If you spent any time in Houston in the late ’90 or '00s as a student or otherwise underemployed young person, you were well-acquainted with Les Givral’s on Milam.

In the beginning, you could order a well-endowed sandwich on freshly-baked bread for $1.50, which was even cheaper than the faux-filling sandwiches of chain shops opening at that time.

Les Givral’s specialized in the banh mi sandwich, a Vietnamese classic that started popping up in Houston in the late ’70s and ’80s, along with classics like pho (noodle soup) and goi cuon (spring rolls).

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

GUIDE: Houston's Top 30 barbecue joints

Like most delicious sandwiches, banh mi seem deceptively simple but are actually a complex combination of flavors and textures: a roll with........

© Houston Chronicle