This comes from our 2017 Cheap Eats list, our guide to inexpensive ethnic dining in the region.
Little Viet Garden
6783 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church; 703-532-1069
In the ’90s, Clarendon had a strong Vietnamese-food scene—and Little Viet Garden was one of its most popular destinations. That restaurant closed in 1998, but last September, its owners brought it back to life in a new Eden Center home. It’s now on our shortlist for a host of reasons, including fragrant pho, fresh vermicelli bowls, and—on the less traditional side—pork-belly bao.
TeaDM Lounge
6765 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church; 703-901-2384
Hidden in the back of a boarded-up pho restaurant is our new favorite bubble-tea joint. There are myriad flavored black, green, and oolong teas plus mix-ins such as fruit jellies, chia seeds, and nondairy milk. (The guys at the counter will gladly help you navigate.) Our regular order: icy matcha with sea-salt crème and boba (tapioca).
Pandan
6771 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church; 571-389-7727
This sweet shop specializes in a dazzling array of chè,dessert drinks and soups layered with various fresh fruits, jellies, teas, and milks. We’re also fans of the creamy “snow ice” and the coconut waffles. Note: The place is cash-only.
This article appears in the July 2017 issue of Washingtonian.
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.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
