ILLUSTRATION BY EDWIN FOTHERINGHAM


FINE LEBANESE CUISINE FINE LEBA


in Arlington” – Tom Sietsema


“A Welcome Addition


2300 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201 703.465.4440 www.me-jana.com Free Parking


Ask Tom


Tysons Corner: 8142 Watson St. McLean, VA 22102 703-356-2288


Reston Town Center: 11964 Market St. Reston, VA 20190 703-435-4188


www.busara.com


“Great Food at a Reasonable Price” Since 1972


Anthony’s RESTAURANT


- Catering & Banquet facilities Available - Open 7 Days a week at both locations - Eat in or Carry Out


Fine American, Greek & Italian Cuisine Falls Church


7234 Centreville Rd. 703-361-1230 www.anthonysrestaurantva.com


309 W. Broad St. 703-532-0100 Manassas


Entree No. 16 fi ts in quartered beef meatballs and slices of raw beef tendon.


Alexandria, VA 22312


Phone: 703-739-9600 Fax: 703-739-5809 www.RedCurry.us


THAI CHILI Chinatown


701 7th St, NW


Verizon Center Inside Gallery Place Building


202-393-2905


7101 Brookville Road Chevy Chase MD


301.986.5255 for reservations


www.lafermerestaurant.com


 


Located Next to


RED CURRY 100 King St.


(Continued from Page 39)


the accents are almost unnecessary. A handful of appetizers let you ease


into lunch or dinner. Summer rolls are so sheer, you can see the shrimp, mint and bean sprouts that swell them. They are best dunked in the peanut sauce to the side, however. Papaya salad is cool and refreshing, but it, too, tilts subtle. To the rescue: a splash of fi sh sauce, which the chef personalizes with vinegar, red pepper and garlic. Egg rolls bulge with taro root and fresh- tasting carrots. The snack shows up piping hot — and greasy. Pho Viet’s banh mi layers pink ham,


Dining with Tom Sietsema. Every week in The Washington Post Magazine.


For information on advertising in the Dining section, please call Diane DuBois at 202-334-5224.


fi ery jalapeños, pickled carrot shreds, head cheese and cilantro on a crisp baguette slathered with butter. When banh mi is done right, there’s no better sandwich on the planet. This isn’t the most memorable of my career, but it’s plenty satisfying, delivering the crunch and the zing and the fat I expect of a proper Vietnamese combination. Order the banh mi as a $7 platter, and you get a soft drink and battered sweet potato chips pulled hot from the fry pan. They are crisp and chewy (tempura comes to mind) and threaten to steal the show from the star. My biggest quibble with eating the dish is the fl imsy napkins. There’s a homey quality to much


of Pho Viet. The vegetable garnishes are cut a little large, and the low- ceilinged space could easily pass for the


“While my husband and I were dining out, our server came by to see if we were ready for our check,” writes Sandi Franklin. “She said, ‘You ate everything! That’s amazing.’ I replied that it isn’t nice to tell someone that they ate a lot.” The Rockville reader reports this wasn’t the first time her eating habits have been remarked upon and asks, “Is there a good reply to this?” Sometimes the best way to address


an offensive comment is to repeat it, then (gently but firmly) let the sender know the feedback isn’t welcome. The next time someone points out your clean plate, you might say, “Yes, I ate everything. I didn’t know I was being graded.” Franklin’s missive should serve as a hint to the hospitality business: Silence is sterling.


Got a dining question? Send your thoughts, wishes and,


yes, even gripes to asktom@ washpost.com or to Ask Tom, The Washington Post Magazine, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071. Please include a daytime telephone number.


residence it once was. The range isn’t deep, but the standards are high. You might wish for a beer or a


glass of wine with this cooking. Sadly, tea is as strong as the liquids get at Pho Viet. That won’t stop some of us from imbibing with the restaurant’s food. Pho Viet offers delivery (for a minimum of $15), but only within a one-mile range, although Nguyen says she makes exceptions for large parties with advance notice. Now let me call my 50 best friends.


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