Little Viet Garden
If you read my post on Bún bò Huế, you know I've been eating my way through Falls Church, Virginia's endless assortment of Vietnamese restaurants. I have favorite spots for specific dishes, and I'll write about all of them in time. Now I want to talk about a new and recent find, Little Viet Garden, a place where you can eat your Vietnamese favorites, have a glass of wine or a beer and even pay with a credit card.
I've tried some great dishes, and two are unlike any I've had elsewhere: Viet Steak (Bò Lú Låc) and a regular weekend special of grilled lemongrass pork on soft crepes. The former dish, suggested by the general manager, was said to be his favorite on the menu; I can understand why. Cubes of marinated beef are sauteed with crisped potatoes and onions, tossed with watercress, and served with cucumbers, tomatoes, and a lemony vinaigrette. The beef was intensely seasoned and extremely tender. The pork in the second dish is similar to that found in the bún (rice vermicelli) dishes, including the salty/sweet sauce, julienned cucumbers, and basil. The soft crepes are delicate, slightly sticky, and serve as a unique foundation for the various flavors and textures that are layered on top.
There are many varieties of garden rolls alongside familiar appetizers. Beef in Vine Leaf (Bò Lá Nho) is hard to find and looked good on adjacent tables, but the most impressive were the deceptively labeled "Baby Clams" (Hen Xuc Bahn Da). This dish arrived in a large bowl where wide, flat and very crispy sesame crackers surrounded sauteed pork and clams in a dark, rich-looking sauce.
Little Viet Garden is not fine dining by any stretch, but you can pay with a credit card, drink a beer, and expect comparatively good and friendly service. Sometimes, I like feeling as though I've left the country, but it's also nice to feel at home. Little Viet Garden gives a little of both. Let me know what dishes you've tried so I can plan my next visit!
Little Viet Garden
★★★★
$$ / $$$$$
Eden Center
6783 Wilson Blvd, Falls Church, VA 22044
Phone: (703) 532-1069
