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4918 Delray Ave., Bethesda, Md.
(301) 986-0606
Hours of Operation and Prices
Lunch: M-F 11:30-2:30; Entrees: $6-$10.50
Dinner: Daily 5-10; Entrees: $7-$13.75
Other Information
• American Express, MasterCard, Visa
• Dress: casual
• Reservations recommended on weekends
• Complimentary valet parking Fri.-Sat.
• Nearest Metro: Bethesda
• Handicapped accessible
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A little off Bethesda's beaten track, Delray Garden And Grill is a friendly, family-run Vietnamese restaurant that clearly has taken over from a chicken place. The walls are edged with chicken motifs, and they're covered with chicken art. There's even a chicken Whistler's Mother. And the copper pots, farm implements and ladderback chairs suggest America far more than Vietnam. Delray looks like a living, breathing Hallmark card.
With one exception: Inside the entrance is a grill, where shrimp on sugar cane is sizzling away. Like the decor, the service couldn't be sweeter. One evening the hostess was carrying a couple's baby around so they could eat in peace.
The two best dishes I've found on Delray's menu are beef wrapped in grape leaves, grilled to a smoky finish on that open grill, and a casserole of chicken in a golden curry sauce, grainy with coconut milk and more flavorful than chili-hot. Other entrees cry out for seasoning, whether lemon-grass grilled beef or spicy grilled chicken. The cha gio - rice-paper spring rolls- are small and meaty here. The cold imperial rolls, on the other hand, are surprisingly short on meat and shrimp. And stir-fried dishes slip into soupiness.
Unlike most Vietnamese restaurants, Delray pays attention to desserts. Fried bananas could use a crisper batter, but they are worth ordering for their delicious tart puree of mango, which tastes like tropical applesauce. On second thought, I'd be glad to have just a bowl of the mango puree.
© Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company
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