stock photo of bún bò Huế courtesy of bopuc
When I go to my parent's house in Northern Virginia I can always look forward to a meal or two at Eden Center. What is Eden Center? It is the Vietnamese culinary capital of the mid-Atlantic area, that's what. The strip mall of my dreams. Straight off my bus ride, I was whisked there for an early dinner of cha ca Hanoi- grilled turmeric catfish eaten with noodles, fresh herbs and black sesame cracker. Awesome, but not as good as my mother's. We also ate bánh xèo - scrumptious turmeric pancake filled with pork, shrimp and bean sprouts. I would tell you the name of the restaurant, but my parents were told by one of the waiters once that the owners don't allow them to keep their tips. This makes me crazy and I don't want to promote them, if it turns out to be true.
But my parents said you can also get good cha ca and bánh xèo at the restaurant Huong Viet, which is also in the Eden Center. My parents usually go there for their bún bò Huế, a spicy noodle soup. It is considered the mother of all soups and originates from the old imperial city of Hue, the sassy part of Vietnam (the food is spicier, and the uncles from there that marry into your family write fervent poems.)
Each bowl of soup comes with its own pork hock and dark, tender slices of beef shank. I usually pawn the hock off on my parents because I am find little merit on gnawing on a long boiled shin bone. It does wonders to the broth, but alone is not very exciting. My mother told the waiter to tell the chef to marinate the hock because she thinks it shouldn't just be boiled plain, a reprimand that did not stop her from eating every last bite.
The broth is very rich and gets its intense earthiness from the boiling of the pork meat and beef bones with lemongrass, chili pepper and shrimp sauce. At the table, the soup is topped off with bean sprouts, a squeeze of lime, thai basil, and thinly sliced banana blossom for some bright freshness and crunch. The result is complex and sublime.
Huong Viet
6785 Wilson Blvd
Falls Church, VA 22044
703-538-7110
side note: Eden Center also has a really good medium sized grocery store. (good quality Chinese sausage, good variety of vegetables and sauces)
i've literally never seen anything so yummy looking in my entire life. i just licked the screen.
Posted by: spencer | January 02, 2009 at 05:43 PM
I am suddenly craving for something spicy right now! That really looks perfect to warm the old bones :) Lovely photo!
Posted by: Foodista | January 10, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Ah, the Eden Center. I'm originally from Northern Virginia, but I don't get back there that often. I WISH I could find Vietnamese like that up here in Montreal.
Posted by: a.j. kinik | February 16, 2009 at 11:28 AM
A.J. - I'm sorry you have a dearth of Vietnamese food up there. Bummer. You can always try making it! :)
Posted by: Michelle | February 18, 2009 at 07:06 PM
How was the cha ca hanoi grilled? Did you see grill marks?
Please tell me the name of this place even if you must do it in a PM.
Nobody's blog is big and powerful enough to sway large amounts of customer traffic. Even on Chowhound, favorite restaurants bite the dust all the time while mediocre places thrive. Don't let a nasty rumor stop you from doing what you love, to pass along insight and tips to the hungry and adventurous!
Posted by: Steve | March 31, 2009 at 10:28 PM
Nice Post I already digged this,i have posted your blog on my site
Posted by: passing a drug test | November 07, 2009 at 01:47 AM