Present, Vietnamese in Falls Church - Chef Luong Tran in the Former Secret Garden Space

[Kibbee Nayee]

I pass it numerous times and although I'm tempted to try it, when I have a hankering for serious Vietnamese food, Four Sisters is only about 3 miles away from this place....

OK, I'm calling myself out. I finally tried Present for lunch today, and it is better than Four Sisters. As far as atmosphere and decor, and even attentive staff, the two are about the same with a slight edge to Present. But it looks to me like Present has the better food.

Whenever I try an ethnic eatery, I use a baseline dish to compare it to the others I've dined at. For Cantonese, I use black pepper beef, for Thai I use Pad Kee Mao (drunken noodles)....for Vietnamese, I use the vermicelli topped with cha gio (spring roll) and grilled pork. The version I tried at Present simply blew away the competition, with crispy and flavorful cha gio and little piles of peanuts, bean sprouts and julienned veggies along with a generous portion of grilled pork over a bowl of perfectly cooked vermicelli. Drizzle in some fish sauce and let your chop sticks stir it around, and this is a palate and belly pleasing trip to Vietnam. Because this place met my baseline test, and then some, I look forward to trying the rest of the colorfully described menu items on future visits.

I only had water with my meal, so the tab came to $9.40. That had to be the single best under-$10 lunch I have had in a very long time.

At the next table over, two representatives from Bouchaine winery from Napa were pouring tastes for the manager, and it looked like he was intending to add this selection to the wine list. I overheard that the Bouchaine reps were heading to Willow later in the afternoon.

When I walked in around 1pm, there were about 30 diners, with about a 50-50 split between Vietnamese and non-Vietnamese. In the next 20-30 minutes, a family of 14 Vietnamese covering at least three generations came in, followed closely by another Vietnamese family of six. OK, so I guess that means it's genuine.

[Joe H]

OK, I'm calling myself out. I finally tried Present for lunch today, and it is better than Four Sisters. As far as atmosphere and decor, and even attentive staff, the two are about the same with a slight edge to Present. But it looks to me like Present has the better food.

Whenever I try an ethnic eatery, I use a baseline dish to compare it to the others I've dined at. For Cantonese, I use black pepper beef, for Thai I use Pad Kee Mao (drunken noodles)....for Vietnamese, I use the vermicelli topped with cha gio (spring roll) and grilled pork. The version I tried at Present simply blew away the competition, with crispy and flavorful cha gio and little piles of peanuts, bean sprouts and julienned veggies along with a generous portion of grilled pork over a bowl of perfectly cooked vermicelli. Drizzle in some fish sauce and let your chop sticks stir it around, and this is a palate and belly pleasing trip to Vietnam. Because this place met my baseline test, and then some, I look forward to trying the rest of the colorfully described menu items on future visits.

I only had water with my meal, so the tab came to $9.40. That had to be the single best under-$10 lunch I have had in a very long time.

At the next table over, two representatives from Bouchaine winery from Napa were pouring tastes for the manager, and it looked like he was intending to add this selection to the wine list. I overheard that the Bouchaine reps were heading to Willow later in the afternoon.

When I walked in around 1pm, there were about 30 diners, with about a 50-50 split between Vietnamese and non-Vietnamese. In the next 20-30 minutes, a family of 14 Vietnamese covering at least three generations came in, followed closely by another Vietnamese family of six. OK, so I guess that means it's genuine.

Whether it is "genuine" or not ten of us are putting up over $100 each, "all in," for a 14 course blow out dinner on Thursday evening to find out just how good it can be. The fact that it is even a consideration for a meal like this speaks volumes. The comparison is not Four Sisters. The comparison is The Source...or for me personally, Chinois on Main. Half or more of what we will have is not on the menu. Yet Present's chef and owner are ambitious. This could be an extraordinary experience. I am certain that all of it will be reported on here.

[Kibbee Nayee]

Whether it is "genuine" or not ten of us are putting up over $100 each, "all in," for a 14 course blow out dinner on Thursday evening to find out just how good it can be. The fact that it is even a consideration for a meal like this speaks volumes. The comparison is not Four Sisters. The comparison is The Source...or for me personally, Chinois on Main. Half or more of what we will have is not on the menu. Yet Present's chef and owner are ambitious. This could be an extraordinary experience. I am certain that all of it will be reported on here.

