By Emma Young | Photos by Mark Gilvey
Just as one may judge a great Italian restaurant by its authentic marinara, a great Vietnamese restaurant can be judged by its pho. One taste of Viet Chopsticks’ deeply flavorful pho and you know you’re in for a great meal. “It is my go-to restaurant for something different every time and especially for the pho,” said Montclair’s Ruthie Craig. “The broth they use is the bomb, so yummy.” Sula Blevins, also of Montclair, believes it is “the best pho broth in Woodbridge for sure!” Fragrant and fresh, the intricately seasoned broth allows for a noodle soup that is richly spiced, but not spicy. Brimming with vegetables, meat, and rice noodle abundance, the pho is somehow light and filling simultaneously. Restaurant manager Louis Nguyen explains that the beef pho takes an entire day to prepare and is sometimes simmered for multiple days to reach this culinary feat. Tasting is believing.
Viet Chopsticks’ experienced chefs hail from Vietnam. Described by the restaurant’s website menu as “masters of herbs and spices,” the chefs’ collective accomplishment is creating a “balance between fresh herbs, meats, seafood, vegetables and a selective use of spices to reach a fine taste.”
Décor That Helps You Order Your Food
It can be difficult for a newcomer to know what to order when each menu item is prepared by a master. One surprising touch is found alongside the restaurant’s tasteful and subdued Asian-themed décor: the seating area’s brick walls are covered in posted handwritten recommendations by other patrons. “This is so new customers will know what to order,” explained Nguyen.
A favorite listed on the walls and most frequently ordered, according to server Dan Le, is Bo Luc Lac, more popularly known as “Shaky Beef,” for the shaking technique used when cooking the beef in a wok. “The shaky beef is delicious,” stated Blevins. In this common Vietnamese dish, marinated and tenderized beef is wok-seared in a savory-sweet sauce. The entrée costs $15.95 at Viet Chopsticks, at the top end of a menu with entrée prices beginning at $8.95 and appetizer prices ranging from $4.25 for crispy spring rolls to $12.95 for butter-fried frogs legs.
Vegetarians Have Options Too
Vegetarian dishes—such as garden rolls with layers of fresh basil, rice noodles, lettuce and crispy fried tofu triangles wrapped in rice paper, vegetarian pho with aromatic spices so rich it’ll convert any carnivore, or the sense-waking snow peas stir-fried with garlic—are abundant on the menu in addition to numerous chicken, beef, pork and seafood dishes.
“I love to arrive at around 11:30 a. m. during the week while my kindergartener is at school for a lunch alone,” said Blevins. “This is when they are just opening, and it’s pretty quiet.” Blevins’ kindergartener “loves” to order one of the several drink options available, a fresh strawberry banana smoothie. Other smoothie options include mango, coconut, and avocado. In addition to the usual soft drinks, juices, teas, and coffees, the beverage menu includes a unique assortment of Vietnamese drinks, such as a salty lemonade, pennywort leaf drink, and pickled plum drink. A full bar includes wines, beers (domestic and imported), and cocktails (alphabetically from Bloody Marys to Woo Woo Shooters).
Portion sizes are generally large, so it may come as a shock to someone who orders the regular-sized pho that an even more substantial “large” size is available. Craig has an expert tip: “I always order the large pho and an extra side of noodles.” The leftovers, combined with the extra noodles, make for “lunch the
next day at home,” she explained.
Viet Chopsticks is located in the Potomac Festival Shopping Center on Potomac Mills Road in Woodbridge. Hours are Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.–10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.–10:30 p.m. Call 571-398-6674 for more information.
Emma Young (eyoung@princewilliamliving.com) is a freelance writer and Dumfries resident.
