In Falls Church, Virginia, a renowned suburban area of the US capital, there's a unique enclave of restaurants, especially Vietnamese ones – some of which have become well-established brands in the US culinary scene.
Along the Wilson Boulevard in Falls Church, amidst shopping centers and residential areas, you'll find numerous Vietnamese eateries. Just within the Eden Center alone, there are dozens of establishments serving authentic Vietnamese dishes such as pho, banh mi, banh xeo, iced coffee... along with restaurants offering a diverse menu of Vietnamese cuisine mixed with Asian flavors.
There's also no shortage of bustling markets selling fish sauce, dried shrimp, dried noodles, and fruits imported from Vietnam... all owned and operated by Vietnamese locals.
A Vietnamese Culinary Hub
According to a 2012 census, in Fairfax County – where Falls Church is a town within – Vietnamese Americans constitute 2.7% of the population, ranking third out of 17, following Indian and Korean communities, making Falls Church a prominent center for Vietnamese cuisine, akin to the Bolsa area in Orange County, California.
According to Sylvie Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American woman living and working in the US capital, she spent much of her free time cooking and blogging about food (Thrifty DC Cook). Over her seven-year stay in Washington DC, she heard complaints about the lack of quality Asian cuisine, often reminiscing about the dishes from her hometown in Southern California.
It wasn't until friends told her about the Vietnamese culinary hub nearby that Sylvie Nguyen rushed to Eden Center in Falls Church. There, she found the taste of home in dishes like pho, banh xeo, caramelized fish, fried tofu, and various desserts, all for less than $10 per meal.
Sylvie Nguyen also emphasized the affordability at Eden Center, where a Saigon baguette costs only $2.75.
After a culinary tour at Eden Center, blogger Sylvie Nguyen recommended several eateries she deemed authentic: Banh Mi So 1, Viet Royale, Song Que Deli, Thanh Son Tofu, Huong Viet Restaurant, Viet Bistro, and Saigon Cafe, each offering a unique taste of Vietnamese cuisine.
Meanwhile, American blogger James Boo (Serious Eats) listed '10 must-try dishes at Eden Center', including broken rice at Thanh Truc Quan, bun rieu and grilled meat vermicelli at Huong Viet, Hanoi-style bun cha and Hue-style beef noodle soup at Hai Duong Quan, duck noodle soup at Hai Ky Mi Gia, pho at Pho Xe Lua, fried tofu and soy milk at Thanh Son Tofu, shaking beef at Phu Quy Delight, and pate chaud at Les Baguettes.
James Boo believed that dining at Eden would be a memorable experience, even for those who have tried Vietnamese food in larger Vietnamese communities across the US.
The Gold Standard of Vietnamese Cuisine
R.W. Apple, a late American journalist renowned for his culinary writings for The Washington Post, once recounted his experience with Vietnamese food at Eden Center in a Washingtonian magazine article: 'Thanks to Cynthya Hacinli, who writes about suburban eateries for Washingtonian magazine, we had the chance to savor a beautifully presented lotus stem salad at Huong Viet, another gem within the Eden enclave. Each bite of crispy lotus stem, resembling celery, was mixed by Vietnamese chefs with ingredients like shrimp, meat, herbs, and fish sauce...
The proprietors of Huong Que Restaurant also operate a bakery and food shop nearby called Song Que. Run regularly by one of the four gracious and charming lady owners, the sandwich shop sells grilled pork, onions, pickles, herbs, and some secret spice blend that makes this grab-and-go lunch spot fantastic...
In Virginia, as in Vietnam, the finest pho, clear and fragrant broth, is the masterpiece of specialists, found only in pho-centric eateries, sparing in other dishes. You can find it at Pho 75 in Falls Church, a small local chain serving thin-sliced beef shank, brisket, or flank, and other meats. The flavor of pho is as amazing as its aroma, and if you eat pho on a late weekend morning, you might dine alongside the cutest kids you've ever seen...
No chef in Virginia can rival Charles Phan at San Francisco's Slanted Door for elegance and innovation, or Mai Pham at Sacramento's Lemon Grass for purity. No one can transform cha gio, making it plump and pretty like Golden Deli in San Gabriel, near Los Angeles...
The betel leaf in beef betel leaf rolls, as well as cilantro, adds excitement to pho, along with fresh ingredients here that are scarce in warm California regions. But for us, the people living along the Atlantic coast, Falls Church is the gold standard of Vietnamese cuisine.
As reported by Business Saigon
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Reference: Minprice Travel Guide
MinpriceApril 11, 2014