Uh....do you need an 11th....?

[KMango]

Uh....do you need an 11th....?

Man, how about an 11th-and-a-half? I'll sit on the floor, take up less space, I swear!

Sounds like an astounding meal is in store. Would *love* to be there.

[Scott Johnston]

How was the blow out meal?

[Lydia R]

How was the blow out meal?

Looks like Joe posted his report and photos on Chowhound. It's split between four posts: Post One, Post Two, Post Three and Post Four.

[zoramargolis]

J and I were there, but unfortunately I was feeling the aftergloch of an upset stomach earlier in the day, so I was partaking judiciously, and was unable to add as much of the various hot sauces as I would have liked to. Jonathan and I were both really stunned by how much care was taken with the aesthetics of each dish. There was one chef in the kitchen whose job was to make fabulous carved and colored sculptures out of daikon radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes and melons for each platter. Really beautiful. The unfortunate consequence of the time and attention paid to arranging and presenting, and describing, and serving each dish to nine people, was that a some of the food was no longer hot by the time I was able to eat it. This was notable in the case of the lobster with coconut sauce. And I think that had something to do with why my favorite dishes of the meal were the ones that were still piping hot when I ate them: the blackened scallop with peanuts, the beef served in a flaming bamboo box that we assembled into our own roll with moistened rice paper; and the duck hot pot with lotus seeds and jujubes (dried red dates) in a delicious star anise-scented broth. My serving of the deep-fried whole rockfish was seriously overcooked, dry and chewy, although other people who had meat from deeper inside the fish, closer to the bone said that their fish was moist. It was an impressive effort, and must have been a mind-boggling amount of work for the kitchen staff. I wish that I had been feeling better, if I had I think I could have enjoyed it more.

[Joe H]

The flavor of the lobster with coconut cream sauce was excellent but I agree with Zora-it was only warm when it was presented and the rockfish had been overcooked. The real showstoppers were the "Thanksgiving" duck (incredible presentation), the "Vietnamese burrito" (part of the presentaion was the "flaming" bamboo box which Zora notes) and the Diver scallops. All were what I would call "Great Dishes" especially the duck which is the best I have ever had. I also believe that the shrimp and lump crab fried rice was easily equal to what I've had at Chinois in Santa Monica a number of times, simply outstanding. Certainly, the best fried rice in the D. C. area perhaps far beyond with whole large shrimp poking out of the mound which was heavily studded with lumps of crabmeat. My wife agreed with me that more than a half dozen of the dishes were, at a minimum, equal to what we've had at The Source including the ice cream which "exploded" inside of the fried roll. The duck was beyond anything offered there or at Chinois. The broth of the duck was rich, intense, incredibly flavorful. It tasted like it had cooked down for a day or more, not just five hours. It WAS the best duck I have every had. Anywhere.

Of the 14 courses at least eight or nine were excellent to outstanding. Shrimp in the Fresh Ocean and Smoky Petal were also delicious along with both desserts. Truly artistic presentations of almost every dish. I felt we had the best of what Present could prepare-and much was truly exceptional. The duck was a rare presentation. It could not have tasted any different from what a Vietnamese Grandmother would have prepared-if she was a great cook! The flaming bamboo box was also an extraordinary experience. An improvement on the "smoking cigar box" offered elsewhere. I must also mention the hospitality and gracious owner who spent the entire evening with us presenting and explaining the many dishes. He personally supervised the meal. Both he and the chefs had an enormous amount of justifiable pride in what we were served.

This is a restaurant that is far beyond what the D. C. area has experienced in the past. The coconut lobster and the duck are available to anyone reading this-with a day's notice. Everything else is either currently on their menu or being added. Carol and I will go back, especially for the coconut lobster, the scallops, the rice and the "burrito." Well, the Smoky Petal too along with at least one of the shrimp dishes and... The lobster's flavor was incredible. But this time we'll eat it immediately after it is prepared. And the rockfish on our luncheon visit was equal to Chinois or anywhere else. And the duck. The duck!

I should also note that ours' was Present's first banquet this elaborate. It will not be their last. And the duck? The absolute perfect dish to cap the next one, too!

[DanielK]

Joe, since last we spoke you were still negotiating, what was the final per person price for the dinner?

