Few phrases excite me like the three Vietnamese words, “bo bay mon.” The onslaught of seven courses of beef is something for which a diner must steel themself, no doubt, but the rewards for making it through all of them are great. I haven’t found a bo bay mon purveyor in NoVA yet, but I just found a place that serves the best version I’ve tried of one of its many dishes.
Viet Chopsticks is mere feet away from my recent Latest Obsession, T’Kila Latin Kitchen & Bar, in Lansdowne. Both offer big flavors and dishes you won’t find among their peers. The menu at Viet Chopsticks is especially large—the numbered list reaches well into the hundreds. Among them are 16 varieties of beef pho, as well as chicken, seafood and vegetarian versions. Those there for basics will be well taken care of.
But I wasn’t there for quotidian options. I was in search of personal favorites. Admirers of Mediterranean dolmades might see bo la nho and find it familiar. But there’s no rice in these grape leaf rolls. They’re packed with grilled beef that’s intensely flavored with lemongrass. At Viet Chopsticks, they’re seasoned to perfection and covered in peanuts and scallions.
Years ago, I was at a Vietnamese restaurant where the servers tried to dissuade me from ordering ca kho to. Apparently non-Vietnamese people often don’t like the catfish caramelized in a clay pot. They are making a sad error. The sizzling fish in a pleasantly sweet sauce that thickens as it bubbles away in the pot is one of life’s great pleasures. A collection of onions at the bottom of the pot progressively softens and imbues the sauce with its natural sugars. My dining companion compared the dish to a Vietnamese take on French onion soup.
For a cuisine that often gets boiled down to just a few standards, it’s refreshing to find so much variety. And Lansdowne isn’t the only place to do it. There are also Viet Chopsticks locations in Woodbridge and DC. That means that wherever you are in NoVA, there’s little excuse to stick to plain old pho. // 19385 Promenade Dr., Leesburg
For more reviews, subscribe to our twice-weekly Food newsletter.
