Bon Bon Vietnamese sandwiches

It’s kind of a schelp to get up to Nhu Lan or Ba Le for Vietnamese bánh mì sandwiches, so I was pretty excited when Bon Bon opened up in my ‘hood late spring. With baguettes from Nhu Lan, the rest of the fixings are prepared in-house from traditional (ham, paté, pickled veggies, cilantro, jalapeño and mayo) to a tender ginger chicken simmered in caramel sauce. They also offer a Char Siu pork marinated in garlic, hoisin and honey, and veggie-friendly specials like lemon grass tofu. All three nestle up nicely to carrot and daikon relish, cucumbers, jalapeños, cilantro and mayo stuffed inside soft, chewy baguettes for around $5. I loved the red bean bubble tea (although it was a bit overloaded with ice), and would be back to give lychee, green tea and mango a try. The hours can be iffy, but call ahead and then make your way over to settle in on the retro couches to get your two-fisted feast on. But you can’t leave without checking out the Technicolor selection of Asian candy (chocolate and almond Pocky!) that seems to grow every time I go back. 2333 W. North Ave, 773.878.9898