Shunted off in a corner of Hong Kong City Mall in Chinatown, Alpha Bakery quietly and modestly makes the best bánh mì in the entire city. Order any sandwich and watch as thick globs of butter and mayo are spread on fresh baguettes and filled with pâté, chả lụa (bologna), pork belly, giò thủ (head cheese), and a fistful of sliced vegetables and herbs. The best part is this little slice of sandwich heaven is only $5, cash, so maybe order two or three. What to order: dặc biệt bánh mì

The first bite of a bánh mì at Khang Vietnamese Sandwich Cafe changes you, and so does the second—just go with it. The warm, fresh bread is so soft and airy, with an open crumb and a golden outer crust that flakes wonderfully. Every inch of bread is thickly smeared with butter and mayo, and the marinated barbecue pork is tangy with garlic. What to order: bánh mì thịt nướng (bbq pork), bánh mì khang (khang special combination), bánh mì bo kho (vegetable beef soup and bread)

The canh chua cá trê here will change your life. The soup, a Mekong Delta staple, is bright and refreshing, with an otherworldly tropical tang from tamarind and pineapple. It’s like somebody planted a vegetable garden by the beach, and then made a soup out of it, with whole tender filets of fresh catfish, stewed tomato, okra, and sharp herbs. What to order: canh chua cá trê, bánh khọt, nem nướng

Thíên Ânh Sandwiches in Midtown is a dependable spot for a quick lunch. It’s the kind of no-nonsense, family-run place you immediately understand and feel comfortable in. All the food, from the banh mi to the pho, is solid, and everything arrives fresh and fast. One dish you’ll likely see on every table is the massive, golden bánh xèo, a wok-sized crepe stuffed with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts that comes with fish sauce for dunking. What to order: bánh xèo, gỏi vịt

The temple many Houstonians look to for bánh mì is Cali Sandwiches & Pho in Midtown. It’s an institution. It’s our collective sandwich mascot. The seating may be a little uncomfortable, and the service slightly chaotic, but the bánh mì are really f*cking good. The bread is crispy, the pork is smoky, and the mayo is some kind of mythical, fatty, rich concoction that does things that normal mayo doesn’t do. What to order: bánh mì dặc biệt or thịt nướng, phở tái nam

The specialty here is bánh cuốn, soft rice paper crêpes, which get dunked in fish sauce, hence why the flagon exists. The cash-only spot loads up the thin crêpes with mushrooms, grilled pork, and dried shrimp, which diners then stuff with bean sprouts and dunk into, you guessed it, fish sauce. What to order: bánh cuốn thanh trì chå, bánh cuốn thịt nướng

A casual but sleek Sixth Ward spot, Xin Chao offers a more contemporary take on Vietnamese cuisine, with inspiration coming from Texas and Gulf Coast ingredients and flavors. On the menu you’ll find five different takes on oysters—you should get the spicy Viet-Cajun oysters dressed with a garlicky and buttery H-Town Bang sauce. There are also a whole bunch of large format dishes to share. What to order: Viet-Cajun oysters, smoked duck salad, smoked beef rib flat rice noodles

Huynh is a beloved neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant in EaDo close to the convention center and downtown where every diner is treated like a regular. It’s a reliable place, even when it’s busy. Service is attentive, and the food is solid, ranging from charred shaken beef to a spicy, aromatic bún bò huế. The owners are always there, waiting tables and greeting guests—you’ll know who they are from all of the family photos hanging in the waiting area. What to order: bún bò huế, bánh ướt trường

From the folks sucking back crawfish heads to the goldfish hoovering up every morsel in their tank, everyone is chowing down at Crawfish & Noodles, a Viet-Cajun institution in Chinatown. Cajun dishes including boiled crawfish and turkey necks are infused with Vietnamese flavors like lemongrass, ginger, chili, and fish sauce. What to order: crawfish by the pound, turkey neck, phở

Eating at Dinette is the equivalent of putting on some retro French pop or Cambodian psych rock. At first you think it’s something brand new, but really Dinette is just serving familiar and well-executed hits with a sly sense of humor. A lobster fried rice blanketed in salted egg gets the quintessential combo of peas and cubed carrots. Crisp Vietnamese rice paper pizza is piled with cheese, pineapple, and spicy sate mayo. What to order: Vietnamese pizza, lobster fried rice

Bún Chå Cá Da Nang is all about comforting and fresh Da Nang-style seafood. Get the namesake soup, bún chå cá, with thin vermicelli noodles and a pile of greens, or try the bánh canh chå cá, a delicate fish-broth soup with thick udon noodles and fish cakes. You expect the soups to taste like the sea, but they sort of lightly wash over you, like slurping up a warm breeze. Everything is filling, yet light, piled with fresh coriander-like rau răm herb. What to order: bún chå cá, bánh canh chå cá

One thing is certain: Nam Giao has the youth vote. There are usually young couples canoodling over delicate, tiny ramekins of steamed bánh bèo and unwrapped banana leaves. Everything is impressively tiny, like carefully constructed works of art. The dishes are tender and complex with dried shrimp and pork, and periwinkle snails. This culinary wonder is conveniently disguised as a strip center restaurant, and we’re happy to be in the know. What to order: bánh bèo

Family-run for decades, Kim Tài is one of the few remaining original Vietnamese restaurants in Midtown. The kitchen is still manned by the husband and wife team. While it may appear scrappy, and it may take a bit of time for your meal to arrive, the food is fantastic. The tiny teal and wood-paneled dining room and even tinier kitchen holds a gold mine of rich phở, overstuffed bánh mìs, and bánh bột chiên egg omelets with crispy fried rice cakes. What to order: bánh bột chiên, bánh mì đậu hũ

The only thing more intense than the length of the menu at Dakao is the decor, which is a fever dream of blue sky and cloud ceiling tiles, oversized woven pendant lamps, and fake topiaries akin to Edward Scissorhands. We’re not sure who designed this place, but we absolutely love it. Grab a miến gà dakao dặc biệt with clear noodles and take it all in. What to order: miến gà dakao dặc biệt

If you only have 15 minutes for lunch, you can rely on Pho Saigon. The Midtown location is the type of place you go to eat pho alone in silence. Meditative trance music plays softly over the speakers in this dimly lit strip mall spot. The food comes out unbelievably fast. No one will talk to you (too much). The food may not blow you away like some of the other places on this list, but it’s utilitarian. What to order: any phở