Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide

Sea Side Crab House, 6799 Wilson Blvd., #5, Falls Church, VA, 703-241-CRAB (2722) (where Saigon Garden used to be) (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Don Rockwell]

An excellent seafood house in Eden Center. The soft shell crab is some of the best around. The crawfish are served Cajun style, although not as spicy as you would get in southwest Louisiana. It’s small and not a great place to sit and chat inside, but absolutely worth having in the repertoire. Outdoor seating is available. Right now it is my go-to choice for crabs. Make sure you use lots of the lime, salt and pepper sauce they give you.

Halalco Supermarket, web site, 155 Hillwood Avenue, Falls Church, VA, 703-532-3202 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Zabihah]

Located inside a Pakistani supermarket, this place is so authentic it closed completely for the month of Ramadan. It’s probably the most authentic Pakistani place around, truly spicy, a bit oily, they serve organs too. Not my #1 Pakistani place but I will go a third time and maybe yet again. It is recommended for those who want to go the nth degree, not for those who seek mainstream ethnic food. It is best to go during peak hours when the buffet is most fresh. There is lots of Islamic material in the supermarket, it is a very religious place, the people are very friendly.

Meaza, 5700 Columbia Pike, Falls Church, VA, 703-820-2870, I’m not sure about the number on Rt. 7, it is what their card says but some people tell me it is wrong. [This place was formerly at 5440 Columbia Pike: previous TCEDG entry]. In any case it is on Columbia Pike just east of Route 7 by Circuit City (which address is 5710 Columbia Pike). (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [chowhound | Yelp]

Excellent, excellent Ethiopian, maybe as good as the DC dumps. But it’s a nice restaurant too. The fish tibs you can’t get in other places. First-rate kitfo. Wide variety. A clear #1 Ethiopian for Virginia and yes it is pressing on the DC places too. Attached to a coffee shop, plus they have Ethiopian music on some nights. Definitely recommended, although perhaps I would prefer if the dining room had more light.

Kim Ngan, web site, 6755 Wilson Blvd., #24, Falls Church, VA, Eden Center, inside the row of stores to the right of the mall, a small place, 703-538-2474, closed Wednesdays. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | Yelp]

Excellent pho but more notably has some of the area’s best “crushed rice” dishes. They have numerous good noodle and small dishes and pork chop dishes here, a fun restaurant, good for when you’re not in the mood for the Eden Center standbys.

Vietnam Imports, 922 West Broad Street, Falls Church, VA, Rt. 7, right next to Panjshir, 703-867-9635, ask for Lilian (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | Yelp]

Yes they cook Indonesian food, home cooking, the real thing, but only Saturdays from 10 or so until not very late. And not every Saturday at that. The noodles are wonderful, beware the cold satay. Worth going if this is what you crave. The “restaurant” is simply a few tables in the back of the ethnic grocery, probably without proper license, etc. Recommended, but please don’t expect this to be a real restaurant. For some dedicated readers it will satisfy the Indonesian craving.

Bolivian Bakery, 6184 Arlington Boulevard, Falls Church, VA, Willston Shopping Plaza, right next to Mark’s Duck House, 703-531-0777 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [openlist]

The “subtitle” of this restaurant is “Palacio del Silpancho”. How can you hate a place like that? This is not the very best silpancho but it is at least at the area average and sometimes above it. Maybe it is too salty in parts. But this is a very sympathetic restaurant and they have lots of fruit drinks too. Worth an occasional visit.

Majestic Rosa Nautica, 2922 Annandale Road, Falls Church, VA, 703-538-8888, 703-538-8885 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)

The dining hall is huge, indeed cavernous and the waitresses are skimpily clad. Drunk Peruvians watch soccer on huge screens. I had to wait a long time before being served. The fish in my pescado saltado was falling apart. They have music at night, and on a few web sites are listed as providing “adult entertainment.” (Not when I was there.) Dance lessons too.

Are these auspicious signs or not? Well, the kitchen does “get” the fundamental essence of Peruvian seafood and they do serve it fresh. I’ll go back, but when I’m in a patient mood. So far I give this one a thumbs up, but I can’t imagine how they can afford to pay for so much space.