[Joe H]

Daniel, it was $70 prix fixe which I thought was an incredible bargain for an extraordinary dinner at this level.

[lackadaisi]

Given what others have written, I was not at all surprised at how good we found the rockfish to be this afternoon. What we didn't expect was the amazing service. It was really incredible! And, the fountain amuses even the most overtired toddler!

[Sundae in the Park]

Daniel, it was $70 prix fixe which I thought was an incredible bargain for an extraordinary dinner at this level.

Joe, your banquet sounds amazing! May I ask where you were sitting? Is the downstairs banquet space available yet or did you sit at the round tables in the back? If so, how was the atmosphere? I have some concerns about holding a formal meal at those tables due to server traffic.

Thanks.

[Joe H]

Joe, your banquet sounds amazing! May I ask where you were sitting? Is the downstairs banquet space available yet or did you sit at the round tables in the back? If so, how was the atmosphere? I have some concerns about holding a formal meal at those tables due to server traffic.

Thanks.

For both the lunch (reported early in this thread) and the nine person 14 course dinner we sat at the same table: a round top in the very back of the restaurant.

[Dr. Delicious]

I think I've been to this restaurant 7 times now in the past couple months, so much so that a couple waiters are starting to recognize me. It's kinda embarrassing...I may have to lay off for a while, if I can. I think I'm addicted. At any rate, we tried the fried rice with the crab and shrimp for the first time and it was as good as advertised and easily the best friend rice I've ever had, with what i believe were pieces of jumbo lump crab and shrimps with their tails tucked between their legs (trust me, that makes sense). Alas, it's now another dish that I will have to order every time I go in there.

The owner also spent a good deal of time walking around the dining room talking to the customers, which was nice. and he wasn't just going through the motions, as he spent a good 10 mins talking with one couple, and was genuinely interested in their comments about the food, and what the restaurant might do differently (something about providing other fish options for the whole fried fish they make).

[Skipper10]

In today's Ask Tom chat Sietsema saids his review of "Present" will be published on May 24.

[Sundae in the Park]

In today's Ask Tom chat Sietsema saids his review of "Present" will be published on May 24.

Oh crap! I decided to go with my event there (Thanks for the input, Joe!)...later that week. Hope it won't be too much of a madhouse.

[Joe H]

Are you doing the same or similar banquet? If so, please report your thoughts!

PS The "Thanksgiving" duck!!!!!

[Waitman]

So, I know that Mother's Day is so popular that no one goes out then, but last year I seem to recall rolling out to Yechon for a Mid-afternoon Mother's Day meal and having a dinner that was no different for our other forays to that establishment. A shorter wait, in fact that we often experience. Since we may be heading out Falls Church way for another reason, and since whenever we drive more than 900 yards from the house we say, "as long as we're going all the way out there we may as well get a bite/have a drink at/pick up some cheese at...." the subject of Present came up, which brings me to my question:

Do those who've know the place think Present and/or Vietnamese food in general are sufficiently mainstream that the normal Mothers Day caveats apply? Or are they still sufficiently Yechon-like that a family of four could wander in without hassle 3:30 ish for a few courses?

[Ericandblueboy]

My guess is the place will be mostly dead on Mother's Day. As Asians, we don't really celebrate Mother's Day.

[cheezepowder]

They also take reservations.

[Waitman]

My guess is the place will be mostly dead on Mother's Day. As Asians, we don't really celebrate Mother's Day.

Hah! Another generation of Hallmark-fueled marketing will take care of that, my friend. (That thought was actually behind spur-of-the-moment journey to Yechon last year).

They also take reservations.

True. But all the places that are going to be frenzied hellholes of bitter servers, clueless diners and spastic kitchens take reservations, too. In and of itself, that's no guarantee.

[Joe H]

Hah! Another generation of Hallmark-fueled marketing will take care of that, my friend. (That thought was actually behind spur-of-the-moment journey to Yechon last year).

True. But all the places that are going to be frenzied hellholes of bitter servers, clueless diners and spastic kitchens take reservations, too. In and of itself, that's no guarantee.

