Eden Center was one of my most anticipated stops during our Independence Day weekend trip to Washington, D.C. Eden Center is a Vietnamese food Mecca nestled in the city of Falls Church, Virginia about a 20-minute drive west of Washington, D.C. We stumbled upon the existence of this gem while researching food finds in the greater D.C. area online before our trip and I am beyond happy that we came for a visit. Eden Center is now a must-do any time we’re going back to Washington, D.C.!

Here are the spots in Eden Center we’ve visited so far.

Nhu Lan Sandwich Shop

6763 Wilson Blvd, Falls Church, VA 22044

703-532-9009

This little banh mi shop is nestled inside the an indoor shopping mall that houses a few other restaurants and a grocery store. Nhu Lan is a small shop, essentially just a wall of windows and a single doorway from which you place your to-go order. The banh mi sandwiches are not particularly cheap at $6 each, but boy are they done well (and they are Buy 5 Get 1 Free). Similar to good banh mi spots in Houston, Nhu Lan shines with a crunchy but fluffy baguette and a wonderfully umami but somehow refreshing inner layering of meats and veggies. The sandwich was very tasty but honestly a bit on the small side and would not have filled me up on its own. But no matter– this was just stop #1 on the Eden Center food tour.

Kim Phung Bakery and Huong Binh Bakery

Just walk into these bakeries and inhale. Inhale deeply. Experience the malty, crusty, vanilla-ey aroma of the cakes and breads coming to life. The breads are soft and filled with goodies like cured sausage, pork floss, mushrooms and scallions, or ham and cheese.

Michael found a childhood favorite treat: 纸包蛋糕 which translates literally to “cake wrapped in paper.” This sponge cake is fluffy and moist and, expectedly, baked in a tray lined with parchment paper. Peel back that paper and let the aroma of egg and vanilla envelop you.

Thanh Son Tofu

6793 Wilson Blvd, Falls Church, VA 22044

703-534-1202

This place!!! I would drive back to Falls Church, Virginia just to return here. Thanh Son Tofu is known first and foremost for— you guessed it— their tofu, but they have so much more!

Let’s talk tofu, first. You can choose from a wide variety: they have freshly made plain tofu, sweet tofu pudding, soy milk, and savory fried tofu. The fried tofu is what you see first after entering the shop and it deserves its front and center prime location. Set your gaze upon the mountains of deep-fried tofu, large pieces tumbling over each other. Pick one or two flavors (and here my stomach pipes in with : “You know what? Just get all three.”), choosing between Plain, Lemongrass Chili Pepper, and Mushroom Onion. They are absolutely scrumptious, maintaining moisture on the inside and just OH-so-flavorful.

Than Son Tofu has much more than just tofu: they also offer a wide variety of sticky rice, both sweet and savory. The current menu boasts 10 different kinds of sticky rice and I would love to try them all. You stand in line and shuffle along, elementary school cafeteria style, pointing out which of variety of deliciousness you want. Once your selection is made, you watch in awe as gigantic heaping spoonfuls of this sticky glutinous goodness is packed into a to-go box, and marvel at the fact that this will only cost you 3 bucks and change. My Manhattan-minded brain just can’t get over this part. We tried a few varieties: the xoi cuc (rice cake layered with savory mung bean and pork, topped with fried onions), xoi man (sticky rice topped with soy-glazed chicken, Chinese sausage, and Vietnamese ham), and xoi gac (a delightfully orange sticky rice made with red baby jackfruit). It’s all good. Please just go and experience it for yourself. The fried tofu costs $4/lb and you can order half pounds as well.

Last but not definitely not least: the che. Lots of varieties for this as well, and I honestly didn’t know which to order or how, so I appreciated the numbered example cups on display. You can literally just point to one of them to order.

***Note to self for which che to try next time (after perusing Thanh Son’s online menu): Che Baba (cassava, sweet potato, taro, rice cake, and tapioca), Che Khoai mon (taro in green sticky rice and topped with coconut milk), Che Thai (longan, jackfruit, red and green jelly), or Che Hot E (basil seed and black jelly).

Hai Duong Restaurant Eden Center

6795 Wilson Blvd #7, Falls Church, VA 22044

703-538-5289

I came to Hai Duong over the many other sit-down Vietnamese restaurants in Eden Center after reading online that it was known for making a mean bowl of bun bo hue. Disappointingly, the bun bo hue here was a little too mellow and too sweet, a flavor profile similar to most bun bo hue served in Manhattan. I love a good sharply flavored bun bo hue. It has to bite you back. The heat, tart tang, herbal notes, and even umami from the collagenous pork cuts and pork blood need to just hit you in the face. I know it’s hard to make a bowl of anything that lives up to this expectation, and that’s what makes a great bowl of bun bo hue just that: great. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’ve never had a bowl of bun bo hue like that one magical bowl made in a sweltering outdoor food stall deep inside a open-air market in Hue. A certain spot in Philadelphia comes close, but only close.

I will be coming back to Eden Center. Keep on the lookout for more food finds in and around Washington, D.C.!