Grilled beef makes a unique banh mi sandwich, and the version at the new restaurant called Got Banh Mi & Pho? is a stand-out. The beef is sliced very thin and soaked in a lemongrass, garlic, and honey marinade, then quick-cooked when you order the sandwich. I sampled one with the banh mi lunch special that includes your choice of sandwich, a bag of chips, and a drink for $4.99. 

The restaurant was opened about a month ago by Vietnamese restaurant veteran Andy Truong. After more than a decade managing the Kim Son location in Stafford, Truong is excited to have his own Vietnamese soup and sandwich stand. The restaurant is in the former location of Phoenicia Deli on Westheimer near Kirkwood—across the street from Phoenicia Market. 

Andy Troung was born in the mountain town of Dalat in South Vietnam. When Saigon fell in 1975, his father, who is Chinese, was accused of being a spy and put in jail. In 1992, after his father got out of prison, the family moved to Houston.

"My dad taught me how to cook," Troung says, "but he won't ever eat in my restaurant. He says the food he cooks at home tastes better."

Got Banh Mi & Pho? also has a pho lunch special featuring a bowl of soup, a spring roll or egg roll, and a drink for $7.99. The first pho combo on the menu is one we haven't seen before, featuring meat balls and two cuts of beef. We were also tempted by the bun bo Hue special and the chicken pho. 

If you're out that way, stop by Andy Truong's new sandwich stand for lunch and tell us what you think.