Right in the suburban backstreets of Salisbury, Nom Nom occupies the far end of a junction mainly housing pharmacy and health facilities. This goes right to show how blooming the suburb is right now with the cafe scene, another one pops up to start attracting clientele.
The design is very simple, with quite a bit of exposed brick at one wall. Most of the seating is fairly low-rent, chairs that could be purchased from the dollar store with ease - coloured red and black. On the other side from the exposed brick wall is a lengthy bench. A few more nick nacks and decorations are around the place on the walls. Most of the seating takes place outside, utilsing the space well - especially the rounded off balcony. From here there are great views of the city skyline.
I can tell that the staff here are friendly, and they do have a good grasp on the idea of customer service skills. From both times that I went with my dining buddy, there was a sense of coyness about them. I will chalk this up to being nervous as a beginner. They are quite proud of their work, will talk about their plans for the place and the delivery of the grub is efficient. In time, they might be able to transform into some of the most homely and personable hospitality around - they are off to a good start. Getting the right vibe will be a matter of practice, and I reckon how they are going about it is in the right direction. The general structure is counter service, and water and cutlery is self-service.
Most of what Nom Nom serves is simple street food, and they have a good variety for each item. Adding onto that, they have a breakfast menu which is a variety of the basics - some with their distinct twist on it, a few breakfast-themed versions of popular snacks (i.e. a bahn mi of sorts). The rundown of the menu is such: several starts - goi cuon, spring rolls, honey pork patties, and ba la lot (beef wrapped in betel leafs).
Going onto mains, there is pho, a bowl of bun, a selection of bahn mis, and a few fish and chip meals. For something to drink, there is a good variety - think coffee, tea, fresh juices, soda (including Vietnamese style), and smoothies. Also, they have a range of sweets in the cabinet for dessert. So, the range ain't a bad one at all - modest in comparison to some other places, enough to please most people. Still though, how does it measure up on its merits? It's good enough.
This review is on the basis of going here twice. The first one was trying to find a coffee shop nearby, and this was the best one at the moment. Upon finding out what meals they did, and that it was Vietnamese - which my dining buddy has warmed up to considerably in past years - a second visit for breakfast was made down the line.
Going here the first time, it was that kind of day you feel like getting a coffee. My dining buddy had of this place that was around one of the neighbourhoods; this took a while to find but eventually it stood out. One U-turn down the road, and a park of the car and on it was to try out the fare here.
The sweets cabinet was one that looked quite good, showing off a bit of the French influence. What I tried was the coffee log, which is like a mixture between mousse and sponge cake laced with plenty of espresso flavour, and a good chocolate coating. The serving was generous, and the texture was light, though still with a good texture. In short, delicious and now one of my favourite cakes to have.
The coffee is courtesy of Merlo, in which you will want to have a competent barista on hand - results vary. The good news is, that they were good at their job. My dining buddy was impressed by his cappuccino, which was well frothed, and had a good flavour to it. It was extracted, and everything was done right. He always has his doubts when it comes to Merlo, so for him to be impressed this means a lot.
As for me.... well, this is a Vietnamese place. If there is one item that is certain for me to try when coming to a Vietnamese place - granted that they have it - it is going to be that signature iced coffee that they do. The kind with a bed of condensed milk, and where the coffee slowly drips down onto it before stirring the lot together and pouring it on ice. Well, good new for me - they had it. As usual, quite good. This one was stronger than most of them. It was sweet, it was creamy, it was a delicious concoction that I have trouble getting enough of. The dripping process is part of the charm, a show unto itself.
Thus, this place was off to a good first impression. Because of how good the food sounded here, I was holding this review off for that very reason. Now, the raison d'etre for this delay: my dining buddy going here to test the bahn mi, one of his favourite foods. Inside, I knew I had to give it a go for something to be fair. Second time is the charm.
This time, the recipe for each banh mi the following basis: egg mayonnaise and chicken pate (you already won my dining buddy over) buttering the bread, then pickled carrots, cucumber, coriander, and a bit of soy sauce. Chili can be asked as an extra. Not a bad combination. Anyhow, there was one that stuck out to me for ordering - honey pork patties. And yes, with plenty of chili added to it.
From memory, my dining buddy went for the old classic pork variety. Both of the sandwiches were cut in half, so that made sharing them easy enough. These were good bahn mis, they don't rate the best or most filling (or, by far, the most filled up) that are in town - but still worth a munch. As usual, the good sandwich comes down to the good meat - and both bits of meat were as such. The honey pork patties (or nem nuong as they are called) were tender, and infused well with the flavouring and the pork from the traditional one was also good. The spread used was smooth and like butter, the vegetables crisp and bright and the chili added a great amount of spice when bitten.
It was good enough the first time around, and I thought that it was worth having it the second time around as well. Also, force of habit - if a Vietnamese place is offering their signature kind of coffee, I cannot think of ordering anything else. It was just as good this time, as it was the first time. Days are getting hotter, I still need the buzz from coffee, this is the best compromise ever - and it costs around the price of regular coffee.
So, the analysis for this place is that it is good. It should become more popular with the locals, especially knowing its proximity to some facilities. This is probably bordering on platitude coming from me (I don't like being ill-willed), as I would say it in any circumstance, but I do wish this place well. The setting is really good, it has both a needed neighbourhood friendliness and there is the shop space to accompany it (some place tend to be low on space) and some good wholesome food.
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