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Le Bledo (Formerly Le Bledo Dalat), Springfield - Vietnamese Bakery and Cafe Reopen on Brandon Avenue


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I just realized this little gem of a Vietnamese place did not have its own listing in the Dining Guide, just a few passing mentions in other categories. Because the establishments that dot this plaza apparently are all closing as part of a construction project, I figured now was a good time to pay tribute.

Coming in the door, the first thing you see is the bakery. A wide assortment of cakes and sweets are on display, and a book of cake decorations is available to order from. To the right are prepared foods, and I scored some rolls with pork sausage and a fine dipping sauce from the table. The case and the refrigerator have a goodly assortment of pork buns and jars of various vegetables and pickles. To the left is the seating area, with a nice looking buffet of about 8 options, including Don't favorite everything meatballs, pork cutlets, pig belly in sauce and a few other tempting delights. I noticed that most of the diners were indigenous, always a good sign, and a noticed quite a few polished-off bowls of pho with some deeply brown broth left in the bottom of one bowl.

I had the combination banh mi, which for $2.75 included ham, head cheese and pate, along with maybe the least industrial bun I've had with banh mi in memory. This was an overall better combination banh mi than the dozen or more I've eaten at DC Sandwich. The aforementioned pork spring rolls were 3 to a pack, loaded with vermicelli, lettuce, shredded veggies and disks of pork sausage, with a tangy-sweet peanut dipping sauce. The pack was about $4.50, and the total with the banh mi and tax was $7.61. I'm stuffed to the gills.

Out of fear that it may close or relocated sometime soon, I will put it in my near term rotation and make sure it gets a steady flow of revenue. But as long as it's open, there is absolutely no need to run to Falls Church for my banh mi fix.

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I love Le Bledo. My friend lives nearby and orders from them for family events. You can order Vietnamese noodles, grilled meat, spring rolls, etc. in disposable foil trays.

Their green birthday cake is also fantastic. Apparently, it's common to have the whipped cream frosting colored green and add coconut flakes on the side.

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I just walked out of Le Bledo with the BBQ pork banh mi, the combination banh mi, a BBQ pork platter and a pack of three shrimp spring rolls. That's enough food to satisfy 3-4 people, for a whopping total of $18. Anyone up for a $10 Tuesday lunch? (You would be hard-pressed to spend $20 here unless you buy a wedding cake.)

The BBQ pork banh mi was loaded with meat and very comforting. You won't get as much meat at DC Sandwich unless you order the extra meat for another $1.50. The combination banh mi is as reported previously, and has to be the best fast food lunch for $2.75 anywhere.

I strolled over to the lunch "buffet" -- not actually a buffet, but they spoon out the various dishes as you order. My eye caught the stuffed gourd swimming in a delicious-looking sauce, and there was yummy-looking fish, chicken, pork, veggie and beef dishes as well.

I chatted up the young woman behind the counter and asked her about all the various closed establishments in the plaza, and she said that there were new retail shops coming in. I asked her if there was a possibility that Le Bledo would be moving, and she said not now....but you never know. I took that as a definite maybe.

The hours are not conducive to a dinner option -- they open at 7am and do a good breakfast business with offerings like cream puffs with iced coffee. Lunch is where the indigenous workers come for the replenishment needed to get through the afternoon.

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I'd be up for a lunch, but don't know if I can do it this coming Tuesday as I will be swamped with a court case Mon-Tue.

Let's pick a solid date in the not-too-distant future and then see if we can enlist a few others over on the Events and Gatherings section....

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A rather blah lunch here yesterday. I had a bowl of the special beef noodle soup ($9), which I was told was a spicy beef soup. The spice level was not that high and the thin and bland broth was filled with all sort of beef parts. Not bad, but the soup over at the pho place in Springfield plaza leaps and bounds better and they have excellent crispy chicken wings.

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A rather blah lunch here yesterday. I had a bowl of the special beef noodle soup ($9), which I was told was a spicy beef soup. The spice level was not that high and the thin and bland broth was filled with all sort of beef parts. Not bad, but the soup over at the pho place in Springfield plaza leaps and bounds better and they have excellent crispy chicken wings.

You're entitled to your opinion, however erroneous it may be. Join us for lunch here next Tuesday?

