Donald Trump famously visited a single DC restaurant during his four years as president: the steakhouse in his own hotel. So it was a bit of a surprise to see him show up at Truong Tien, a new hidden gem that’s tucked away inside the Eden Center, Falls Church’s Vietnamese food destination.
“Somehow, I don’t know what it is, you’ll have to explain it, but the Vietnamese community loves me. I love them,” Trump told a crowd inside the small restaurant today. He called the Vietnamese community “the most beautiful dressers I’ve ever seen” and appeared alongside Virginia Senate candidate Hung Cao, who he has endorsed.
It did not appear Trump actually ate anything at the restaurant. Asked if he’d ever tried Vietnamese food, Trump said “I love Vietnamese food, but I love the people more.” He also told a group of supporters gathered, “I’m going to buy something beautiful, I don’t know what it is.” He spent most of the time signing autographs and complaining about both the forthcoming presidential debate with Kamala Harris and Joe Biden’s beach trips. “That’s not the Vietnamese, they’re hard-working people,” he said.
Truong Tien, which owner Thanh Huong Thi Truong opened last year, specializes in Hue-style cooking from the central Vietnamese city once home to emperors. As far as local Vietnamese restaurants go, the menu is one of the most distinct, with several specialties you probably won’t find elsewhere in Eden Center. The restaurant also makes an excellent rendition of bún bò huế, the spicy lemongrass noodle soup with meat balls, pork blood, and other gelatinous bits. The homey place was named one of the DC area’s best new restaurants in Washingtonian‘s July issue.
Trump visits Truong Tien Vietnamese Restaurant at the Eden Center in Falls Church, Virginia pic.twitter.com/BQOzCG2oNm
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) August 26, 2024
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
