Banh mi and doughnuts might not seem like an obvious pairing, but they marry two parts of Khanh-Ly Hyunh’s heritage to a T. The Franco-Vietnamese chef and 2015 Masterchef champ has family in California, and when she spun her Hood, co-owned and co-founded with Pearlyn Lee, into Nonette just across the street, she had the doughnuts she enjoyed there on the brain. So was born one of the simplest and most delicious mashups: Vietnamese street food sandwiches with a side of doughnuts boasting a variety of fillings ranging from the classic to the avant-garde.
But we’ll get there in a second.
The banh mi here are some of the best I’ve enjoyed in Paris (and I eat a lot of banh mi). Ranging from a simple breakfast stalwart of fried eggs and Maggi to house-made charcuterie, these sandwiches are generous and super flavorful, thanks to house-made pickles and optional hot sauce.
I went for the roast chicken, seasoned with kaffir lime leaves and fish sauce, and slathered with sriracha mayo. It was so flavorful and juicy. (Next time, I’m gonna try out the #21, the house special, piled with five kinds of house-made cold cuts plus rich French butter.)
For dessert, doughnuts range from familiar classics like lemon glazed, cinnamon sugar, or caramel to spicy mango with gochugaru sugar and pork floss, inspired by rousong pork buns. The kaya is the house specialty, filled with Singaporean pandan-coconut cream.
I couldn’t help but order a seasonal specialty made with durian, which I’d never tried before. It was a little bit funky – kind of cheesy, almost? – but all in all probably the most palatable way to try the fruit that scares so many people away with its odor. I really liked the almost savory quality it added to the doughnut!
Unlike the Hood across the way, Nonette offers takeaway only, but you can take your sandwich and doughnut to a local park to dig in. Trust me – it’ll be worth the wait.
Nonette – 71 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011