Rice Paper Southern Vietnamese Food | Falls Church, Washington D.C.

Rice Paper cuts with the grain

You'd be smart to focus on the namesake grain at Eden Center's sleek newcomer, Rice Paper.

The expansive menu includes more than a dozen com tam dishes, a South Vietnamese favorite that uses broken rice grains. The most popular, com tam dat biet ($9), layers marinated pork, flash-fried green onions, pickled vegetables, tofu that is stuffed with tangy shrimp paste, sweet sausage and a whole fried egg over its rice base. Needless to say, any leftovers make unrivaled fried rice.

The menu includes a long list of small plates to complement the com tam. Crisp cha gio ($4) stuff rice paper with an earthy paste of crab, pork, mushrooms, carrots and water chestnuts. Dip the rolls into the accompanying garlic-and-chile-infused nuoc cham sauce for additional spice. Chim cut quay ($9.50) sets four honey-lacquered quail on a bed of citrusy greens to brighten the roasted meat.

Opt out of dessert. Instead, Cha Kim Phung Bakery next door sells fluffy pieces of coconut- or vanilla-tinged sponge cake ($1.50) to sweeten the trip home.

Rice Paper, 6775 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church; 703-538-3888 or ricepaper-tasteofvietnam.com