You don’t come to this Eden Center dining room for the stuff every Vietnamese place slings—get your shaking-beef fix somewhere else. Instead, focus on lesser-seen dishes such as grilled eggplant with lemongrass beef and fried whole flounder with ginger sauce. One exception to the rule: the ubiquitous bánh xèo rice crepe, folded into a half moon and presented with a bouquet of herbs. You don’t want to leave without one. Also good: Sautéed clams with sesame crackers; bun cha (Hanoi-style grilled pork with vermicelli); caramel fish.
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.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
