Spicy

I you like spicy Vietnamese this is the place to go. It is right int he heart of Eden Center in Falls Church.

It really is a shame to see all the negative reviews because I really love the food here!
The waitresses here can be less than helpful so I’ll recommend my favorites: Quail, steak ceviche, raw clams, coconut snail, oxtail phở (so flavorful) and their summer roll. I’ve had their shaky beef pre restaurant impossible. I wasn’t impressed but maybe I’ll give it another try. This place has great appetizers and soup/​noodles. Surprisingly their phở is better than any of the restaurants in Eden center. I use to go to rice paper but it has gotten too busy and I swear their portions has gotten a lot smaller and less flavorful. This is my new go to. If I could sum up the food it’s «authentic vietnamese cuisine with an edgy pub like twist».
In my opinion, this place isn’t doing well because of it’s target audience. I’m not sure if gringos will be daring enough to try some of their home run dishes because it may be too far off the grid, such as the raw clams, and steak ceviche which are truly stellar! At the same time i couldn’t picture traditional families coming here for dinner because of the environment. They should tone down the music and get rid of the bar girls. This alone will make the place feel more professional and less obtrusive. It also wouldn’t hurt to lower their prices. It really is expensive for Eden.
I’m a picky eater so if I like the food then it really is good. My tip of the day: if you are not use to fish sauce like most of us South east Asians then please get something other than the chicken wings. While good to me, may not be your cup of tea. Explore something else off the menu. :)

You would figure that a place that just got featured on Restaurant Impossible would be thriving and would adhere to what Chef Robert Irvine instructed and advised — sadly though I’m sure it was done all for publicity and not so much to improve the quality of the food and environment.
Two stars is fair, but I’ll have to give one and that’s to — the wait staff, because the ladies were cordial and kind enough to give me menus and show me what their favorite dishes were (however in the episode, Chef Irvine stressed about the uniforms they should wear, I didn’t mind nor did I care that they had no uniform, it was just an observation.)
As for the food I received, I was conflicted in night time eats — there’s always the ever reliable Ravi Kabob or there’s always the opportunity to take a chance and try something new. Ravi Kabob I won’t fail you ever again and go elsewhere, well maybe Metro 29. I got the peppered wings and a salt and pepper pork dish. The wings were nothing to write home about, drummettes chopped from the wing and sliced so that it cooks faster, however doing so badly dries out the meat. And the pork chop dish made me wish I would’ve went across the streets and take on the msg laden kingdom pork chop dishes from either XO or Hong Kong Pearl. These things were so dry and worst part — they should’ve packed or forgot about my rice.
Another thing was the bathroom — I know this is a bar and lounge and I know people get down, but the bathroom was reeking of the «one too many Heinekens» stench and definitely should’ve been cleaned or checked up on regardless of the time of day.
At the end of the day I won’t let this one negative experience deter me from any future visits I’ll have at this place but it definitely wasn’t a good first impression, especially coming from the fanfare it received from being on the Food Network. Here’s hoping my review is read and some sort of change is done for the establishment because it was a far representation from the improvements the food network showed.
Update: I guess the call to Chef Irvine and the Food Network was more so a publicity stunt as the two owners that were a part of this place are no longer there and yet again the Eden Center has the revolving door of restaurants and management:

Honestly I can’t give this place a 5 star. I remember this place before it was renovated and chosen for Kitchen Impossible. The phở was average, spring roll was dry and the drinks were actually good. Basically the food quality was poor compared to the neighboring restaurants. The place was a bit run down and the service was slow. It deserved a 2.
Now with the new look. Customer service slightly improved. The awkward approaches should stop. Maybe if they smile or be more personable, my party wouldn’t be so uncomfortable to a new cuisine they are willing to try. Why do I say this? We walked in and the whole staff stared as we were seated. Several different servers tried to serve us but we didn’t had a chance to really look at the menu. Then finally one permanent server assisted us. Basically, the menu was wrong and they didn’t know what it was suppose to show… they had to confirm it with the chef. He didn’t ask if we had any questions, have we been there, etc.
Service: 3 for trying to serve us
Food improved. So did the plating! My friends enjoyed the wings and phở. The banh mi wasn’t bad. The calamari was crunchy which I looove but too salty for my taste. The lime-​ish sauce paired with it well. Problem salt solved. The spring roll this time was on point noted by my friend. And there was only one dessert option. Ummm strange. The prices were mediocore depending what you are getting. Banh Mi $ 9, wings $ 7, calamari $ 8, limeade $ 3.50, phở $ 11*, dessert $ 6*. Go for the wings and other dishes for your money’s worth.
Food: 3 for improvement
Environment was empty and flies became our friends. Haha. Music was um okay but for a «sports bar» feel, mix it up during the day. Maybe a less club type music during the day. TVs were around but where I was sitting, I saw none. Also there were leaks from the ceiling. My gf and I had to adjust our seats. I don’t think they notice. Then again I notice it as soon as my right sleeve felt cold and moist. (I wore long sleeves and layers)
Ambiance: 3 for improvement
Overall: 3 for improvement and average bar. There are other good quality restuarants around the area. But if you want a sports bar in Eden Center, then go here.

