Brothers Bistro -- Surprisingly Good Vietnamese in the Former Pho Hong Anh Location in Springfield Plaza

[Kibbee Nayee]

Springfield has a few decent Vietnamese options, but right now, Brothers Bistro blows away the competition. I've eaten my way through less than 10% of the 100+ item menu, but OMG, this is good food. It opened recently in the former Pho Hong Anh space, which provided respectable pho in its day. Brothers Bistro, with a chef from Saigon, is a really good Vietnamese restaurant. I had the Pho Bo today, brimming with powerful flavors of carefully prepared broth, with plenty of varied cuts of beef-tendon-tripe-steak-meatballs, and my lips are still coated with the gloss of the collagen. Wife had the Seafood Pho, which came with its own delicious broth and plenty of chunks of identifiable and quality seafood. We also scored the Shaking Beef, the Rice Vermicelli with Grilled Pork and Cha Gio, and the Quail appetizer, all of which were incredible. The menu is vast, but this kitchen is on top of it, and the food here is as good as Vietnamese gets this side of the Eden Center.

A few other observations.....the Springfield Dining Guide is very out of date. Just a few examples -- First, replace Pho Hong Anh with Brothers Bistro. Coco Rico has moved from the corner of Springfield Mall to a more expansive space on Commerce St. where the hideous Blue Pearl Buffet once resided. And Yard House, a very bad chain in the very bad Springfield Mall, deserves a separate entry while the Bozzelli's flagship doesn't? El Sabor Boliviano is under new ownership, Bonchon and Makchang Dodook are two nice Korean additions to Brookfield Plaza, and Nah Mor Hot Pot also moved into Brookfield Plaza. Happy to assist with field inputs. Not to worry, Afghan Bistro and Cervantes Coffee Roasters will remain at #1 and #2, but watch out for Brothers Bistro climbing that listing.

Another observation.....Springfield Plaza, once known as the K-Mart Plaza, has been undergoing a mostly-positive renovation. The old K-Mart building was repurposed into the nicest of the local Giant food stores, and in what was the former Giant on the other side of the Plaza is about to become the world's largest and newest Whole Foods. It certainly looks impressive from the outside. The Whole Foods down the road at Rolling and Old Keene Mill will close and be transformed into a Trader Joe's, replacing the smaller Trader Joe's in Springfield Plaza. Along the side where Brothers Bistro now sits, there is respectable lineup of Springfield Butcher, which might be the best butcher in Virginia, along with The Halal Guys, Bob and Edith's Diner, Gong Cha Bubble Tea, and the new Brothers Bistro. 

Watch this space. More to come....