Ibex Restaurant, 3813 E & F South George Mason Drive, Falls Church, VA, no phone given. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)

A vibrant Ethiopian place in my favorite ethnic mini-mall (Skyline). The quality is uneven but nothing is bad and the very best dishes are very good indeed. Get the firfir and the qitqit. Get any dish that is laden with lots of injera (bread) and it will be first-rate. Not everything hits the spot here but I am definitely keeping the place in my repertoire.

Chinese-Korean (Kyung Ju Restaurant? - sorry the business card is in Kangul only!), 2847 Gallows Road, at Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA, in the strip mall with the H Mart, 703-645-8787 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)

This place gives a good overview of Chinese-Korean food, a bit gooey, a bit sweet, and with liberal use of ketchup. I don’t like the genre, but I don’t want to put you off trying it. The staff is friendly and charming, plus they have some regular Korean dishes as well. For me it is a dominated asset, but if you never went it would be a shame.

Annandale Cafe, 133 E. Annandale Road, Falls Church, VA, between Hillwood Ave. and S Washington St, though to me it looks like it is on Hillwood, 703-237-7275 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)
[MenuPages]

I love this place, which right now is the best Bolivian food around, despite being a bit on the dark and dingy side. I can’t imagine how they handle crowds and I suppose they don’t. The Saturday peanut soup is the best around, lots of pasta in it. The meats are very fresh. The plates are large. The authenticity level is high. They also pretend to have a connection to Argentinian food but it really is mostly Bolivian. Right now this place is a clear first choice in its category.

Hong Kong Palace (formerly Saigon Palace), web site, 6387 Leesburg Pike, Seven Corners Center, Falls Church, VA, 703-532-0940, Sun - Thur: 11 am - 10 pm, Fri & Sat: 11 am - 11 pm (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | Yelp]

This is probably the best Chinese place around and it just keeps on getting better. Mostly it is Sichuan and yes do ask for the special Chinese menu if they don't give it to you right away. Get the lamb with cumin, the beef with bamboo shoots, the flounder in pepper sauce in hot pot, the ma po tofu, the potatoes with green pepper, the tiger pepper, the Dan Dan noodles, the dried beef appetizer, and the chengdu dumplings appetizer, the spicy version in black vinegar. The menu has many other treasures as well. The specials are usually very good.

Fairouz Mediterranean Café, web site, 3815-A S. George Mason Drive, Falls Church, VA, 703-845-7929 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Yelp]

A mix of Tunisian and Lebanese dishes, I have yet to go. They have okra on the menu, foul, chopped liver, stuffed quail, and lots of kabob platters.

Fu Mei, in the Great Wall Chinese grocery store (大中华) on Gallows, between 29 and 50 and right by Five Guys and Peking Village, 2982 Gallows Road, Falls Church, VA, 703-208-3388 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo]

Fully authentic Chinese comfort food, the meats are quite good, the noodles too, the chow fun (chow foon), all for Chinese tastes; the food lies in the direction of oily Cantonese, not sea cucumber. Definitely recommended, and an A+ for atmosphere. They have only a few tables, all the more reason to go.

Abay Market, 3811-A S. George Mason Drive, Falls Church, VA, 703-998-5322 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)

Now this is an interesting place. They have only three dishes: raw beef, and I do mean slabs (tere sega), not chopped kitfo, lamb soup, and slightly cooked kitfo (mostly raw). That’s it. All come with bread, sauce, and spices. The lamb is pretty fatty, the soup is tasty.

No doubt this is the best raw beef emporium for miles and miles around. It will disappoint those who seek side orders, vegetables, or indeed anything else. A+ for atmosphere. Ask for their assistance in eating the food.

Recommended, but you’d better know what you are looking for.

Also see "Cuisine of Ethiopia" on Wikipedia

Fairfax Inn, 2946 Sleepy Hollow Road, Falls Church, VA, just off Seven Corners, located in a Medical Arts Building, 703-532-0616 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)

Mostly they serve burgers and the like. You have to ask for the Filipino menu at the counter. I have yet to go, the recommendation is from Papan Devnani, who tells me the dishes are named in Tagalog, a good sign. They close at 7 pm evenings, 3 pm on Sundays, and also serve Filipino breakfast.

