Pho Phriday

Fridays are the start of the weekend for some of us here in Houston. Twin Sista started the tradition of going to Thien-An Sandwiches for pho every Friday in 2009. She said that she probably skipped only a few weeks without any pho. Somehow since I've moved here, we've only been to pho a handful of times but always on Fridays! 

located at: 2905 Travis St, Midtown, Houston, Texas

This restaurant has been getting busier the more I go and even when it's for a late lunch. Even though it's a bit crowded, service is always quick and the food is always delicious. My favorite item isn't pho but their vermicelli rice noodle dish. It comes with your choice of meat, an option of chopped egg rolls and this fish sauce you pour into the bowl. It's a cold dish topped with lettuce, peanuts, cilantro and sprouts and isn't fishy at all. It's kinda tangy, vinegary and completely yummy.  

Best part of Thien-An Sandwiches: three sizes of pho. You can order a Baby Pho for $2 and then have room in your belly to eat their other tasty foods. 

Twin Sista likes to also order Vietnamese Crepe, which she calls Vietnamese Pizza. Bahn Xeo is a big, yellow, puffy pancake stuffed with meat and veggies and dipped into the same fish sauce from the noodle bowl. It's accompanied by lettuce and shredded daikon and carrots. I was totally confused the one time I ate this on how to actually eat it. Sista said you wrap the pancake into the lettuce. A lil strange to me but she loves it. Me, not so much. It's a bit too fried for me. 

Yesterday, Stanley, Twin Sista's bf, ordered their special Banh mi sandwich. It was tasty but the bread is super crunchy, which Stanley and Twin Sista love. Am I super picky? I think it's too toasty and scrapes up my mouth. Oh no, I'm becoming a high maintenance eater. 

Thien-An Sandwiches is a cheap, delicious meal and can't wait to go there next Friday.