When most folks think of Vietnamese food, their minds likely conjure up steaming bowls of nourishing pho or sweet and savory meats grilled with lemongrass. We’re always up for the surly table service at Pho 75, but our absolute favorite Vietnamese dish of all time has to be grilled beef wrapped in grape leaves.

Last weekend, we were all about satisfying obscure food cravings, so we made an expedition to Eden Center — one of the culinary and cultural crown jewels of Northern Virginia.

If this dish sounds unfamiliar, it’s because not every Vietnamese restaurant seems to offer it. For instance, Tyler Cowen’s current Eden Center favorite, Viet Bistro, did not list this dish among its hundred-something items.

Fortunately, we stumbled upon Huong Viet, which was good enough to garner a listing in Washingtonian magazine’s annual “100 Very Best” restaurants list.