Tay Do Restaurant, web site, 6793-C Wilson Blvd., Falls Church, VA, the old spot held by Dragon Star in Eden Center, 703-536-5728

This place keeps closing and then opening again. Each time it gets smaller and it takes on a new relationship with sappy evening music. At times it has been excellent and I've never know it to be bad. I'm not sure what to say. If you're already in the Eden Center, it's hard to try a place that can't keep its act together. But there's plenty of upside with the organ meats, the clay pots, the congees, and other dishes, including Vietnamese pancakes. That is if the menu stays the same. Who knows?

Bamian, web site, 5634 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA, 703-820-7880 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | MenuPages | Suburban Tasteland | Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper]

One of the best Afghan places around, the kabobs are juicy and succulent. That being said, I have some complaints. The air conditioning is overdone. The dining room is huge and understaffed. I can’t imagine trying to eat here at 8 p.m. on a Saturday evening. The appetizers all have strong minty tastes. This is better than going the sweet route, but a certain sameness creeps in. With some modest changes, this place could be very very good. Right now it hovers between good and very good.

Chaba Thai Restaurant, web site, 2972 Gallows Road, Falls Church, VA, 703-205-2430

Right near the Lee Highway Multiplex and thus it has a convenient location for many moviegoers. But it is not above average. The watercress salad is one good dish to get, but the net value added of this place is probably locational only.

Nhu Lan, web site, 6763 Wilson Blvd., # 14, Falls Church, VA, on the interior of Eden Center, a very small place, 703-532-9009 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo]

Vietnamese subs, banh mi they are called. Some involve mayonnaise, carrots, pickled carrots, radishes, and fresh cilantro. Not my cup of tea -- especially the mayo -- but some swear by it. If you are like me, perhaps try the pork meatballs.

Mai Restaurant, 6763 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church, VA, Eden Center, # 9 inside the mall, 703-237-2020, Tgfriday14@yahoo.com (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Small Picture]

They don’t have crabs “out of season,” so call ahead. You might call this place Vietnamese. They also do good things with packaged crab meat.

Update September 2006: The best crab place in the immediate area. Fresh. The proprietor likes to talk. Only crabs. Crabs, with ginger and scallions, tamarind sauce, plain, or salt and pepper. I like salt and pepper best. Recommended.

Karaoke Idol, 7151 Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA, 703-533-0024 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Falls Church News-Press]

The name alone makes this one worth a try, but frankly I am terrified. Recommended by a reader is the lumpia, Pancit, the tocino (sweetend cured meat), and longaniza. I've now gone, and thought it was "good for a Filipino place," but stil I can't fall in love with the cuisine, at least not in its restaurant versions.

Sarita's, 2794 Graham Road, Falls Church, VA, 703-533-9448 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | City Paper | Yelp]

Authentic, to say the least. Plus you can find Sarita’s II in the Culmore Shopping Center on Rt. 7, west of Bailey’s Crossroads: 6013 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA, 703-820-2700 [Yelp]

A good rule of thumb is the following: just about every El Salvadorean place in the area is worthwhile if you order well. Which means getting the pupusas. In Sarita’s II they dress the waitresses to maximize the number of leering male customers, so beware if you go.

El Zunzal, 917 W. Broad Street, Falls Church, VA, 703-532-9372, also 5900 Columbia Pike, Falls Church, VA, 703-379-5100 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Falls Church News-Press | City Paper | Yelp]

A good place for El Salvadorean food, and more accessible to non-Salvadoreans than most, without selling out on the quality side. There is no doubt what you should order here: two mixed pupusas, one corn tamale, and perhaps a side order of beans. That makes for a great five dollar meal. Some of the other menu items are good here as well, but I am never really tempted to deviate from the above.

Pho Cyclo, 8102 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, VA, 703-573-2210, really on Gallows Road next to the 24-hour CVS (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | Yelp]

Not just Pho. Excellent lemon grass chicken.