Location–
First of all Eden and available parking seem to be mutually exclusive. Fortunately, we chose to go on a weekday night. Be cautious for potholes and crammed parking spots.
Environment–
The restaurant is definitely more of a sporty bar theme with a sizable bar right in the front and center. Tables are large enough for bigger groups and ordering plentiful dishes.
Food–
We went as a group of 4. Ordered some Oysters and the Spicy Thai Broth Seafood Hotpot. The oysters were more fresh and brinier than I suspected. Made for great appetizers to share between all of us. The hotpot was served in a very efficient pot. By that i mean instead of a huge hotpot and many dishes scattered on the table, you get a large brimmed pot with soup in the center and your meats and vegetables were laid out on the edge of the pot. I favor efficiency, so 1 star for that. Broth wasn’t too salty or under-​seasoned. It tasted a little sweet and sour (maybe a tamarind base?) but I didn’t fancy it that much. The sides for the hotpot sufficed for 4 people. We had an assortment of cabbage, watercress, mushrooms, fish, shrimp, squid, mussels, tofu and quail eggs. It’s also served with a large bowl of rice noodles.
Service–
We had a very attentive and friendly server. She would also make rounds to ask about the food or fill drinks.
Overall, great atmosphere if I want to grab drinks with friends. Not so spectacular when I want a satisfying sit down meal. In other words, I would revisit for other reason than to share a large meal with friends.

Unexpectedly rolled into this place. We rolled 16 deep from cali that night and some unfortunately were underage so it was harder to find a restaurant open so late at night that took minors.
Stumbled about 2 miles with no sidewalks to this joint and was not looking forward to having to deal with poor customer service plus our crowd wasnt the most friendliest sober crowd either. I WAS WRONG! …despite the fact that one of the servers took my banh mi order and never told me they sold out until i realized i didnt get my food yet, it was still great service all around. and the food, especially shaky beef was probably the best I’ve ever had… even after trying authentic viet food out here in cali.
Customer service = excellent. Servers were very polite, used excused me, please and thank you… it may not sound much. but for ASIAN customer service? thats jaw dropping amazing. The manager even hooked us all up with the dessert of fried lychee with ice cream. On top of it all, the best was when he turned down the music for us and turned up the lights a little so we can actually read the menu. And when we all finished ordering and got our food, he politely asked us if it was ok with us to turn the music back up. WHO DOES THAT?!
Food= eggzellent. phở was so tasty, i mean how good can phở be? THIS definitely tops it. everything else we tried was amazing.
Clearly, you get my point. good service and food all around. If i was in town, I’d definitely come back and even recommend it to anyone whos in the area. Hopefully this restaurant is possible after being impossible!

You would think a restaurant who just finished shooting Restaurant: Impossible. You would receive great service and experience. I guess I was wrong. If you’re looking for overpriced vietnamese food, and a bad wait staff. This is the place to go. I ordered the chicken wing that were good, but nothing special for me to come back. I also ordered the grilled pork with a side of rice and egg. The meat and the rice was dry, and the egg was overcooked. I will not be coming back.
If you want good vietnamese food and you’re in The Eden Center, please go to Huong Viet or Rice Paper.

Great customer service, good atmosphere to hang out. Better yet the food is on point. Too bad I’m from California and I can’t be a regular. I’ll forsure be back before I depart. Great job to the staff!

