Nhu Y

My bf and I were devastated to hear that Café Nhu Y was closing. Their banh mi thit nguoi (traditional Vietnamese sandwich), banh mi chay (vegetarian Vietnamese sandwich), banh mi thit ga (chicken Vietnamese sandwich) are sooo much better than any other place in South Philly (e.g. Café Cuong, Viet Huong). We’re always disappointed when we go to one of those other places…
During our last visit before Café Nhu Y closed, they gave us a flyer that they would be relocating to somewhere on 4^th or 5^th and Washington Ave. I figured it would be easy to find so I tossed the flyer into the recycling bin. Since my bf and I are renovating our house, we are on Washington Ave and Columbus Blvd every weekend, shopping for renovation materials. For monthssss, my bf and I have been in search of the new Café Nhu Y on Washington Ave to no avail. We drove by very slowly on front through 7^th and Washington Ave but could not find the new café for the life of us! It was so frustrating UNTIL we finally spotted the Grand Opening sign early December 2014!
The café relocated and has been rebranded as «Lee’s Café and Bistro» at 522 Washington Ave.
We cannnn’tttt wait to try the new place!!! Hopefully, it still has the mom-​and-​pop shop feel with the mom-​and-​pop taste and prices!

Their banh mis are above par, but their baguette breads are the star item – a satisfying crunch with a flaky crust and a soft, airy loaf to soak up savory meats and vegetable fillings.

Has one of the best hoagies. Loved this mom and pop place. It’s a very small place but has good food. Will be back

These sandwiches are cheap and filled with goodness. I’ve gotten the pork, the vegetarian, and the vegetarian special. The vegetarian special is my favorite so far. It has a medley of tofu and other goods that are super flavorful. The bread is good too, but it leaves lots of crumbs so be careful where you eat.
It is definitely a takeout only spot, so grab one and head to a nearby park to enjoy.

I love this place. They have a limited menu of about 8 sandwiches but they are delicious. My favorite is the vegetarian hoagie for $ 4. The sandwiches are on a crunchy roll that will leave a mess if you try eating it in your car but is well worth the mess. The veggies and whatever they season them with are so yummy and different than anything you would find in an American deli or hoagie shop. The sandwiches aren’t that big but then again they are only about $ 4. This is a total hole in the wall and there are a couple of cramped tables and chairs in the corners when you walk in so I always order and then take it home or walk to the park and eat it. And I love that this is a family shop and the older couple with broken English that owns it are so cute. This is one of my favorite hidden gems in the Italian Market area.
The only thing I would change is the hours. They have some strange hours that change throughout the week but close around 6pm give or take an hour or so. I often crave a Vietnamese hoagie for dinner but don’t get home in time to grab one before they close. And they closed for about a month or more over the spring/​summer.

Have you had Banh mi? If not, this is a good spot to try it out. Many flavors, consistent quality. Great prices, of course.
Its creepy. Its sort of dingy, maybe even dirty.
But it is kinda awesome.

So simple, and so good!
This place is in an unassuming storefront, with a little fold up table and stools if you want to sit at the window, otherwise you have got to take it out to go. I got the standard banh mi, and the husband got the special veggie banh mi. They were made quickly and cost less then 9 bucks. How much better can it get? The taste was phenomenal! If I am in the area again, I would DEFINITELY go again.
BEST BANG FOR YOUR BANH MI BUCK!

If you’re ever in the mood for vietnamese hoagies, Café Ngu Y is the place to go!
I have been going to this hole in the wall place for years and they never fail to please my palate =) I usually go with the veggie, special or the meatball hoagie. I don’t know what it is they do, maybe the bread… whatever it is, they’re doing something right. Price is reasonable and service is great! Can’t go wrong at this place.

This banh mi meets expectations. The tofu is fine. The sliced pork was OK.

Pretty darn good sandwich. I went in there with the intention of ordering the veggie hoagie, but ended up ordering the veggie speical hoagie. The veggie special has a lot of root vegis — carrots, jicama, tofu, etc. And it is DELIGHTFUL. Like REALLY REALLY REALLY good.
Big fan! I can’t wait to go back and try the regular veggie hoagie. The bread is nice and toasty, the sandwich is really filling, and flavored well. Additionally, they have delicious juices to choose from including coconut water, mango juice, etc.

I think the value and quality of the shredded pork banh mi is going to be hard to top. That being said, I’ve had better banh mi’s before. I am moving two blocks from this place, so it is hard to say that I won’t be back just because for $ 4 I can get a pretty filling and tasty sandwich.
I am curious to try the other places in the vicinity of Little Saigon/​East of the Italian Market area. Any recommendations for shredded pork banh mi’s?
Kudos also goes to the very nice and charming woman working behind the counter.

I havent quite decided where my favorite Banh Mi spot is just yet in the city but Nhu Y is definitely my fave for their vegetarian one.

