Nom Nom Bánh Mì Opening With Classic Vietnamese Sandwiches in Berkeley | Eater SF

"I learned that Nom Nom Bánh Mì will open this spring at 2491 Telegraph Avenue in an 800-square-foot, 14-seat contemporary shop just south of UC Berkeley adorned with artwork depicting both Vietnam and Berkeley. Owner Trâm Dyck, who moved from Vietnam to the United States in 1989 and has long searched the Bay Area for an authentic banh mi, plans to focus solely on banh mi and a few beverages—Vietnamese-style lemonade, Vietnamese iced coffee, and iced green tea sweetened with lychee—rather than offering spring rolls, desserts, or other dishes. She expects to offer nine variations, including Saigon-style chả (silky pork roll), pâté, roasted pork, grilled chicken, lemongrass beef, and sardines in a tangy tomato sauce (a childhood favorite), plus a savory Laughing Cow cheese banh mi for vegetarians and a vegan tofu with soy mayo; sandwiches will be $7–$9 because she is using higher-quality ingredients. Although she won't bake the baguettes in-house, she sourced a Vietnamese wholesale bakery that meets her standards to achieve the ideal bite—a slight crunch with a soft, warm, chewy interior that gives way to the crunch of pickled daikon and carrots and pâté and meat oozing into your mouth—an experience she summed up as, “All of sudden, your mouth just says, ‘Hello, good morning!’” After a long, frustrating permitting and build-out process, she hopes to open in two to three months." - Janelle Bitker