Les Givral's Kahve   

801 Congress St
Houston, TX 77002
713-547-0444
www.lesgivrals.com

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Even more than Enron and art cars, Houston's claim to fame, according to some Houstonians with their finger on the bayou pulse, might very well be the Vietnamese po' boy. You know what we're talking about: Those crunchy wonders that are part fresh baguette and part flavorful meat that always come at an astonishingly low price. Les Givral's is more sophisticated and upscale than most of the Vietnamese dives offering these sandwiches, but the prices are just as grin-producing: $2.25 or $2.50, with choices ranging from shredded chicken to tofu. The most popular is the char-grill barbecue pork, with meat that's juicy, sweet and thick. The flavors are brightened with crisp cucumbers and carrots, jalapenos, black pepper and the house's secret recipe garlic mayo. Sure, this is a sandwich shop, but a sleek, urban one with a tasteful, modern, Mondrian-minimalist decor. The beige-and-mahogany color scheme and good fortune bamboos atop every faux marble tabletop are lit by the wash of light streaming from the long, sunny windows. Customers can gaze at the goings on in Market Square Park through the thin windows while they dine. Another culinary treat for the curious is the papaya salad with beef jerky. The fruit is shredded so it more closely resembles carrots in look and taste, topped with threads of jerky and leaves of basil. If you're not in a sandwich mood, the same flavorful meats are available in rice noodle soups, over vermicelli or rice, and wrapped in rice sheets. The restaurant's namesake, Givral, was the Frenchman who introduced baguettes to Vietnam in the 19th century.