Mekong River Restaurant, Austin

Banh mi is the quintessential Vietnamese handheld: layers of meat, crispy cucumbers, jalapeños, Vietnamese mayo, and shredded pickled carrots tucked into a sliced baguette with just a sprinkling of cilantro. This sandwich is one of the specialties at Mekong River Restaurant, where the chefs craft a menu full of authentic Vietnamese and Thai flavors. They toss bean sprouts and peanuts into bowls heaping with pad thai noodles, and stir-fry chicken with Thai chilis, jalapeños, and basil. Vietnamese soups combine noodles and bites of brisket, tripe, and shrimp. Even the desserts offer diners the flavors of Asia, with bowls of fried bananas, sticky rice, and Thai custard.