Café TH stands out among Houston’s pho shops as a contemporary, attractive little thing. Its black-and-white-striped awning is appropriately Montmartre-ish, and a similar French influence is felt when the owner greets you at your table to ask how the food is—the food that he cooked for you. The brightly colored walls and above-average tea also communicate the point that this is a thoroughly modern take on traditional Vietnamese bistro classics.

In that vein, everything’s prepared with more care than in your typical Vietnamese café, but the flavors are a bit more muted, particularly the acid and salt (seafood noodle soup’s quite…mild). Banh mi comes on terrific baguette (available, too, in wheat—what would Julia Child say?) and made with fresh, wonderful ingredients. Beef pho is a standout, even—get this—vegan pho. It’s surprisingly complex and hearty; we won’t be trading in our marrowy versions anytime soon, but we’re happy for the previously pho-less vegans out there. Green curry has a pleasant heat and lemongrassy, gingery flavor, but its ungainly chunks of overcooked potato make it a little mushy. Meatballs are tasty, and bahn bot chien is crisp and delicious, if not as good as that of Tan Tan or Kim Tai. But for a soup or sandwich near the office, it’s awesome. (Particularly for vegans.)