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Chinese Dim Sum & Vietnamese Pho
SUBMITTED BY: Chris Tam
LAST UPDATED: February 18, 2005
One of the main reasons I became a Big was because I had people in my life when I was younger who gave me the opportunity to experience different things that I
would not normally have the opportunity to try. One of the prime examples of this was when I would be taken out to experience new foods. In the DC area, there are two particular food experiences I would recommend adventurous Bigs and Littles consider trying. They are Chinese,Dim-Sum and Vietnamese Pho.
Chinese - Dim Sum: China Garden, Rosslyn, VA
Dim sum is the closest thing to what actual chinese people eat, as opposed to "chow mein" and other typical chinese restaurant staples. Dim Sum is a particular type of Chinese lunchtime meal. Also called "yum cha", which means roughly "drink tea," dim sum is comprised of a variety of savory pastries -- steamed or fried dumplings, filled buns, noodles. There are also sweet pastries, vegetables, meats.
The portions are bite-sized, and they are served in small quantities, usually three or four to a plate, so that the diners can enjoy a variety of foods, whether they eat very little or indulge in a huge feast. Many of the dim sum dishes have shrimp or pork in them.
Instead of ordering what you want and having the food brought to you, typically servers push carts, loaded with a variety of dim sum, through the dining room, past the customers, who keep an eye out for appealing dishes. Once a desired item is in sight, the diner flags down the cart and points out what she wants. The dining room bustles with the activity of carts wending among tables, calls for attention, and the clatter of plates. The idea is to choose things continually throughout the meal, rather than to gather all the food at once before eating.
I have had dim sum everywhere from Canada to San Francisco and found that China Garden offers a solid experience, and is my favorite in the DC area. It is a clean, busy restaurant, which ensures good turnover with dim sum dishes and a comfortable dining experience.
The best time to go, in my opinion, is right at 11:30AM (it is only offered at China Garden on weekends and holidays). You will beat the crowds (which can result in lengthy wait times) and have the freshest dim sum before it runs out. I have found that if a child is relatively open minded, there's sure to be something that they can eat / will eat.
Vietnamese - Pho: Four Sisters, Falls Church, VA
In contrast to the variety offered by dim sum is pho (roughly pronounced "phuh"). Pho is a traditional vietnamese beef noodle soup dish, which has been around for approximately a century and is a simple delicacy of noodles in a beef-based broth served with beef (brisket, flap, outside flank, tendon, tripe or meatballs) on top along with basil, bean sprouts and limes.
While this sounds simple, you should note that the Vietnamese see making beef stock as a fine art that usually involves the use, not just of meat, but of beef bones (and sometimes chicken bones). And their beef stock will itself be well spiced with salt, pepper, sugar, ginger, anise, and other ingredients. Sacramento restaurateur, chef and cookbook author Mai Pham points out that Vietnamese food offers an
appealing flavor profile to the U.S. palate: "Most of the ingredients are very familiar. It's fresh and not so spicy. Visually it's easy to see. It's not mysterious.''
Four Sisters in Falls Church is located in Eden Center, a large shopping center that features mostly Vietnamese shops. Four Sisters also offers a clean, comfortable dining experience, that will not break the bank.
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