The duck and the lobster will need advance notice. I also think you are in for a surprise. I believe that Present is on a whole different level than what the D. C. area has been use to. Think back to the late '70's and early '80's when Tony Cheng's Szechuan on I street was thought of as one of D. C.'s four best restaurants (source: Washingtonian and the Post). Present approaches that level relative to the rest of this city's restaurants. No, we're not talking Citronelle or Teatro Goldoni's Chef's Table, but what we are talking is a serious, serious dinner if you PLAN and order in advance. Go back and look at the dishes that I posted on CH from our 14 course dinner. A half dozen of these were outstanding by any definition. The duck, the "peanut" scallops, the "Vietnamese burrito," crab and shrimp fried rice, etc. But, again, for the duck and for the coconut lobster you will need to reserve a day or more in advance. Simpy the duck takes almost that long to cook. (It does! You don't walk in off of the street and it's magically done!)

I am sincere in my belief that this IS the best Vietnamese restaurant in the United States. I am also sincere in suggesting which dishes to measure it by. And, treating it with the same respect as "a restaurant on K street" and planning for the meal, not just walking in and expecting a table and the same level of extraoridnary excellence. At its best this restaurant is now beyond that.

[mdt]

The duck and the lobster will need advance notice. I also think you in for a surprise. I believe that Present is on a whole different level than what the D. C. area has been use to. Think back to the late '70's and early '80's when Tony Cheng's Szechuan on I street was thought of as one of D. C. four best restaurants (source: Washingtonian and the Post). Present approaches that level relative to the rest of this city's restaurants. No, we're not talking Citronelle or Teatro Goldoni's Chef's Table, but we are talking is a serious, serious dinner if you PLAN AND order in advance. Go back and look at the dishes that I posted on CH from our 14 course dinner. A half dozen of these were outstanding by any definition. The duck, the "peanut" scallops, the "Vietnamese burrito," crab and shrimp fried rice. But, again, for the duck and for the coconut lobster you will need to reserve a day or more in advance. Simpy the duck takes almost that long to cook.

I am sincere in my belief that this IS the best Vietnamese restaurant in the United States. I am also sincere in suggesting which dishes to measure it by. And, treating it with the same respect as "a restaurant on K street" and planning for the meal.

So are you saying it is not worth dining at without the planning?

[DanielK]

My guess is the place will be mostly dead on Mother's Day. As Asians, we don't really celebrate Mother's Day.

Right, that's why dim sum places are PACKED TO THE GILLS on Mother's Day. I'd venture that after Chinese New Year, this is the second busiest day for local dim sum parlors.

[Waitman]

The duck and the lobster will need advance notice. I also think you are in for a surprise. I believe that Present is on a whole different level than what the D. C. area has been use to. Think back to the late '70's and early '80's when Tony Cheng's Szechuan on I street was thought of as one of D. C.'s four best restaurants (source: Washingtonian and the Post). Present approaches that level relative to the rest of this city's restaurants. No, we're not talking Citronelle or Teatro Goldoni's Chef's Table, but what we are talking is a serious, serious dinner if you PLAN and order in advance. Go back and look at the dishes that I posted on CH from our 14 course dinner. A half dozen of these were outstanding by any definition. The duck, the "peanut" scallops, the "Vietnamese burrito," crab and shrimp fried rice, etc. But, again, for the duck and for the coconut lobster you will need to reserve a day or more in advance. Simpy the duck takes almost that long to cook. (It does! You don't walk in off of the street and it's magically done!)

I am sincere in my belief that this IS the best Vietnamese restaurant in the United States. I am also sincere in suggesting which dishes to measure it by. And, treating it with the same respect as "a restaurant on K street" and planning for the meal, not just walking in and expecting a table and the same level of extraoridnary excellence. At its best this restaurant is now beyond that.

Appreciate the input but I think we're more in a wing-it mode, especially given that the kids -- despite almost two decades of effort -- are a little too picky for us to call up the chef and say "hit me with your best shot." My son, who dislikes all fish, may never forgive us for frog-marching him through the tasting menu at Goldoni.

We'll have to trust them to do a good job nevertheless.

[DanielK]

So are you saying it is not worth dining at without the planning?

I wouldn't say that - I've had a couple of great lunches here. It's still probably the best Vietnamese restaurant around just for the regular menu. But there are some extraordinary dishes that must be ordered in advance.

[Skipper10]

.... But there are some extraordinary dishes that must be ordered in advance.

