While I wasn't looking, one of my favorite Vietnamese sandwich shops, Thiem Hung Bakery, was revamped by a new owner. The new guy's name is Minh, and he worked with the original owners for two years before he took over, so I guess it's okay. He's a friendly sort anyway. (Any relation to Ho Chi?) Thiem Hung is located at 2108 Pease, just east of the highway near the intersection with St Emmanuel.

The old bakery case and sideways cash register stand have been rearranged. Now there are easy-to-read menu boards hung up behind the counter. Minh has even printed menus you can take to the table. The place now looks like a real restaurant instead of a bakery that sells sandwiches. The wonderful photos of Vietnam are still hanging on the walls.

Luckily, the bread is still incredibly fresh and the banh mi sandwiches are as great as always, though I think they went up in price a little. Try the meatball sandwich called banh mi xiu mai, the crabmeat and noodle soup called bun rieu and the fried egg cake called banh bot chien. Lovely bowls of pho and bun bo hue are available too.

The new slogan is a little hokey. I think it's "Vietnauthentic," or "Viethentic," or something contrived like that. But I get the point -- Thiem Hung Bakery is a lot more popular with Vietnamese folks than nearby mainstream-targeted Vietnamese eateries like Kim Son and Huynh.