Jamie wrote:It was open on Tuesdays for a while, then reverted to being closed on that day. I think that was last year sometime. I'm pretty sure it was commented on somewhere on LTH.

i went looking in the old posts for that very info. and when i couldnt find it i posted it again. so others do make my mistake of showing up more than once on tuesday at nhu lan. it never hurts to repeat that sort of information, IMO. justjoan

G Wiv wrote:Hours are 8am to 8pm, closed on Tuesdays. I added the hours to the original post to avoid confusion.

Nhu Lan Bakery & Sandwiches
2612 W Lawrence
773-878-9898
8am - 8pm
Closed Tuesday

Can I have a cross-street clue, please? I'm having a hard time finding this address on the map.

Katie wrote:Can I have a cross-street clue, please? I'm having a hard time finding this address on the map.

It's just west of Rockwell, on the north side of the street. There is metered parking right in front.

Just returned from a maiden voyage.

Great sandwiches, and certainly the finest examples of banh mi I've had. We shared a #1 and a #5, both were gone without a second thought. What really won me over about Nhu Lan's rendition was the bread, which possessed a crispy but delicate crust that gave way to a light interior, and the judicious amount of filling, neither overwhelming nor overwhelmed by the bread.

We also tried the Vietnamese iced coffee. They had to brew up a batch fresh for us, since it wasn't a prime coffee-drinking time of day, but the wait was worth it. It was bursting with intense roast coffee flavor, and my only complaint was that I didn't order one for the road.

I'll gladly join the chorus on this one. Thanks, LTH.

I too am happy to join the chorus of praise for Nhu' Lan Bakery. We made our first trip there last weekend and I was immensely pleased by everything we tasted, the range of quality offerings and the vibe, which was friendly, enthusiastic and helpful.

Even though we were trying to save room for other stops (we were touring GNR nominees), the 3 of us ended up eating the better part of 3 sandwiches and some shrimp spring rolls . . .


#1, Lan Dac Biet - ham, headcheese, pate, pork rolls



#4, Thit Nuong - lemongrass grilled pork



#5, Thit Ba Ro - pate, seasoned pork belly



Shrimp Spring Roll

I could not believe how fresh and wonderful these sandwiches were. The salads, the herbs and the meats on them were sensational and delivered intense flavors and interesting textures that worked so well together. I honestly could not pick a favorite because I loved so much about each of them. But the trump card was the bread, which was just amazing. The lightness and crustiness were notably spectacular. I joked that on bread that oustanding, even Carl Buddig cold cuts would have produced a completely respectable sandwich. We bought 3 demi-baguettes for a buck to take with us, along with a spicy pork roll and a mango smoothie that was quite tasty, too.

This is a wonderful place that I've known about for a while but I'd never made a priority of stopping in. Now, it will be a regular one for me. Just wonderful.

=R=


(4000)

Finally made it up to Nhu Lan a few days back, and all I can say is - thanks again, LTH. What a gem. I kept it pretty simple, a No. 5 and a side of sticky rice with chicken, as well as a green tea in a can. I don't know where to begin - the delightful staff, the magnificent bread, the fresh, clear and exotic flavors of the sandwich, the almost laughably low prices. Given those prices, and the enticing if unfamiliar food items everywhere you look, it's definitely the kind of place where you have to remind yourself your wallet is bigger than your appetite, and in light of my reluctance to waste food, I held back. But this is the kind of place that makes you want to try one of everything on the menu, so it's definitely going into the regular lunchtime rotation.

When the banh mi craving hits, I usually head over to Ba Le because it's conveniently located to me and I find all of the food to be quite good. That being said, the pork belly banh mi at Nhu Lan was calling my name and I also wanted to try the lemongrass tofu, so I headed over there today to pick up some lunch. Along with the pork belly and lemon grass tofu, I got banh gio, labeled as a "mushroom pork cake." It was a rice dumpling stuffed with quail eggs, minced pork, and mushrooms wrapped and cooked in a banana leaf.

The Goods


Lemongrass Tofu Banh Mi


Pork Belly Banh Mi


Banh Gio-Mushroom Pork Cake


The banh mi was good. Pork belly was tasty fatty goodness as always, and the lemongrass tofu was a revelation. I agree with others that it's amazing it's actually tofu, cause it looks kinda like beef jerky and tastes meaty. I thought it by itself might have been too sweet, but with a little bit of the jalapeno, the flavors balanced out. I was really let down though by the bread both were served on today. There was a complete lack of a crusty crunch...the bread was completely soft with none of that glorious crustiness that makes Ba Le's banh mi so good. This wasn't an issue on my last visit, so I'll chalk it up to it just being an unfortunate, yet random occurrence.

The banh gio on the other hand just wasn't doing it for me in both flavor and texture. The filling was rather bland, and combined with the rice cake it was wrapped in, made for a flavorless and mushy experience. I ended up adding some Sriracha to it in order to liven it up a bit.

