Indian summer is over, at least I hope. And as we settle into real autumn, I’m starting to crave warming grub. In my opinion, the pinnacle of that category must include three aspects: high temperature, a dose of spice, and MEAT. I’ll be satisfied with just two of the three, but heading to Lighthouse Tofu, with locations in both Centreville and Annandale, ticks every box.
The tofu soup, or soondubu, might sound like a vegetarian’s delight. There are mushroom and mixed vegetable options, but most of the soups, while rife with the icon of vegan dining, are delectably flesh-filled. My favorite at Lighthouse or Vit Goel Tofu, features thin slices of both beef and pork for a mini buffet of animal protein.
And the heat? I get it “spicy, spicy,” the hottest on a scale of five levels. I can’t help but giggle each time I see the lowest level, identified as “white.” But the “spicy, spicy” means business. Gochugaru (Korean chile powder) bubbles at the top of the hot stone bowl, threatening of the blast to come. Mix the powder into the broth, bringing the meat to the surface as you do it. The soft, creamy tofu helps calm the flames, as does spooning the stew over the provided bowl of rice, if necessary. But chances are, you won’t want to. The burn, combined with the bubbling warmth of the stew, draws the diner to take yet another bite, despite the punishment of the double-pronged fire. And the meat? It’s lean, tender, and slips almost as easily between the diner’s teeth as the tofu.
We just shared where to warm up by a restaurant fireplace. But if you want to bolster yourself against the chill from the inside out, Lighthouse Tofu is one of the best places to go in NoVA.
6035 Centreville Crest Ln., Centreville; 4121 Chatelain Rd., Ste. 100, Annandale
Feature image by Alice Levitt
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