Like what? Would you share, please.

[Joe H]

Like what? Would you share, please.

Skipper, please look further up in the thread for post #58 and #72 as well as others' comments about a multi course lunch that a number of us did as well as the evening banquet. This link has photographs of each of the courses:

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received...d=9AcM3Ddo0cMiW

Excepting the duck and the lobster the rest of the courses are on their regular menu. The duck is an exception because it literally cooks for a whole day and lobster because they do not have a lobster tank and must special order a live lobster one day in advance.

Since our dinner I now know of at least two more similar 14 course banquets which Present has done. I believe this has become something of a "standard" banquet for the restaurant and they are happy to replicate it for larger groups of, I believe, 7 to 10.

[Ericandblueboy]

Right, that's why dim sum places are PACKED TO THE GILLS on Mother's Day. I'd venture that after Chinese New Year, this is the second busiest day for local dim sum parlors.

They're packed generally, all you need is a few extra tables to pack them to the gills. If I were to celebrate Mother's Day, I wouldn't treat my mom to dim sum...that's just an ordinary Cantonese brunch. 10 course banquet is more like it.

[DanielK]

They're packed generally, all you need is a few extra tables to pack them to the gills. If I were to celebrate Mother's Day, I wouldn't treat my mom to dim sum...that's just an ordinary Cantonese brunch. 10 course banquet is more like it.

At noon on a typical Sunday, New Fortune has no wait for a table. After all, the place seats 350.

On Mother's Day, it's probably an hour wait; on Chinese New Year, closer to 90 minutes.

[Sundae in the Park]

Are you doing the same or similar banquet? If so, please report your thoughts!

PS The "Thanksgiving" duck!!!!!

It's a pretty big (and picky) group, so we're going to streamline from the banquet you did! Still, we are definitely going to ask for the duck and have the rockfish and flaming beef and at least one type of fried roll (loved the pineapple-as-a-delivery-mechanism presentation!). So I guess after adding shellfish (if you could only have one shellfish-featuring dish that must please a crowd, what would that be?), vegetable, rice, and noodle dishes and we're pretty much there!! I'll report back on the aftermath.

[goldenticket]

So are you saying it is not worth dining at without the planning?

Based on our 'on a whim' dinner there last night, planning is not needed - other than maybe reading through this thread

We had a very nice meal consisting of dishes others have mentioned here:

- the Silken Shawl Imperial Autumn Roll - just as nice as others have described, very crispy. Wrapping it in lettuce with mint and pickled carrots definitely added a 'freshness' (and reminded me of how the crispy spring rolls were served at the Vietnamese-run Chinese restaurant in the French town where I spent a year in college). The filling is pork and shrimp but neither stood out as a distinct taste - just a balanced combination.

- Smoky Petal - recommended by Tom S. in one of his Wed. chats - really nice mixture of flavors, the highlight of which for me was the South Vietnamese coriander (which we were told is only found in the South). The strips of the herb added, again, a very fresh flavor to the baby clams, which on their own had more of a liver-y taste. The jumbo sesame rice cracker serving bowl doubles as shrimp crackers to put the clams on when broken into pieces- a fun presentation.

- Pilgrim on the Beach - Shrimp/crab fried rice. We are still stuck on the dried scallop fried rice at New Big Wong as our favorite, but this was a pleasant dish with plenty of seafood. It was described to us as being made with hot rice which requires very good stir fry technique to keep it from being clumpy.

- Cow on the Open Field - "shaken" beef on watercress and onions - as others have said, the beef was cooked just right, not overdone and with some pink remaining in the middle. Whether eaten on its own, or dipped in the salt/pepper/lime juice, it had great flavor and texture.

The service was very friendly, multiple servers brought food, filled water glasses, answered questions, etc., and the owner was happy to talk to us and find out the name of the herb in the Smokey Petal, even bringing out a small dish of the whole leaves for us to taste and see. I really appreciate the efforts that have been put forth to make the place welcoming to everyone, as seen in the whimsical dish names and making sure that diners know the suggested method for enjoying a dish like the Autumn Rolls. It's a relaxing space - the waterfall is a nice touch and what could be a sterile environment has been made very warm by the use of wood and lattice on the walls and ceiling.

We'll be back again soon to try some new things and maybe bring some others so we can give that whole fish a try!