Came here about a week ago and my girlfriend and I had a decent meal.
For starters this place is open late and I’m someone who often works until 10 or 11 pm, so it was great to find good Asian cuisine that is open late. A lot better than picking up Wendy’s/Taco Bell on the way home. They also just renovated the place which gives it a fun modern and clean look. The owner/​manager, whoever it was, was also very kind to us. He came and introduced himself and showed that he cared about our experience.
We ordered the summer rolls, beef phở, and fried catfish. There was nothing that blew my mind, but the food was still good and at satisfying.
The only issue that we had was that it was 12 am with about 5 people in the place and they were still blasting dance music. It would have been nice to know when to lower the volume.
I will definitely give this place another chance as I can see it being fun with drinks and friends.

Been coming here since they first opened, not viet, but I definitely can say I can tell the difference between good traditional viet style cooking and bad, and this place always leaves me with a smile on my face. Great all you can seafood, and the crawfish is cooked to perfection with a great sauce to compliment it. Great atmosphere as well and the owner will always come around and make sure your being well taken care of, the staff are also very attentive as well, awesome spot to kick it with your people or to have a nice dinner with your significant other.

Seriously, I never thought I’d say this but this place deserves negative 10 stars.
Not just because my boyfriend ate raw chicken, but just everything was awful.
We came in on a Friday night for HH because we heard there were some clam/​snow crab leg specials. HH was also until 8, so we wouldn’t feel as rushed. We came in around 7, and it wasn’t that full. There was one girl helping a table and she was the one to seat us. HORRIBLE SERVICE. Then a second server came out of no where to get our order. By the time she got to our table (they helped another couple who came in after us before helping us) we were ready to order our drinks and food. It was already nearing 15 – 20 minutes of us being in the restaurant. We hadn’t even gotten water.
We ordered two orders of snow crab legs, one order of grilled clams, wings, a vermicelli dish, and a chicken and egg with rice dish.
The snow crabs came out first, okay that’s fine, but only me and my friend were going to have the crabs, so our boyfriends just stared at us eat basically. Then the wings came out. They weren’t bad. Then the clams. All these dishes were for the girls though, and we all didn’t understand what was taking the chicken and vermicelli so long to come out.
Finally the chicken and vermicelli came out, and the server couldn’t remember who the food belonged too. They also didn’t have the egg that was suppose to come with the chicken dish. Oh well, since the boys had been waiting for so long to get their food, my bf just dug right in. Later, he gave me a piece and I made a comment on how the consistency was really weird. We looked at the chicken, and it was RAW. If the chicken took THAT long to come out. why the hell is it RAW. RAWWWWWw.
Also, someone at my table simply asked about a dish called Balut (chicken eggs), but we didn’t order it. That dish came out anyway.
TL; DR: Raw Chicken. Crappy service.
No. I won’t be back.

This is a sports bar that offers outside tables .
We started with spring rolls and fried tofu. Not the best but OK. I prefer a crunchier rolls with lettuce leaves.
Entrees were phở with brisket and bun with spring rolls and added grilled shrimp. Again, neither the best or worst. All the other diners appeared to be Vietnamese and the restaurant was doing a good business in crab legs and other seafood.
Friendly service but a number of minor service mishaps

Food
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$ 3 Rum & Coke
$ 3 Vodka OJ
50c Wing flavors: signature, spicy, sweet & sour
Wings are standard fare, no outstanding flavors or trademarks besides the cost to make it a definitely-​come-​back kind of place.
The rum & coke was definitely not what I was expecting. It came… pink! or like a dark raspberry. Anyways, didn’t taste great. The vodka oj was much better, so I’m thinking that whatever they have coming out on tap is more like club soda than coke.
The par-​for-​course fare was what put this place down one star. The bo luc lac looks interestingly transformed, and for that, I would come back.
Décor
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Been to this store twice between owners and I can’t say that I noticed much of a change except that less phonebooks and magazines were stacked up in the lobby area. Black tables and chairs, pretty standard fare.
Service
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Had a correction made to my bill, guys were really nice about it and the manager doing the fixing even made it a point to say my name and thanks for coming by as he passed, definitely a 20% end of the tip spectrum
Extra!
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— Happy hour 6p-​8pm, 50 cent wings, $ 3 rail drinks, $ 2.75 Heinekens
— Accepts visa & mastercard, no minimum

