The ornate, banquet-style presentations appear to be a thing of the past here, but it was never the show that endeared this Vietnamese restaurant to us. It was the cooking, which remains a feast of textural contrasts and colors brimming with popping flavors.
Few family-run ethnic restaurants possess this degree of style. With lacquered tables, ceramic floors, and a tinkling fish pond, it’s ideal for a special occasion or a night of catching up with friends. The menu, which has a penchant for giving Vietnamese standards corny-sounding names, is several pages long. The staff is eager to provide guidance, but be forewarned: You’re likely to be talked out of something interesting and led to more familiar dishes.
What to get: Clam-and-beef hash with garlic and ginger in a giant sesame cracker; crispy autumn rolls stuffed with pork and prawns; a crepe brimming with pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, and mint; shaky beef with lightly sautéed onions and crunchy watercress; clay pot of sliced pork or caramelized short ribs; purple-yam soup with pork and shrimp; Hanoi-style fish with dill, peanuts, and mint.
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.