Pho Cong Ly in Springfield Plaza has closed, so you won't be enjoying their pho anymore. If you're referring to Saigon City in the former McDonald's, my barbers and Lady Kibbee's mani-pedi providers represent a considerable cross-section of Vietnamese-born foodies, and they widely pan Saigon City. I stopped going there after successive pho experiences included (1) rude and dreadful service, (2) paltry portions, including barely visible crumbs of meat in the beef soup once, (3) tepid, almost room temperature broth, and (4) soggy, flaccid cah gio. But enjoy your chicken wings!

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You're entitled to your opinion, however erroneous it may be. Join us for lunch here next Tuesday?

Pho Cong Ly in Springfield Plaza has closed, so you won't be enjoying their pho anymore. If you're referring to Saigon City in the former McDonald's, my barbers and Lady Kibbee's mani-pedi providers represent a considerable cross-section of Vietnamese-born foodies, and they widely pan Saigon City. I stopped going there after successive pho experiences included (1) rude and dreadful service, (2) paltry portions, including barely visible crumbs of meat in the beef soup once, (3) tepid, almost room temperature broth, and (4) soggy, flaccid cah gio. But enjoy your chicken wings!

Wow, a personal attack. Cool. And no it was not Pho Cong Ly nor Saigon City, but Pho Hong Anh which is two doors down from the Springfield Butcher. If you have had the soup and it was different than mine that is good to hear, but the bowl that I had yesterday was not that good.

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[FWIW, knowing the personalities involved, and the dynamic that took place, I'm almost certain the post was in the form of a "good-natured ribbing" rather than a "personal attack," but I can see how it could easily be misinterpreted as a personal attack. Write mindfully ...]

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Well, thistle+2 and Kibbee Nayee made four, and a nice meal was had. I'll allow thistle to comment on the soups. I devoured two banh mi for a grand total of $6, one being a roasted pork and one being a meatball, and I prefer these over many others I've had from here to Falls Church. Looking forward to returning....

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We enjoyed our lunch here today, Kibbee Nayee, who suggested this place for lunch, joined us. My daughter & I both had the pho ga, & my son had pho bo & a meatball bahn mi, he inhaled both of them. I am so boring, I always get the pho ga (chicken broth & rice noodles), I mostly like the broth & the add-ins (bean sprouts, Thai basil, peppers, lime, sriracha) & then I'm left with a big old bowl of noodles. Lots of chicken in the bowl, thick slices & a bit tough, but the puppies will eat any leftovers...

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Any pictures? Glad you all had a nice crowd. :-)

No pics, but the ladies there were so nice-my daughter was the only one who tried chopsticks, & they kept checking to see how we liked our food. Lizzy also loaded up on candy, because she liked the cute containers. I asked about spring rolls instead of summer rolls(which looked pretty good), but was told they just had large orders, 20+. I really wish our local bakery also had banh mi, or even half the things Le Bledo had, but their donuts, pastry, & bread are excellent, so no complaints...& this was a nice lunch, glad my kids are good lunch companions (Lizzy only because it fell within her narrow range of food choices-chicken & noodles)...

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Had a business lunch here the other day in the torrential rain a day or two before the storm with a friend. Had the beef noodle soup which had brisket and meatballs with thin rice noodles and the normal sides. The broth was wonderful, really flavorful and peppery which tasted so good on a rainy day. Also ordered pate bahn mi which also came with sausage and another cured meat, this ended up being given to us to go, I guess they didn't realize I wanted a big lunch. Ate it in the afternoon, the bread was warm and crusty, meat was generous for a bahn mi and condiments were very spicy and a little sweet. Had a nice crunch to it. Got some peanut cookies to go and some little pastries with a cashew paste filling. So much looked good here. I want to come back and try more.

The place had a good little flow of people coming in for sandwiches. I really want to explore more items here.

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My kids wanted pho for their last back-to-school lunch today, so we visited Pho Bowl in Kingstowne. They both thought that Le Bledo had better pho. Tom (who burned his tongue right off the bat, which may have influenced his rating) said the serving wasn't as large & the broth wasn't as good (& he really liked the banh mi at Le Bledo) & Lizzy, who got the kids portion, which she appreciated, also thought the broth wasn't as good. I wasn't hungry, so I just got an order of cha gio, & while it was good, no lettuce to wrap it in. We'll have to try Viet House again (close to us, up Rt. 1), but I can't think of any place closer that has banh mi-any suggestions?

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Had a hunger attack yesterday and targeted Le Bledo for its satisfaction. It turned out to be a perfect solution.