Saigon House, 7235 Arlington Blvd., #2, Loehmann’s Plaza, Falls Church, VA, 703-560-8180 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [openlist | Yelp | Gayot]

Yet another very good Vietnamese place. Best for their big seafood combo dinners, for up to ten people, even including some jellyfish but the non-squeamish will like it too. When you go inside, you will be surprised how large this place is.

Cho Cu Saigon, 6763-6D Wilson Blvd., Falls Church, VA, 703-538-2168, inside Eden Center - use the entrance under the clock tower, next to the grocery store (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | City Paper | Yelp]

Get the roast pork there. You might call this Cantonese but it is a Vietnamese vision of Cantonese food. Duck and seafood as well, recommended.

Update September, 2006: An unknown and much underrated Cantonese restaurant. Good congee. Also get the salted and baked chicken. Fully authentic, try the noodles with ginger and scallion, I think this place is quite good and I haven’t even yet discovered their best dishes.

Update March 9, 2006: Today I had a great meal at the Cantonese place inside Eden Center... the casserole with minced chicken and salted fish was superb.

Huong Viet, 6785 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church, VA, 703-538-7110, in the Eden Center (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]

Opens at 10 a.m. and is full by noon in the Eden Center. Get the picture? All the Vietnamese staples, definitely recommended.

Song Hau, 6763 #6A Wilson Boulevard, Falls Church, VA, this is an inside resturant at Eden Center and not visible from the parking lot, 703-241-1880 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper]

I’ve yet to try it but it must be excellent to survive in this mall.

Four Sisters, Huong Que, 6769 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church, VA, 703-538-6717, right next to Viet Royale in the Eden Center (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | The Hill | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]

A bit fancier than Viet Royale, this was once the best or at least the best known of the Vietnamese places. I like the caramel fish, the Vietnamese pancake, anything with lemon grass, the soups, anything that doesn’t sound Chinese. Fancier decor and less crowded than most other Vietnamese places. But it's gone increasingly mainstream and I no longer see reason to go here. It's still good, but the most specialized places in Eden Center are serving up more interesting meals. Word is that it is reopening in Falls Church City.

The same folks own Song Que, a few doors away. [Hobnob Blog | Washingtonian]

The other places in Eden Center are great, too. If you go on a Saturday, you must arrive before noon to get a parking spot in this mall. All the restaurants are open by 11, so this is not a problem.

Viet Royale, 6795 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church, VA, 703-533-8388, in Eden Center, Arlington, off Wilson Boulevard, near Rt. 50 and Rt. 7. This center is the center of Vietnamese and Asian life in northern Virginia. Excellent stores as well. I suspect no one goes to the Eden Center just once. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]

Avoid anything that sounds like Chinese food, the standard advice in a Vietnamese restaurant. The lobster is excellent, for one thing. On weekdays, order the Bo 7 Mon - Seven Courses of Beef. Not as intimidating as it sounds. In any case, this restaurant is much better than the overrated Queen Bee. Fish in caramel sauce is one idea. Vietnamese pancake. Sweet and sour soup. You get the idea.

Temel, web site, 3232 Old Pickett Road, Fairfax, VA, 703-352-5477 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | Washington Diplomat | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | WAMU | openlist | Yelp]

Mainly Turkish, but has some Greek and Israeli dishes as well, pizza also. Very tasty, fancier than you expect it to be, not as cheap as most other ethnic places. The worst thing is that the service is terminally slow, and without apology. Even at lunch a 45 minute wait to be served is not unusual. Draws a very mainstream crowd and doesn’t have much of an ethnic feel, despite the menu.

Eden Center, web site, directions, use this address for locating on online maps: 6795 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church, VA.

Eden Center is on Wilson Boulevard, in Seven Corners, near Rt. 50 and Rt. 7.

To see the restaurants at Eden Center listed in this Guide, click the Eden Center category.

This center is the center of Vietnamese and Asian life in northern Virginia. Excellent stores as well. I suspect no one goes to the Eden Center just once. Not really a strip mall. It is a mall for Vietnamese and Asian businesses, including many restaurants and food stores. If you go on a Saturday, you must arrive before noon to get a parking spot in this mall. All the restaurants are open by 11, so this is not a problem.

