kitty meets Sailor Moon or somesuch (yeah, I know I'm dating myself - whatever.)

It was cheap, close, and good enough that I will be back to try the other banh mi (char siu, ginger chicken).

The decor is a bit precious, Hello Kitty meets Sailor Moon or somesuch

That's one of the funnier things I've seen this week.

I went and thought it was good. had the minced pork. I thought the vegetables were good, and the sandwich was a lot better than anything else I know of for four dollars.

I was excited for a place to serve Banh Mi reasonably close to home. Upon eating there, I was sure that I liked both the Char Siu and the "Banh Mi", but I was also sure that the Banh Mi wasn't what I was used to or what I wanted when I wanted Banh Mi. It was a good sandwich at a decent price, but it wasn't Banh Mi.

The biggest selling point for me when I go to Argyle (or even Lawrence Ave.) is the baguette. This baguette here wasn't nearly crunchy enough and lacked the "it" quality from places that do it right. The pork wasn't as funky as I like it and the texture was a little tame, but it doesn't make it a bad sandwich. It is just a different animal.

I went a couple of weeks after it opened and I have to agree with the 'blah' assessment. I could have easily made a better sandwich myself. And while I'm sure it's perfectly sanitary, the setup in there just seems sloppy and not thought out. Even though it's way closer than other, superior bahn mi shops, I don't feel tempted by it.

Mike Sula just posted his take on Bon Bon at The Food Chain:

Mike Sula at The Food Chain wrote:. . . by advancing the spread of banh mi, Bon Bon is doing a good thing for Wicker Park and a good thing for all.

Bon Bon Sandwiches and the state of banh mi

=R=

The menu is small - 5 types of bahn mi and bubble tea. Inexpensive ~$4

Woah, woah ............... woah?!?!?!?!?, $4 Bahn Mi Sandwiches, looks like I'll be hitting this place up daily. The limited selections will also benefit my inevitable indecisiveness. The old noggin isn't as sharp as it used to be and I seem to be lacking the cognitive resources to make that big choice when people are waiting behind me in line. Think pee shy.

My most recent visit, I tried the char siu banh mi and lemongrass tofu spring roll. The sandwich didn't work for me. The pork was rather dry and I expected jalapeno/chile slices - but perhaps I needed to request that?

The spring roll was tasty. The tofu was flavorful and the veggies/herbs were light and fresh. Peanut dipping sauce added richness. Bon Bon also has lemongrass chicken spring rolls - 2 for ~$4, IIRC.

The pork was rather dry and I expected jalapeno/chile slices - but perhaps I needed to request that?

i really, really want this place to work. i live nearby and would prefer not to have to drive up to argyle street for my bahn mi fix (i prefer ba le to nhu lan). but, i'm so annoyed by my recent visit to bon bon that i dont know if i'll go back to even try the other sandwiches. i ordered the classic (pate, ham, mystery meat) and politely asked the sandwichmaker for extra jalepeno. i was the only customer- there clearly was a vat of jalepeno slices on the work table, and jalepeno should ALWAYS go in this sandwich. the guy said, 'sure'. but when i got my sandwich home there was ONE jalepeno slice, way too much carrot, too little daikon, no pate, and no mystery meat, only very ordinary ham. and the entire crust on the bread cracked off, and fell to my plate when i bit into it. that was really weird. what a disaster.... justjoan

When I first moved from Uptown (1 block from Ba Le) to Bucktown last summer, I found myself hungry and with a boxed up kitchen. I popped in to Bon Bon, expecting overpriced, mediocre banh mi, and was surprised when the product was even worse than I imagined. Too-sweet, greasy pork in a chewy roll, with too much carrot & daikon, not enough jalapeno, and mayo (even though I asked for it without). Less than half way through, I tossed it; not worth eating.

Today, I decided I'd give it another shot - I was hungry, had an empty fridge, and am currently unable to ride my bike anywhere better.

Lemongrass tofu was now on the menu. Could it be that they were serving up Nhu Lan's lemongrass tofu? No. It was microwaved chunks of previously-fried, flavorless tofu, with green leaf lettuce (wtf?!), tomato (?!!?), avocado, a wet wad of pickled carrots, and heat-free jalapenos, all nestled in a chewy, microwaved baguette.

This one didn't last 3 bites before I tossed it.

-Dan

Today, I decided I'd give it another shot - I was hungry, had an empty fridge, and am currently unable to ride my bike anywhere better

-Dan

yeah, i gave bon bon 2 visits as well before calling it quits. unbelievably bad. while i make it to ba le about twice a month, it hurts living so close to a place that could, if it tried, provide bahn mi 's closer to home. justjoan

btw, this dreadful place is in wicker park, not bucktown.

One of my personal LTH rules: if the contents of a thread can be moved seamlessly to the "Worst Thing You've Eaten Lately" discussion, cross it off the list.

Justjoan, I have to ask - given the awfulness of the first visit, was the second one inspired by a kind of academic curiosity about whether it was possible to be that bad twice?

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:One of my personal LTH rules: if the contents of a thread can be moved seamlessly to the "Worst Thing You've Eaten Lately" discussion, cross it off the list.

Justjoan, I have to ask - given the awfulness of the first visit, was the second one inspired by a kind of academic curiosity about whether it was possible to be that bad twice?

yes, exactly! plus, it's in my neighborhood and a bahn mi restaurant is my first choice for the kind of inexpensive take away restaurant i'd chose to live near, so i wanted to give bon bon every possible chance to do things right. it's also got a wonderful laid back vibe, with an old sofa and armchairs to lounge in. but between my 2 visits and dansch's 2, i think they've been given a fair shot at producing something edible and they can't do it.

it's a very inexpensive meal, so i wouldn't categorically discourage someone from trying it, if they want to find out for themselves how awful this place truly is. let's just say they've been warned..... justjoan

Hi Joan,
It sounds like you've made up your mind, but to keep giving a small independent neighborhoody place a chance, I might suggest that you try the chicken. I have eaten it several times and found it a surprisingly good sandwich, especially for $5. It's a version of vietnamese caramel chicken that isn't too sweet, and I always think the generous carrots and cilantro give great balance.