Mamasan and I were compalining about the onslaught of traffic brought on by the strange lineup of cars wrapping around the parking lot for the Chik-fil-A drive-thru. It's to the point where parking in front of Le Bledo is next to impossible.

I ordered a small beef soup and a meatball banh mi. The soup was really good, with all manner of meat objects floating in it, from pure cuts of beef to lovely cartilege to meatballs. It truly hit the spot. The banh mi was as good as any, with the added touch of the in-house baked baguette. The combination was off the charts.

Location may be a problem, but quality of food is not.

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Man.  I must have gone at the wrong time.  Was there near closing once on my way back from DC and picked up a variety of Banh Mi.  All very disappointing.  It's been over a year since I have been there so I could not offer specifics but next time the urge for Banh Mi strikes, I would likely hit DC sandwich. 

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I'm curious what people's recommendations are now for good pho places.

I've been hunting in the area for good pho for over 5 years and I've found it really hard. By far the best bowl I've had is at Lotus Cafe in Silver Spring. This is the only pho I've had in the area where the broth is flavorful enough to stand on its own and the only pho I actually recommend to people as good. The next best broth for me was at Le Bledo Dalat in Springfield, but their meat just wasn't very good, and their noodles were pretty mediocre.

Hear hear for Le Bledo Dalat in Springfield...!

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This place has apparently closed.  Their Yelp page has a banner at the top saying that Yelpers are reporting that this location has closed.  Just to verify, I called the number listed on their Yelp page and the woman who answered said, "I'm sorry, but my store has closed."  

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This place has apparently closed.  Their Yelp page has a banner at the top saying that Yelpers are reporting that this location has closed.  Just to verify, I called the number listed on their Yelp page and the woman who answered said, "I'm sorry, but my store has closed."

Owning a restaurant is expensive.

post-2-0-87960600-1438281731_thumb.png

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I haven't done a reconaissance lately -- and that's the problem! You can't get in and out of the darn parking lot anymore because of the carryout line for Chik-fil-A. The owner was telling me that the crowded parking lot and the traffic pattern was going to drive her out of the current location, but she had a few spots in the Annandale area she was looking at. Stay tuned....

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Le Bledo has been in the process of moving to 6416 Brandon Ave. across Old Keene Mill Rd. from the old place.  It was supposed to take about three months but obviously is taking longer.  There is a sign on the storefront saying Le Bledo coming soon, or some such, but as of late last week there still did not seem to be much if any activity there.

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On September 29, 2015 at 2:51 PM, elvenb said:

Le Bledo has been in the process of moving to 6416 Brandon Ave. across Old Keene Mill Rd. from the old place.  It was supposed to take about three months but obviously is taking longer.  There is a sign on the storefront saying Le Bledo coming soon, or some such, but as of late last week there still did not seem to be much if any activity there.

The sign is still there.  That's a very long time to have a 'Coming Soon' sign.  Makes one wonder if it's really going to happen.  

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On 9/29/2015 at 2:51 PM, elvenb said:

Le Bledo has been in the process of moving to 6416 Brandon Ave. across Old Keene Mill Rd. from the old place.  It was supposed to take about three months but obviously is taking longer.  There is a sign on the storefront saying Le Bledo coming soon, or some such, but as of late last week there still did not seem to be much if any activity there.

The sign is still there, in the space previously occupied by Springfield Restaurant. There is some sign of work going on inside, although I didn't see any actual activity today. However, paint buckets and construction equipment were on the floor as I peered through the window.

The sign has changed the name to "Le Blado Bakery"....

Le Bledo.JPG

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39 minutes ago, Kibbee Nayee said:

The sign has changed the name to "Le Blado Bakery"....

[There are three things that can change: name, location, and ownership - the rule I've always used is that if two of the three change, a new thread is started, so Le Blado Bakery in its new space will get a new thread. I made a "possibility matrix" (3 binary options make 8 possible combinations) and posted it ... somewhere, but I know not where.]

Does anyone know what Le Blaeo Dalat means, or even what language it is? I know France used to occupy Vietnam, but the only French word I see in the name is "Le."

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Time for an update to the title of this thread. "Le Bledo" (minus "Dalat") is now open on Brandon Ave in Springfield, under the same ownership as the previous shop on Backlick Road. It began its soft opening on April 1. The inside space is much nicer than the old place, with seating for 35-40, and an open kitchen of sorts. I hope the owners get enough business to stay open for quite a while. They were squeezed out of their previous space because the parking lot got jammed by the drive-thru traffic for Chick-fil-A. It took over a year for them to reopen -- I heard they were sharing space with a relative in Falls Church or Annandale to stay afloat -- and I'm glad I stopped in for lunch today.

