Details

Thanh Son Tofu

6793A Wilson Blvd.
Falls Church, VA 22044

703-534-1202

Neighborhood: Falls Church

Cuisines: Vietnamese, Vegetarian/Vegan

Opening Hours:
Open daily for lunch and dinner from 10 AM to 8 PM.

Price Range: Inexpensive

Dress: Informal

Noise Level: Chatty

Reservations: Not Needed

Best Dishes:
Fried tofu with mushroom and onion; rice crepe with chili and lemongrass; sticky rice with mung bean; corn pudding with fried onions; tofu with coconut milk; tofu with ginger syrup.

Price Details:
Tofu, $1 to $1.75; desserts, $2 to $3.

Dirt Cheap Eats 2007: Thanh Son Tofu

By: Todd Kliman, Ann Limpert, Cynthia Hacinli, sara levine, Erin Zimmer

Cafes & Carryouts

Lines start to form at this orange-walled Eden Center storefront in the mornings. One queue is just for the greaseless rectangles of fried tofu, served plain (seven pieces for $1), with mushroom and onion (five for $1), or with chili and lemongrass (three for $1).

The vividly colored sticky rices and tapioca desserts ($2 to $3) deserve attention, too. Spooned into containers, they’re sprinkled with sugar and garnishes: A purple-hued sticky rice studded with mung beans gets dashes of sesame seeds and chopped peanuts; crispy fried green onions add crunch to a pale-yellow pudding dotted with corn. More than a half dozen varieties displayed behind glass are all rib-sticking and comforting—nontraditional yet perfect breakfast fare.