[mdt]

Based on our 'on a whim' dinner there last night, planning is not needed - other than maybe reading through this thread

Great to hear!

[Joe H]

It's a pretty big (and picky) group, so we're going to streamline from the banquet you did! Still, we are definitely going to ask for the duck and have the rockfish and flaming beef and at least one type of fried roll (loved the pineapple-as-a-delivery-mechanism presentation!). So I guess after adding shellfish (if you could only have one shellfish-featuring dish that must please a crowd, what would that be?), vegetable, rice, and noodle dishes and we're pretty much there!! I'll report back on the aftermath.

Please remember that you MUST order the duck one day in advance-it cooks almost that long! One shellfish dish? For myself the scallops in the shell but there is also an excellent shrimp dish and I really like the crab and shrimp fried rice. Goldticket has a really nice report from last nice, too!

I believe we are extremely fortunate to have both Present and Han Gong in Annandale open in our area. For their respective cuisines each is outstanding!

[Waitman]

For those that were wondering, Ericandblueboy called it: Present was maybe three-quarters empty at 2:30 yesterday, which was fine by us as we were able to snag a table on the patio with its view of the parking lot and Arlington Boulevard. Service was wonderful and the owner dropped by for a chat and, if the food didn't blow me away (maybe I should have gotten Joe H's duck, after all), it was clearly the best Vietnamese I've had since Viet Royale went down hill. Highlights include the "Smokey Petal," the "Adventurous Bull" and the fried calamari.

[DonRocks]

For those that were wondering, Ericandblueboy called it: Present was maybe three-quarters empty at 2:30 yesterday

And it was three-quarters full at 9:30 last night - they looked pretty tired, and said they were packed most of the day.

[thistle]

I called at 11 a.m. yesterday to try & snag a lunch reservation, but the person I spoke to said they were fully booked all day. So I had to make do w/ Mexican food for Mother's Day, instead of the Vietnamese I was craving, will definitely try again, on a less busy day...

[Bob Loblaw]

PS The "Thanksgiving" duck!!!!!

I'm guessing this is far too much food for two people. Any chance they can do a half duck for this?

[zoramargolis]

I'm guessing this is far too much food for two people. Any chance they can do a half duck for this?

Take home what you don't eat.

[Bob Loblaw]

Take home what you don't eat.

Well of course that's always an option. But when I go I was planning to order another entree, an appetizer and dessert. I just didn't want to end up with an obscene amount of leftovers...

[Sundae in the Park]

Well of course that's always an option. But when I go I was planning to order another entree, an appetizer and dessert. I just didn't want to end up with an obscene amount of leftovers...

Don't forget, I think you need to order that duck at least a day in advance.

[DPop]

Our server told us on Tuesday night that they would be adding a Summer/Patio Menu in the next couple weeks, with whole crabs and other seafood offerings available. I can't wait to give it a try, everything I've had in my 4 visits here has been pretty spectacular.

[Kibbee Nayee]

After enjoying the elbow-to-elbow Taste of Arlington this afternoon, girlfriend and I headed to Present for a walk through the starters menu to top off our over-full tummies.

We began with the $75 bottle of Jordan Chardonnay. Since most other restaurants carry it for at least $100, it seemed like a good deal. Then we had the starters starters of Green Paradise Spring Roll and Silken Shawl Imperial Autumn Roll. Two of the best examples of these rolls I have ever enjoyed, anywhere.

Then came the next starters of Treasures from the Sea -- a seafood salad with shrimp, scallops and squid on a bed of pineapple -- followed by the Smokey Petal -- baby clams and herbs on a puffy sesame rice cracker. This latter is an incredible dish that my girlfriend called her death row meal. It is quite a bit better than the version served at the 3-star Four Sisters.

Which leads me to the interesting conclusion. The waiter mentioned that Tom Sietsema and his many friends (as many as 11 of them?) had been there in the previous weeks, and another poster on this thread indicated that the Present review will be next week. Given that Tom has already awarded 3 stars to Four Sisters, what do we think he will give to Present? My guess is 3 stars.

[Ericandblueboy]

I've seen a few people praise the smokey petal. When I tried it, the baby clams looked like they were out of a can. What I tasted in that dish was mostly dried bits of beef. I can see the clams but they were flavorless and overpowered. While it's a pretty presentation, which reminded me of clam taco salad, I was not at all impressed with that dish. I wonder if I went on an off day and should try this again.

