Once Tim Ma found the right combination of heat, silkiness and downright addictiveness, he had to keep it going.
The creme fraiche wings doused with Korean hot sauce he made famous at his former restaurant, Maple Ave, now adorn fried sweetbreads packed into a hoagie roll. The nuggets of meat are crispy and feel light as a cloud next to the bright crunch of pickles and cabbage.
Ma paired up with his fellow Vienna epicure Michael Amouri of Caffe Amouri for Chase the Submarine, a globally inspired sandwich shop with top-tier, housemade ingredients (which are also for sale, like kimchi and pickled blueberries). The menu changes frequently, but expect handhelds like Peruvian-style chicken, pork belly banh mi and steak and (provolone) cheese.
More than a sandwich shop, Chase stocks a selection of pantry items like oils, aged rice and jellies, and because of Ma’s relationship with farmers, there’s a weekly meat-based, commitment-free CSA.
NOTES
Established: November 2015
Type: gourmet sandwiches with an all-Virginia tap list; meat CSA
Good for: bulgogi, creme fraiche wings, shopping for bespoke pantry staples
Address: 132 Church St. NW, Vienna
Open: daily for lunch and dinner