Overall, I was a bit underwhelmed with my lunch of Nhu Lan. While I loved the flavors and the generous portions of the banh mi filling, the bread brought it down for me, and the banh gio just wasn't for me. That being said, I'll be back because there are still other things I'd like to try and I think/hope the bread issue was just an aberration.

I had a banh mi (#4) from Nhu Lan yesterday and the bread was as crunchy as ever. You were just unfortunate today!

pigOut wrote:I was really let down though by the bread both were served on today. There was a complete lack of a crusty crunch...the bread was completely soft with none of that glorious crustiness that makes Ba Le's banh mi so good. This wasn't an issue on my last visit, so I'll chalk it up to it just being an unfortunate, yet random occurrence.

I agree that this was most likely a random occurrence. In my experience, I have found Nhu Lan's bread to be consistently outstanding with a great crust. Personally, I think Nhu Lan is head and shoulders above Ba Le, and worth the extra drive.

I also made my first trip to Nhu Lan this weekend and tried the #4 (Grilled pork). Can't believe how cheap and good this was. Thanks LTH!

Also made a trip to Hoosier Mama after that. It was a pretty great day.

had one on saturday and the bread was perfect

pigOut wrote:The banh gio on the other hand just wasn't doing it for me in both flavor and texture. The filling was rather bland, and combined with the rice cake it was wrapped in, made for a flavorless and mushy experience. I ended up adding some Sriracha to it in order to liven it up a bit.

We typically eat banh gio with a dash of Maggi and occasionally with Siracha as well.

I continue to lament that Chicago is so sprawling. If it wasn't--or if this place was closer to me--I'd come here all the time. As it is, it's hard to justify dealing with weekend traffic to spend just a few dollars on banh mi and Vietnamese staples, even if they are quite tasty. The place is super cute in a utilitarian way, but it's not destination dining.

I'd call Nhu Lan less a bakery than a bakery/deli. The prepared foods, all shrink-wrapped and ready to go, are simple but quite tasty. Love that they just pop your selection from the cold case into the microwave for heating. Nothing too serious. Low brow in a refreshing way. It also helps that the staff is super friendly. We must've been asked if we enjoyed everything at least three times.

Got food to last me a good portion of the coming week and spent about $15. You're not paying for waitstaff or decor, and prices reflect this. I think the most expensive of the banh mi tops at at $3.75 for a larger-than-expected sandwich. I can get behind that. Definitely.

Steamed rice crepes

Again, nothing groundbreaking, but I've missed Vietnamese food so much that this was about perfect.

Various gio

These would obviously benefit from being made fresh, but all things considered these were quite good. Generously filled, nice hit of mint. I enjoyed my bites thoroughly.

We ate a lot more, I just didn't take pictures. Some sticky rice with chicken was a perfect portion for <$2. The banh mi aren't your highfalutin, whiteboy 'wiches trendy in sports bars these days. Some nice cartilagey bits in the head cheese. The pork belly should be more tender but was high on porky flavor.

Banh mi nerds, self included, tend to geek out about bread. This was pretty solid. Properly crispy, good crust-interior ratio. The crumb, however, was not quite as distinctive as one gets in Vietnam itself. Not sure how much, if any, rice flour is being used here, but I thought the crumb could've been just a bit more delicate.

I really enjoyed Nhu Lan, the food and the experience. I'm definitely going to go back, I just have to be willing to make the trek.

As it is, it's hard to justify dealing with weekend traffic to spend just a few dollars on banh mi and Vietnamese staples, even if they are quite tasty.

I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you gave them extra money so the trip seems worthwhile to you.

OK, due to you guys' influence, my partner and I went there today for a quick, informal lunch.

Winner!

I had the Banh Mi sandwich with headcheese and ham (I think it was...it was the #8) and he had the sandwich with bbq pork (#4). Mine was great--bread was good with a good crunch to the roll, lovely vege's and pepper's inside, just the right amount of heat/cilantro, etc. Loved it. The bbq pork sandwich was also excellent, as I tasted it.

The Spring Rolls weren't as good, as they had been made who knows how long ago and didn't seem searingly fresh...perfectly fine, but not in the same quality level as the sandwiches.

OK, a new place on my lunchtime rotation when I want a trip from home....especially on a day like today when it was 60 degrees for a November lunchtime afternoon.

I had lunch there today as well. A delicious #4 with extra jalapenos and a pate chaud. Lately, that's been my go to order at Nhu Lan.

stevez wrote:I had lunch there today as well. A delicious #4 with extra jalapenos and a pate chaud. Lately, that's been my go to order at Nhu Lan.

So you're the one who ate my pate chaud! I was there for lunch today also--but a little late. I had planned to take a couple of pates chaud (pate chauds?) home with me, but they were out of them by the time I got there. I went with my usual--the #2 (pate, ham, and pork roll). So good! (but I must remember to order extra jalapenos the next time I go).