We came here the night before my gall bladder surgery as a glutinous last meal so please hold all judgment as you are about to read how much we ordered for just the 2 of us…
As other have said, the place is clean, modern and is a nice sports bar option with TV’s everywhere, a jukebox, bar games etc… They also have awesome beer/​app happy hour specials that you can enjoy even if you are not sitting at the bar.
Our server was amazing!!! He even taught me how to eat the lobster that we ordered because I am useless when it comes to pulling meat out from any shell. He kept our drinks refilled, was funny, attentive, and very informed of the menu. I didn’t catch his name but he recently got a tatoo on his forearm — shout out to YOU awesome server!!!
FOOD:
–Calamari: I love vietnamese style calamari with the salt/​pepper sauce it is served with. It was a little more fried than I am used to (I prefer it lightly fried) but the flavors were definitely apparent
–Banh Xeo (vietnamese pancake): This was the highlight and I am so glad to have finally found my go to place for this dish. It was perfectly crispy and not too oily. They didn’t skimp on the pork and shrimp either!
–Wonton soup: I didn’t read the menu as well as I should have because you are supposed to specify if you want cellophane noodles or egg noodles. I wanted egg noodles but got celophane instead which I did not care for :(The broth was pretty bland and the wontons were just ‘ok’.
–Ginger Lobster: Beware this dish is messy and hard to eat. The lobster is served marinated with a delicious brothy sauce that makes the shell very slippery and harder to eat. I love the salt/​pepper mixture for dipping the meat in. Full of flavor but next time I think I will try to salt & pepper lobster.
–Rice: This place has the BEST rice I have ever had. I love jasmine rice and they clearly know how to make it here. It was so aromatic, not sticky and filled with flavor. They must rinse & soak the rice for a long time before cooking it
I am dying to go back to try their wings and spring rolls!

I have finally found a place for inexpensive, but quality seafood without driving out toward the Chesapeake Bay. This includes the best lobster deal I’ve found in over 10 years in the DC area: 2 Maine lobsters for $ 20, and a little more for fancier preparations.
Seafood preparations can be done traditionally (with Old Bay and butter, for example), or Vietnamese style. Quahog clams, snow crab, oysters… are all at great prices. Plus, from 6−8pm on Tuesdays and Fridays, it’s $ 8 for a dozen topneck clams, $ 10 a pound for snow crab legs, and $ 1 a piece for oysters.
If steamed, the sauces for the seafood come on the side — medium, hot, or spicy (or butter). The spicy is not really spicy, but is nuoc cham (fish sauce-​based) dipping sauce with some ground chili sauce mixed in. The clams were perfectly cooked and juicy, and are also offered raw like in Coney Island, or grilled with Vietnamese toppings (fried shallot, scallion, and such). We paid a few bucks extra to get the salt-​and-​pepper lobster, which had a perfect, light crispy coating that I’ve never found on the East Coast — instead of the heavy breading many Cantonese places have.
Other menu highlights (written in descriptive, clear English) include Vietnamese meat-​and-​seafood hot pot, shaky beef (bo luc lac, served with a lime/​salt/​pepper/​chili sauce instead of the Maggi sauce everywhere else in Eden Center), fried fish with mango salad, and appetizers not easily found elsewhere. For our first time, we came for the straight-​up seafood, though.
It’s a bit empty on a slow, cold, non-​weekend night, especially after the 8pm specials end, but the service is very attentive and friendly. Flat-​screen TVs line the restaurant, there’s a large outdoor patio with space heaters for non-​winter months, and it’s still much more inviting (and fresher!) than the Seaside Crab House a couple doors down. The jukebox, if someone plays something, is blaring, so I would advise steering clear of those speakers. I hear there is a DJ after 9pm on weekends, and I also saw hookahs behind the bar; however, it’s not one of those sketchy men-​only Vietnamese sports bar spots with purple tint on the windows. It’s a seafood joint first, and bar second.
I’m not sure if it’s every night (last night it was about 9:45pm), but a grandma comes in selling exotic fruit — from peeled pomelo to bags of rambatan.
Accepts Visa and MasterCard. Full bar.
EDIT after ROTD: My sister visited Spicy a few weeks ago, and they had a new chef who was still «in training.» Therefore, the lobster special is no longer available, but the waitress said that they expect to have all their dishes again once the chef is up to speed.

