To me, the difference between a good place and a great place is how they handle the simple things. The traditional Vietnamese char-grilled pork sandwich (bahn mi), for example, is markedly simple. French roll buttered inside and stuffed with cucumber, carrot, and maybe some diakon mixed into a tangy slaw, sliced jalapeño, char-grilled pork, and maybe some cilantro. Simple enough. Properly prepared, a bahn mi makes you wish you had room for one or two more. Improperly prepared and you hardly finish half of it.
Nobi has gone a long way towards tilting the scale towards a great bahn mi. The bread is fresh with a crisp outside and a soft inside. The grilled pork is well seasoned and cooked just right. The veggie “slaw” (for lack of a better term) is fresh and tangy. The sandwich has good balance and is definitely a great find for Galveston county. While one might encounter better if one ventures into the heavily Asian areas of west Bellaire Blvd, this is definitely the best in the area and worth a regular stop for a quick fix. My only request would be the addition of some cilantro, but the lack of it did not overly detract from the sandwich as a whole.
Nobi has a simple, but rather full menu for it’s location. Located in a small strip center that is anchored by a Shell station, Nobi provides a fast food atmosphere with quality handmade fare. Their iced coffee is good and, while I cannot attest to the taste of their entrees, the appearance and scent of a neighboring table’s lunch has me thinking about trying some next time. Their shrimp spring rolls were rather plain and lacked the vegetables, fresh basil, and flavorings that I am used to in spring rolls. I’d pass on them next time in favor of their egg rolls, which I would gladly eat my fill of if they came “all you can eat.”
Nobi is family run and has very friendly and helpful staff. They are more than willing to answer any questions for those new to their cuisine. While many other Vietnamese sandwich places have counter staff who, while friendly, have limited English and may be intimidating for an English-only patron, Nobi’s staff are very easy to understand and are not intimidating.
Stop by and support this great eatery! Who knows, maybe with a little interest we can get Nobi to expand into the tapioca tea market? (Nothing better than a bahn mi and an iced espresso with coffee jellies!)
Nobi Asian Grill
3640 FM 528 – in Shell shopping center at 528 and Blackhawk
Price: About $3 a sandwich, 6.99 for entrees
Food Quality: ****
Service: *****
Ambience: ***
Notes: The best sandwich in Friendswood! Buy two and save one for later!