This place is also open to the wee hours, but during the soft opening they will close around midnight. I have a few friends who spend time drinking the night away at some nearby places, so late night replenishment is a good idea.

Today was a day where the temperature reached the mid-90s, so I decided to avoid one of the best renditions of pho in Springfield. However, being the only non-Vietnamese patron among 10 or so customers just before noon, I was also the only one not having pho. To me, it's a cold weather dish, but I suppose I have a lot to learn about enjoying Vietnamese food.

My lunch was the combination banh mi, with a side of shrimp spring rolls. Both were good -- maybe the rival of DC Sandwich in Falls Church. I know that everything is made on the premises, so this is Springfield's version of first-class Vietnamese food. But I have to get back soon, maybe on a rainy day, and try the pho.

Le Bledo -- 6416 Brandon Ave, Springfield, VA 22150 -- (703) 866-8911

LeBledoMenu.JPG

LeBledo.JPG

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6 hours ago, Kibbee Nayee said:

Time for an update to the title of this thread. "Le Bledo" (minus "Dalat") is now open on Brandon Ave in Springfield, under the same ownership as the previous shop on Backlick Road.

[Thank you, good sir. Since the location and (sort of) the name changed, this would usually get a separate thread, and if the owners write me and ask for one, I will honor their request. (If two-out-of-three things change - name, location, owners - I generally start a new thread, but seeing as though the name is almost the same, and the concept is similar, I'll keep everything here, unless the owners get in touch with me. I wrote an extensive algorithm for determining when to split / not-split threads, but can't remember where it is.]

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Lady Kibbee and I have been on a phở bò binge on these sub-freezing days of late, and in keeping with our desire to limit carb intake, we order the large bowl combo no. 1, with meatballs too, but we don't bother with the noodles.

Le Bledo was elbowed out of the plaza now dominated by Chik-Fil-A and its choking traffic, so it ended up in its current location on Bland St., kitty-corner from LA Mart. We frequently stop here for carry-out from their openly displayed items from Hue. These are quick, tasty treats on the run.

The phở bò here is reputed to be good, and has been in the past, but today it was wan and watery. There was an atypical lack of flavor and richness. The sides we ordered were chả giò and pork balls. The chả giò was crisp on the outside but mushy on the inside, as if not properly fried at the right temperature. The pork balls were excellent, especially when dipped in the fish sauce that had shredded carrot and diakon in it.

I'll chalk all of this up to Le Bledo having a bad day, with almost everything being a bit off. For Springfield comparison, yesterday's phở bò at Pho Hong Anh was very good, and last week's version at Saigon City was also very good. 

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I had two lunches at Le Bledo this week. Both were very good.

Lunch #1 was the combination cold cuts banh mi, and I splurged with $2 extra for double meat. It was a winner of a sandwich, with plenty of umami for my liking.

Lunch #2 was the vermicelli bowl with grilled pork, with an extra $2 for 2 small chả giò. Tasty and quite good.

Le Bledo is getting to be quite reliable, as far as Springfield Vietnamese food is concerned.

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We were running errands Saturday and needed a late afternoon snack. After Google Maps lest us clueless we managed to find it. Very pleasant open space with the kitchen to the right with an order counter in the front. You can sit at either high tops of banquette seating and they bring you the food.

We ordered a cold cut and a BBQ pork bahn mi plus a large iced coffee. The coffee was super. Bracing, not too sweet, it was a superior cup. Not cheap at $ for the not-so-large large size.

The bahn mi comes on a crackly loaf, but a little fluffier than that of Bahn Mi DC. Despite the fluffiness, it has the perfect crackly vs chewiness to make a great bahn mi. The mixed cold cuts came slathered with pate, slightly strong and bitter, and loads of various meats. They load it up with veggies and sauces but it is a civilized eaat. Really delicious. The BBQ Pork was crispy, juicy, very porky. If I got a plate of that pork on a bed of noodle or rice, I would be a happy camper indeed. On the bahn mi it made for a spectacularly good one. Seriously the best bahn mi I can remember having in a long time.  At $5 and $5.50, they aren't the cheapest but if you have enough people you can get 6 for the price of 5.

The tables next to us got soup noodles of various types that looked really good. We will return to try them. But in any case, this is our new favorite bahn mi stop. 

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