Unauthorized

In my opinion, Little Saigon is the finest Vietnamese restaurant in the Washington, DC area. Although situated in a small, somewhat dumpy strip mall, the quality of the cuisine is world class. Previously, if you did not speak Vietnamese or French it was nearly impossible to navigate your way through the sophisticated menu, but, thankfully, they recently added English to the choices. Vietnamese cuisine has all the advantages of Chinese, but with less fat. Both the deep fried calamari and rice wrappers called Bo Bia (which include Chinese sausage, cilantro, plum sauce, and vegetables) are to die for. The deep fried flounder and clams with black bean sauce are also amazing. The delicious salt and pepper deep fried jumbo prawns, which are meant to be eaten with their shells on, is a tour de force in great cuisine. Slightly richer, the grilled pork in lettuce leaves was served like a Peking duck with a wrapper, in this case, the lettuce. Lastly, we enjoyed wonderful roasted guinea hens followed by one of the greatest duck courses I have ever had, the amazing duck with orange sauce. It was deliciously crunchy on the outside, and had the perfect play of sweet versus sour.

The wines included Chapoutier’s prodigious 2003 white Ermitage L’Ermite, which comes from the top of Hermitage hill. Unfortunately, the restaurant did not have an ice bucket and we could not cool the wine as much as we would have liked. It was served too warm, but one could still taste the minerality. I’m sure when served at the correct temperature, this is total perfection in white wine, with a nectar-like intensity, and the richness of such great Montrachets as the 1973 and 1989 DRCs, and the 1982, 1985, and 1986 Ramonet Montrachets. We then moved to the just arrived 2003 Guigal Côte Rôtie La Mouline, which was fabulously young as well as unctuously textured. A sensational example of this great vintage, it should drink beautifully for 20-25 years. We finished with a magnum of a Châteauneuf du Pape that has been virtually perfect on every occasion I have had it over the last six months, the 2003 Pierre Usseglio Mon Aïeul. Completely aged in concrete tanks and old foudres, it is as naked and virginal expression of old vine Châteauneuf du Pape as one can find. Notes of licorice, roasted herbs, sweet blueberries, raspberries, and black cherries emerge from this stupendous Châteauneuf.

I can’t recommend Little Saigon highly enough. The food is outstanding, and the prices are reasonable. I don’t think there is an entree priced over $9-10.

Here are the translations for some of the courses: Bo Bia (rice crepes wraps with shrimp Chinese sausages), Muc Rang Muoi (popcorn calamari), Ca Chin Dan Nuoc Mam (big, crispy flounder with ginger sauce), Ngheu Xao Tung Denn (clams with fermented black beans), Tom Cang Rang Muoi (jumbo prawns deep fried with salt and pepper), Chim Cut Quay (deep fried or roasted guinea hens), Banh Hoi Thit (rice vermicelli with grilled pork).