Vietnamese street food with a hint of the American South from an award-winning chef? Yes, please.
Kevin Tien has amassed quite the trophy case for his upscale eatery, Moon Rabbit, in downtown D.C., and Hot Lola’s, his Nashville-meets-Sichuan spicy chicken joint in Ballston Quarter, has its own loyal following. So you can bet that his latest venture, Chào Ban (Vietnamese for “Hello, friend”), is bringing the flavor.
Located inside Tysons Galleria, the airy, counter-service cafe specializes in Asian food with Cajun flair—Tien grew up in Louisiana—in the form of spring rolls, brisket pho bowls, chili noodles and bánh mi sandwiches. Tien is partial to the saucy Mumbo #5 sandwich with sweet-and-sour shrimp, while this hired mouth stands by the slow-roasted pork belly in the Piggy Stardust.
For his nuoc cham chicken wings, a riff on the iconic Vietnamese clay pot fish, Tien tosses chunks of white meat chicken in a beguiling caramel sauce coaxed from sugar, coconut water, fish sauce, star anise, black pepper, cinnamon, maple syrup and black pepper. The finishing touch is a hail of fried garlic, minced ginger and fresh scallions. It’s a killer crossover that will ruin bland tenders for you forever.
Another not-to-miss item, the grilled lemongrass pork, is layered over white rice and crowned with a fried egg. The scorch marks on the tenderloin impart a smokiness that’s complemented by a tangy medley of pickled carrots, daikon radish and cucumbers. Crushed peanuts and fried shallots add the perfect crunchy finish.