I really like this little hole-​in-​the-​wall place my sister introduced me to… I like their chicken banh mi’s with everything on top, but also their special and vegetarian ones are awesome too. I think the highlight is really the bread… it’s crispy and the crust gets everywhere so be careful eating it in your car if you care about that kind of thing :) I wouldn’t say it’s the best banh mi I’ve ever had, but pretty close! (Fu-​Wah is a close competitor…)
Plus, the owners are super nice, and humble too. Try to swing by here if you’re in the area!

Updating so soon just to say that Nhu Y really hooked up my hoagies today.
As usual we got vegetarians #5 and #8 to split. By «we» I am, of course, employing the use of the royal «we.» Maybe I was saving one for later. Those bahn mi had the perfect amount of hot peppers and herbaceousness tucked into that crusty roll. I get covered in crumbs by these things. I present that to you as a good thing, though, you may be ridiculed as a Messy-​Marvin.
I just want to add that it was pretty adorable to watch the older husband and wife team silently making my sandwiches together. Whatever, I’m being all mushy about things but it was sweet to me for some reason. So what? Monster have… feelings?

It was a Sunday. And all I wanted was a vegetarian hoagie.
Unilocal told me Nhu Y was the place to get it. So off I went. A Fairmount to Bella Vista trek on an empty stomach was probably not the best idea. By the time I hit 8^th St. I was starving.
At last I reached my final destination. ONLY to find a note on the door explaining that Nhu Y will be closed from January 18 through March 25. I wanted to cry. And then gorge myself with cake.
You have been forewarned, fellow Unilocalers. I’m coming back March 26^th and then writing a real review.

I have to say, that I really like this place.
I think the meat at Viet Huong is better and the amount of veggies at Ba Le is done right (and in some aspects the bread, too).
BUT. Nhu Y is pretty good with the overall package. The bread they use is Sarcones (infamous for selling out of their bread by 11am at the Italian Market) GREAT bread, but i honestly like the Ba Le lightness better.
The protein was NOT drowned in sauce, but the amount of fish sauce used might have been a bit too overpowering.
The amount of veggies was … well it needed more.
OH. and the guy really, really could have washed his hands.

I got there right after church on Sunday noon. Just couldn’t wait any longer to get a taste of this infamous vietnamese hoagie joint. It is located right across the PNC bank, so you won’t miss it. Plenty of parking spots in the area. since it’s not that close to italian market– well a block does count.
After I arrived, at first I chose the porn. err I mean pork one. But then I changed it right away since I saw this vegetarian special hoagie for $ 4.25. The description on that paper makes my mouth drooling even though I’m not a vegetarians. I say. stay away from pork once in awhile won’t hurt. So I quickly make a change in the order.
The bread, the veggies, and everything else inside are blended together so perfectly in my mouth. It gets better with each bite. I wish it wouldn’t end so quickly though.
I’ll definitely be back to try on their Sardine hoagie. It sounds very interesting. and yummy :)

Only one block over from Paesano’s is a good hole-​in-​the-​wall banh mi shop. Excellent vegetarian banh mi. And cheap too. $ 3.50 for the vegetarian sandwich.
Indeed, hard to find two excellent sandwich shops in such close proximity. Note, a sizable Vietnamese/​Cambodian enclave has slowly but surely established itself in South Philly. So although 9^th Street is still the Italian market, good portions of Washington and Christian Aves are Little Saigon. Check it out.

On Saturday I left my house in the pouring rain with one thing in mind: Vietnamese hoagies. HOAGIIIEEESSS. Like the peasants stormed the Bastille on that very day, 221 years prior, I set out to storm the shit out of Café Nhu Y.
I made a brave trek across the city, stopping at PNC on 6^th & Spring Garden for $ 10 from an ATM and then down to 8^th & Christian for my second bahn mi ever. I ordered a #5 (vegetarian) and a #6 (chicken) for my significant other. Both were delicious! Great success!
The rolls were crusty on the outside and soft on the inside — [insert your simile of choice here]. The tofu was deliciously marinated and flavorful, but not too LOUD in my mouth. Perfectly present. Not too wet or slippery either — I love tofu, and sometimes tofu runs the risk of becoming slippery, and I do not like slippery things in my mouth. Sick. Is this review becoming vaguely sexual? My bad, you guys. My bad.
Anyways, I heard the chicken was good, too. The veggies were perfectly crisp and balanced. Together, all of the elements of the sandwich joined forces to create an excellent lunch. Filling but not heavy — you know I love that in a meal.
Two 12″ sandwiches for $ 7 is a steal. The service was pleasant and efficient — just one woman hanging out in there, making sandwiches. It was absolutely worth my early afternoon adventure and I plan on returning for a cheap, easy, and tasty weekend lunch. 5 non-​slippery stars.

Surprisingly approachable and delightfully crunchy Vietnamese hoagies.
Nhu Y turns out savory goodness in a perfectly toasted baguette. Filled with tasty pâté, tender slices of meat (unless you go for a vegetarian one, which I haven’t tried), and condiments galore, this is a spot I send tourists and locals alike. It’s tiny though, so expect to get your sandwiches to go.
Their special banh mi is a good value, and one of the best tasting in the city.