I live three blocks away from Nhu Lan, so when the craving strikes, it's easy to fulfill.
Last night I called around 7:15 to make sure they were still open. I recognized the owner's voice on the other end; she said they usually close at 7:00, but if I wanted, she would make me a sandwich and wait for me to come pick it up. Though I felt guilty, I knew I could not resist that offer. I was there within ten minutes, and my lemongrass tofu sandwich was waiting for me, along with the one remaining pate chaud. Both were as good as they'd be at any point in the day, and of course the staff was just as eager to serve as they are during the lunch rush. I raced home to inhale my delicious score, all the while reconsidering my future plans of moving away from Lincoln Square next year.

That's why this place is a GNR.

I've stopped in to Nhu Lan once looking for spring rolls (I'm only a couple blocks from here) and I didn't find any. All I found, to my disappointment at the time, was a sandwich shop.

When I was a little younger, my mother used to eat vietnamese sandwiches a lot. She absolutely loved them. I was so excited when I was able to try my first one. I grabbed it, took a big bite...and spit it out! It was FULL of cartilage, fat, and other untasty things.

I've since been SOOO tempted to try another banh mi, but to be perfectly honest, I'm afraid to. The thought of having another mouth full of yuckiness turns me away. So my question to you lot is:
What is safe for a sqeamish girl like me to eat? I love pate, and I love pork, beef, chicken (if it isn't dry) sans the fatty tissues etc... I've actually walked in a second time, and been slightly intimidated by the menu and not knowing what has the yuckies in it, so I just left without ordering anything.
Any suggestions? This would be the perfect place for me to grab a quick bite here and there if I only knew what to order.
Cheers!

Get the lemongrass chicken.

Or the lemongrass tofu. Good gateway banh mi, methinks.

Picked up some lemon grass tofu banh mi from Nhu Lan today and was disappointed that the bread was again completely devoid of any crustiness/crunch...it was just way too soft. Maybe this is just a Sunday around noon issue, because the last time I went was a Sunday around the same time. In any case, the situation was remedied by tossing it in a low oven for a couple minutes. I also got some banh cuon tom (shrimp crepes) which were absolutely delicious and with some wonton and roast pork soup from Sun Wah, rounded out a great lunch.

banh cuon tom (shrimp crepes)

I hadn't been to Nhu Lan in far too long, but a craving sent me there today. I arrived at 11, much earlier than normal, hoping they'd be open. They were, and I found to my delight that my early arrival time meant the best lemongrass tofu sandwich I have ever eaten. The bread was steaming hot, the sandwich filling obviously fresh. I will make an effort to stop by at this time more often!

My wife and I have been on a Nhu Lan kick recently. We especially like the lemongrass tofu, though none have been disappointing. Yesterday we tried the grilled pork (#4) for the first time and really like it. Their croissants, fried rice, rice pudding, etc are also great.

Do they have seating?

They have 2-3 tables that you can sit at. The Banh Mi are great. Others disagree, but I think Ba Le's are just as good if not better, if only because their bread is always fresh.

Habibi wrote:Others disagree, but I think Ba Le's are just as good if not better, if only because their bread is always fresh.

Count me amongst those who disagree. I live 1.5 blocks from Ba Le and regularly chose to go to Nhu Lan instead. As far as bread, I've never had anything but extremely fresh bread at Nhu Lan - often still warm from the oven.

Don't get me wrong - both places make tasty sandwiches. Glad to live in a place where I can choose between two very good banh mi shops.

-Dan

dansch wrote:

Habibi wrote:Others disagree, but I think Ba Le's are just as good if not better, if only because their bread is always fresh.

Count me amongst those who disagree. I live 1.5 blocks from Ba Le and regularly chose to go to Nhu Lan instead. As far as bread, I've never had anything but extremely fresh bread at Nhu Lan - often still warm from the oven.

Don't get me wrong - both places make tasty sandwiches. Glad to live in a place where I can choose between two very good banh mi shops.

-Dan

I disagree as well. I have never received fresh bread at Ba Le.

I've never received anything but fresh, crusty bread from Ba Le, as I did today. I usually eat there on weekdays and in the early afternoon, that may have something to do with it.

With all due respect to Nhu Lan, Ba Le was pushing banh mi in Chicago before anyone even knew what that was. Heck, the only reason I ate there ten years ago was because I spent a lot of time around the corner on Carmen where a lot of my friends lived.

Count me as a fan of Ba Le (not that I'm not a fan of Nhu Lan). I get there early whenever I need a decent substitute for Cuban bread. The house charcuterie is also solid. They deserve some credit for doing this stuff forever. Nothing wrong with cheap, fresh, fast sandwiches from an old neighborhood anchor. (See Bari.)