Why go: There are Vietnamese restaurants at every turn in the strip-mall maze that is the Eden Center, but this cash-only, wood-paneled dining room is the oldest—and most consistent.
What to get: Lacquered quail with lime/salt dip; delicate pork spring rolls; sweet-and-sour soup with shrimp or fish; lotus-root salad with shrimp and pork; banh xeo, a shrimp-and-bean-sprout-filled crepe to be torn and eaten—like many things on the menu—in a lettuce wrap with fresh herbs and fish sauce; bun, a cool bowl of vermicelli with grilled pork or shrimp.
Best for: More-the-merrier meals—portions are sized for sharing.
Insider tip: Beer is served, but nonalcoholic drinks are the thing here—sparkling lemonade, lychee bubble tea, and Vietnamese coffee.
>> See all 2010 Cheap Eats restaurants here.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