We went here for Monday happy hour with ½ off apps, not to include seafood, beer and drink specials. When we walked in, there were only 2 other customers. The place was very quiet. We sat at the bar and ordered rail drinks, crispy rolls and spring rolls. the rolls were good at 50% off and we agreed they were right on. The vodka cranberry drinks for 3 dollars were pretty good too, although we do like our drinks a little stronger. The manager/​bartender was polite and told us he had a couple of lobsters he could provide to us for $ 19.95, which combined with him telling us they were 1.5 pounds each, we couldn’t resist. When the lobsters were brought out, one was about 1.25 lbs and the other was much smaller at less than a pound, and it was significantly smaller than the other. The manager even acted awkward as he asked us who was to get the smaller one.
Okay, you don’t just set up the customers’ expectations to a certain level and then do not deliver without proper explanation. And no, no apology or discount was offered. At this point, it was just awkward for us, but we decided to just eat and move on. But, we had no forks, so we asked for them and then asked for some rice and then asked for spoons. It was ridiculous we had to keep ‘bothering’ the guy for these items. Anyway, the lobsters did taste okay, and the seasoning on them was pretty good.
Based upon reviews here on Unilocal,we were looking forward to coming to this establishment for quite some time. Sadly, the significantly smaller than 1.5 pound lobsters, combined with us having to request everything just to eat, caused us to be disappointed. We like our happy hours, and because this place is close to home, we were wanting to like Spicy. I don’t think we will return.

I was bummed when the previous tenant vacated the space (they had our favorite lau thai hot pot in Eden), but was pleasantly surprised by the new kids on the corner block.
They upgraded the TVs and will certainly attract the drinking and sports crowd. We went for dinner but the lunch specials look pretty darn good. They have the usual menu offerings but also do skewers of grilled meats, seafood, veggies and the like. Will have to give those a shot next time around.
Hubs and I split the grilled lobster, grilled clams and bo luc lac (shaky beef) on a nice early fall evening on the patio. The quality of meat has definitely improved. Big plus there. The lobster were tasty but seem to have been frozen — maybe I am mistaken? Clams were tasty, as well. Not sure about the french fries on the bo luc lac — I’ve only seen that on saltado/​Salvadorian meat plates.
I was super duper pleased to see the lobster and bo luc lac served with muoi tieu chanh — the lime, salt and pepper dipping sauce. We usually ask for a ton of limes to make our own.
All in all a great spot — I’m sure we’ll be back when I’m tired of cooking :)

Omg I’m so glad I’ve came here! Came here with some friends since we’ve heard the hype from everyone raving about it. All my hopes and expectations for this place have been met!
The 2 lobsters for $ 20 deal is such a steal, definitely try it if you can. Yesterday we only ordered one lobster since it was the last one. My friend decided to get the salt & pepper lobster for $ 14.95ish and we’ll all share it and order something else. I was sad that I wasn’t able to order the ginger lobster but I’m glad I didn’t. The lobster was HUGE. It was enough to feed me and my two other friends and others at the table.
Other dishes we had were the beef carpaccio (delish), chicken skewers, fried calamari and too many other small plates I can’t think of. I definitely like the idea of having small plates, it’s like having Vietnamese tapas yet you’re still able to order a main dish for a relatively good price.
Great place to watch sporting events, smoke hookah and drink as well.

If you’re ever looking for Asian fusion dishes beyond the Vietnamese selections at Eden, be sure to check out Spicy! I dined here during their grand opening and they have a variety of different items on their menu. The most memorable dishes I had were the black pepper chicken wings, bo tai chanh (beef carpaccio), and the bo luc lac (shaky beef). They also offer $ 6.95 lunch specials that I’ll be sure to try it out sometime since Eden isn’t too far from work.
In addition to a patio and full bar, they also have multiple TVs surrounding the restaurant. I can definitely see this place become a hot spot during NFL Sundays/​Mondays and other sporting events. They’re even open late night until 2AM (both the kitchen and bar) if you ever have any late night cravings. The restaurant is located where Viet Bistro previously was.

4.5 Stars. Rice platters, noodle soups, vermicelli bowls, and tons of other menu choices for only $ 6.95? Oh my! Where have you been all my life?
My stomach was happy, my wallet was happy, and most importantly, I still had time left over to grab a boba tea before going on with my day.
I paid spicy a visit during their soft launch, and was told by the waitress that they are soon expanding their already delicious and cheap menu, and will also be stocking up their sleek bar to accommodate for some happy hour specials!
I have tried both the barbecued pork rice platter and the wonton noodle soup. The barbecued pork dish was authentic and the pork marinated perfectly. The wonton was a delicious mixture of pork and shrimp, and the broth was flavorful and rich.
Service was quick and friendly, and the food came out in less than 10 minutes. Another great thing is that they also have plentiful outdoor patio seating. This place is definitely a great new addition to Eden center. I can’t wait to try their other menu items and check out that happy hour menu!