Falls Church has held on to the reputation it established in the 1990s for Asian and especially Vietnamese food. Indeed, the Eden Center on Wilson Boulevard -- the bustling economic reflection of a county where one in every four residents is now foreign-born -- attracts Asian visitors from the entire East Coast. I used to go to this huge mall whenever I wanted; now I worry about whether I can find a parking space.

"Ethnic Goes Exurban: Washington's Sprawl, As Told Through Its Migrating Restaurants," by Tyler Cowen, The Washington Post, September 3, 2006

Restaurants, Food Shops, Grocery Stores

• See the Eden Center category
• Eden Supermarket, 703-532-4950

More

• Eden Center and Seven Corners - from Wikipedia
• "Vietnamese Travel Agent Helps Washington-Area Compatriots with Family Reunification," by Oksana Dragan, VOA, May 1, 2005
• "Fare of the Country: Vietnamese Cuisine, Virginia Settings," by Olwen Woodier, The New York Times, January 27, 1991

Bangkok Blues, web site, 926 W. Broad Street, Falls Church, VA, 703-534-0095 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Gayot]

The former home of a Laotian place, same patrons. Good Thai food, but not at the very top, compared to the competition. I love the blues videos they show, but at the same time it comes off as a bit of affectation too. There is live music as well.

Neisha, web site (Flash), 6037 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA, 703-933-3788, in the Culmore Center, on Rt. 7, near Bailey’s Crossroads (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]

Other locations:
7924 Tysons Corner Center, McLean, VA, 703-883-3588
4445 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-966-7088

Mom and pop Thai, with yuppie pretensions at the fringes. Tasty, cheap, but for me somehow not satisfying. The flavors are a little too sweet for my taste. Has started drawing some customers away from Duangrat’s.

Pilin, web site, 116 West Broad Street, Falls Church, VA, 703-241-5850, on Rt. 7, a tiny bit west of Rt. 29 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]

No surprises, but it delivers. Better than Tara Thai on Maple Avenue in Vienna. In any Thai place I recommend the Mee Grob.

There is a separate branch of this restaurant in the mall on Rt. 7 where Tower Records is located: 8385 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA, 703-556-9191 [openlist | Yelp] The Leesburg Pike branch is more of a lunch place, and not as good as Pilin, but it is certainly good enough to go to and enjoy. Cheaper and quicker as well. The place also has some Vietnamese specialties, which are good as well.

Between 1960 and 2006, the District's population dropped from close to 800,000 to just 550,000, about 20 percent of whom live below the poverty line. High taxes, bad schools and expensive housing impelled people to leave for the suburbs, taking their businesses with them. Immigrants also began following the new opportunities -- settling outside the city. During the same period, Tysons Corner went from a cow patch to a bunch of auto dealerships to a first-tier shopping and business center. Small wonder that would-be restaurateurs such as Nat Kittayapifon, the manager at Pilin, chose Tysons over the District. "We were the first Thai restaurant in Fairfax County 17 years ago," he remembers. "Now I can count 10 on my fingers with no problem."

"Ethnic Goes Exurban: Washington's Sprawl, As Told Through Its Migrating Restaurants," by Tyler Cowen, The Washington Post, September 3, 2006

Duangrat's, web site, 5878 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA, near Bailey's Crossroads, 703-820-5775, usually open (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]

Gourmet Thai at reasonable prices. The ruling Thai restaurant in this area. There is another branch of the same restaurant, with a slightly different menu, right next door, called Rabieng's. Has more modern decor than Duangrat's, but fewer offerings, although I am told you can still order off the Duangrat's menu. It used to be that every dish here was great, then for a while it turned spottier. Now it has been reinvigorated. It remains not fully consistent but the best dishes are better than ever and the menu is more innovative than ever before. The weekend “Thai tapas” are especially fun. Go, and go often.

Flavors Soul Food, web site, 3420 Carlyn Hill Drive, Falls Church, VA, 703-379-4411 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Gayot]

I am fond of this place. The sides are the best. I get the trout, candied yams, and mashed potatoes. More soul food than barbecue, but recommended, and first-rate atmosphere.