Eden Center has been a major destination for Vietnamese food and culture in Northern Virginia for nearly 40 years. Today, the Falls Church shopping complex sports more than three dozen restaurants, and the dining options have expanded beyond Vietnamese fare to include several types of Asian cuisine. Next time you’re in the area, pop by for some of the best tofu in the DMV, plus bubble tea, hot pot and more. Here are 10 Eden Center eateries worth a visit:
Banh Cuon Thang Long
To find this cozy restaurant, you’ll need to make your way down the hallway of Saigon East. (The L-shaped mall features an east and west end, each named for the onetime capital city of South Vietnam.) A local institution dating back more than 30 years, the Vietnamese cafe’s most popular dishes include banh cuon thang long (steamed rice-flour crepes combination plate), bun oc (rice noodle soup with tomato and conch) and bun bo hue (beef and pork noodle soup with sliced pork sausage). // 6757 Wilson Blvd. #22, Falls Church
Firepan Korean BBQ
About four years ago, Firepan opened its first location in Eden Center. Now the chainlet has three locations (the others are in Woodbridge and Silver Spring), serving a la carte and bottomless barbecue options. For the main event, the menu boasts an array of tempting proteins for the grill, including spicy galbi (spicy marinated short ribs), thin-sliced pork belly and spicy octopus. There are non-meat dishes, too, such as fried veggie dumplings and kimchi pancakes. Try the japchae (stir-fried Korean glass noodles with beef bulgogi and vegetables). // 6793 Wilson Blvd. #C, Falls Church
Hoang Viet Restaurant
This charming eatery near the southwest end of the plaza serves more than a dozen types of pho and a wide array of bun (Vietnamese rice vermicelli), including shrimp, tofu and pork. Wash your meal down with a glass of strawberry tea or bac xiu da, an ultra-sweet Vietnamese iced coffee that’s heavy on the condensed milk. // 6795 Wilson Blvd., Falls ChurchÂ
Huong Binh Bakery and Deli
Looking for grab-and-go or catering options? Open since 1986, this bustling marked relocated from south Arlington to Eden Center in 1992. Order party trays or grab packaged takeout foods such as Vietnamese egg rolls, cha ca (fish cakes), banh bot loc (steamed dumplings in banana leaves), pork buns, nine kinds of banh mi sandwiches, and desserts such as creme caramel flan and multicolor, jelly-filled che ba mau. // 6781 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church
Kao Sarn
This small shop specializing in Thai street food shares its name with a well-known street in Bangkok. Chef Nucharin (Arin) Lapakulchai, a Bangkok native, offers several recommendations to those who are new to the restaurant, including boat noodle soup (meatball, pork rind, bean sprout and basil), kha na mu krob (stir-fried veggies with crispy pork belly) and som tum (green papaya salad). // 6795 Wilson Blvd., #12, Falls Church
One Tea
Thirsty? This Taiwanese tea shop near Saigon East has a beverage for everyone, from taro milk tea and tiramisu slushes to “butterfly effect” drinks—fruit juice blends that sport an ombre effect. You’ll also find plenty of small bites and main dishes on the menu, including popcorn chicken, takoyaki (fried Japanese fritters stuffed with octopus, corn and seaweed), and onigiri, a Japanese-style rice pyramid with various fillings. // 6757 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church
Rice Paper
Since 2012, this elegant little dining room has dished out “a taste of Vietnam,” delighting diners with dishes such as chim cut quay (marinated quail with lime), com tam dac biet (broken rice, pork, tofu, shrimp, fried egg, shrimp rolls, sweet Chinese sausage) and lau chua ca ro phi (hot pot soup with fish, bamboo, banana blossoms, okra, pineapple, mushroom and celery). // 6775 Wilson Blvd., Falls ChurchÂ
Thanh Son Tofu
If you love bean curd, this specialty storefront is a must-visit. Expect lengthy lines of patrons waiting for a host of grab-and-go foods, such as cha com (green sticky rice patties with pork), che (Vietnamese pudding) and fried or fresh tofu by the pound. Box up some savory cubes of fried tofu (plain, mushroom and onion, or lemongrass and pepper) and finish preparing your meal at home. // 6793 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church
TeaDM Plus
Orange County native Jay Tran opened TeaDM (a play on EDM, or electronic dance music) in 2016, after noting a dearth of good bubble tea options in Northern Virginia. TeaDM now has multiple locations (including outposts in Fairfax, Sterling and Vienna) and serves a colorful array of teas and coffees, from strawberry milk tea with boba to an antioxidant blend made with honey, lemon, ginger and chia seeds. If you love sweets with a buzz, try the sea-salt coffee with jelly (aka coffee ice cream in a glass.) // 6779 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church
VietFoods
This restaurant at the heart of Eden Center boasts a sizeable dining room and a lengthy menu of traditional Vietnamese dishes. Find the answer to your cravings in goi cuon (spring rolls), banh canh (thick noodle soup), com tay cam (clay pots with rice) and more than a dozen styles of pho. The beverage menu features several sweet drinks, including jackfruit smoothies, as well as Bia Saigon and other beers that pair nicely with spicy cuisine. // 6783 Wilson Blvd, Falls Church