With brightly colored art and flower arrangements that look like they’ve been lifted from the lobby of the St. Regis–one of the sisters is a florist–this is the most cheerfully pretty Vietnamese restaurant in the area. It also turns out some of the best renditions of the wide-ranging cuisine.
Salads, such as a platter of shredded green papaya, explode with limey tang and chili-fueled heat, while bowls of pho are eminently soothing. Nibbles from the fryer–crisp spring rolls; battered, shrimp-paste-slathered toast–make excellent shares. The more people at the table, the better: Portions are made for passing, and you’ll get a wider variety of flavors. If there’s a weak spot, it’s the dishes that read like Chinese-takeout offerings.
What to get: A sauté of clams and minced pork with sesame-studded crackers; cured-beef salad; a bowl of cool vermicelli bun topped with grilled pork and a spring roll; shaky beef with lime/black-pepper dip; fried shrimp with the same dip; caramelized short ribs or pork ribs in a clay pot; house-made lime soda.
Open daily for lunch and dinner. Inexpensive.
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.