[Al Dente]

What I've always liked about Vietnamese cuisine are the clean, crisp, balanced flavors. I didn't come away with this impression at Present. The "Cow on the Open Field" was enjoyable but seemed rather bland for what was billed as one of their spiciest dishes. I loved the sauce on the "Hard-Working Piglet", but the pork itself was poorly trimmed which made it gristly, fatty, and unusually gamey. Autumn rolls were visually appealing and had great texture, but I thought the filling was muddled with little distinct flavor.

The service was knowledgeable and friendly. The presentations are amazing (if sometimes a little over the top). I do with they'd provide cloth napkins. Maybe my expectations were too high after reading the praise above. It just seemed like a solid Vietnamese joint, not a cut above as I thought I'd experience.

[Waitman]

What I've always liked about Vietnamese cuisine are the clean, crisp, balanced flavors. I didn't come away with this impression at Present. The "Cow on the Open Field" was enjoyable but seemed rather bland for what was billed as one of their spiciest dishes. I loved the sauce on the "Hard-Working Piglet", but the pork itself was poorly trimmed which made it gristly, fatty, and unusually gamey. Autumn rolls were visually appealing and had great texture, but I thought the filling was muddled with little distinct flavor.

The service was knowledgeable and friendly. The presentations are amazing (if sometimes a little over the top). I do with they'd provide cloth napkins. Maybe my expectations were too high after reading the praise above. It just seemed like a solid Vietnamese joint, not a cut above as I thought I'd experience.

I was driving around with my daughter this weekend and, out of nowhere, she said: "I liked Present, but it was a little bland."

I had to agree.

[ema]

I've seen a few people praise the smokey petal. When I tried it, the baby clams looked like they were out of a can. What I tasted in that dish was mostly dried bits of beef. I can see the clams but they were flavorless and overpowered. While it's a pretty presentation, which reminded me of clam taco salad, I was not at all impressed with that dish. I wonder if I went on an off day and should try this again.

I thought it tasted mostly like lime leave and lemon grass. I still like the taste of the dish, but not a fan of the crackers, which was like chewing styrofoam. Their version of shaking beef was very tender and slightly sweet. Much better than Viet Bistro's and Four Sister's.

[Joe H]

This is the best Vietnamese restaurant in the suburbs and, overall, one of the best ethnic restaurants in the D. C. area. I'd even suggest that it is as good as the best that I've found on the West Coast. I would strongly suggest going with a larger group and sharing a round table with a lazy susan in the middle. I'm sure that several others including Don will report on our lunch but we worked our way through, I think, 7 dishes including "duck in tamarind basket," "cow on the open field, "shrimp in the fresh ocean" (outstanding!), "treasure from the sea(excellent!) an extraordinary 4 lb (?) crispy, fried rockfish equal to any fried rockfish/flounder I have had anywhere, excellent spring rolls, sauteed asparagus and one or two more dishes that I can't remember. A remarkable meal that totalled $142 + tip for seven people which included the $40 crispy rockfish-which was worth EVERY penny.

Perhaps as good of a value as any restaurant that I have found in the D. C. area. Sincere thanks to Ericandblueboy for suggesting this and to Daniel Korn for putting it together. A great meal.

***

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...9051501700.html Three stars

"But more than anything, it's the beautiful food and the precise cooking that have catapulted Present to the top of my list of can't-wait-to-go-back restaurants. I rarely dine someplace that doesn't involve a deadline. Going forward, I know I'll make an exception for Present."

[Waitman]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...9051501700.html Three stars

"But more than anything, it's the beautiful food and the precise cooking that have catapulted Present to the top of my list of can't-wait-to-go-back restaurants. I rarely dine someplace that doesn't involve a deadline. Going forward, I know I'll make an exception for Present."

Not that I didn't enjoy Present, and not that I want to get too tangled up in the star thing, but Tom clearly had a better dinner (or three) than I did.

[Scott Johnston]

Claudia, Katie and I dined there tonight. The food was better than the first time. We had a crepe that was to die for and tried a fried shrimp dish that was heaven! The crowds will begin tomorrow....

Congrats Present!!!!!