Mi La Cay

Terrific Vietnamese restaurant. It’s often very busy, so you may have to wait a bit, but it’s totally worth it. My favorite item on the menu is the «M4» Crispy Maryland Chicken served with the soup over the rice noodles. Very satisfying without feeling heavy. Absolutely delicious.

What do I know? I’m not Asian and/​or Vietnamese. I went there for lunch and got phở (p3 or p5, whichever had flank)
Then I went back for dinner and my girl got the Maryland fried chicken which didn’t wow me. I got the combo chocked, beef and pork grilled platter. We also got one of those buns and that was good. Go there and have a good meal

This place was delicious. I ordered M4 I believe, with the crisp chicken and big bowl of egg noodles, was amazing! I would like to come back and try other things.

Wheaton has changed so much since I last visited! I almost didn’t recognise when my husband and I came out of the metro! With so many apartments and condos built around the area, I’m glad to see local restaurants like Mi La Cay managed to stick around. We met up with my family for causal dinner Friday night. The restaurant was packed but we managed to be seated immediately.
My family had little exposure to Vietnamese cuisine prior to coming to Mi La Cay. They were tempted by the phở menu since that’s all they had before. But I was able to convince them to try something new.
We started off with Vietnamese spring rolls and fried quails. The spring rolls were packed with flavors! Not one bit greasy and perfectly crunchy. The fried quail were beautifully cooked. Golden, crispy skin, juicy, delectable meat. Paired with black pepper vinegar dressing, it was the perfect meal starter!
My parents each ordered the trio combo (one with rice and one with vermicelli). They were able to sample various proteins — pork chop, beef, lemon chicken, lemongrass chicken, shrimp — which they all enjoyed. My parents especially enjoyed the pork and beef. Tender, juicy, not one bit fatty. All were glazed with a delicious, sweet sauce. No additional dressing required!
My brother ordered the curry vermicelli with sweet potatoes and chicken. The heat of his curry bowl was the perfect match to his spice craving. He did not leave behind a single drop of soup or a single trace of noodle.
My husband ordered the trios (meatloaf, shredded pork, and pork chop) with broken rice. Phở is (and always will be) number one in my husband’s heart. It took a lot of will power to try something new in a Vietnamese restaurant. He did however really enjoyed his trios combo. The contrasting flavors and textures convinced my husband to look beyond his phở world. This is a dish he would get again and again without second thought.
Vietnamese fried chicken with tomato rice — I’ve never seen this dish anywhere before! Fire-​y red but not one bit spicy. The skin was so crispy, the chicken meat was so tender and juicy! I can totally see why this is one of the signature dishes. The tomato rice had a bit of kick to it. I thoroughly enjoyed every bite!
Although fried ice cream isn’t Vietnamese, we decided to give it a try. We ordered two vanilla to share. I found the fried ice cream to be the most disappointing part of our meal. The tempura was cold. The whipped cream and chocolate drizzle were overwhelming. The vanilla ice cream tasted as if it came straight from a cardboard box. I couldn’t take in more than one bite. Not a single resemblance of the ones I had in Japanese restaurants. Save your $ 5 and get another appetizer or sweet drink instead.
Overall — Foods other than dessert extremely tasty. Price was extremely fair (dinner for 5 — 5 entrees, 2 appetizers, 2 drinks, 2 desserts) — for about $ 75 plus tip! Service was warm and attentive — loved seeing a mom and pop store holding it down with the whole family. Will certainly be back to try the rest of the menu!

I don’t remember having anything bad here and I can honestly say it’s my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the DMV. If Mi La Cay was located in VA, this would be my spot. Every restaurant will claim they have the best bun bo hue. But there is something special about that dish here and hands down, it’s the best bowl of bun bo hue I’ve ever had and I’ve had this dish all over, including Eden Center. The flavors in the broth are so pronounced and the meat and noodles are so satisfying. This is in comparison to the ones I’ve had around the DMV and from a friend’s mom, whose bowl is notable for out of this world good. My other favorite items include the spicy curry chicken noodle soup, grilled pork and rice, and all the hu tieu. But honestly, everything is really good!
It can get crowded around lunch and dinner, weekday and weekend, but they are pretty efficient at keeping the flow going. This is where I get my Vietnamese fix when in MD.

So after a long hiatus, I stopped by yesterday to satisfy a craving for banh mi… and now I want another one.
The bread is perfectly airy, the veggies have just the right crunch, and the meat is seasoned just right.
Top it off with summer rolls sans pork and an avocado smoothie. Sounds weird yet tastes delicious! You’ll have the best lunch without feeling stuffed :)

Waiting for my favorite ph and goi cuon chay. But they brought out the wrong goi cuon. Not like them at all! Usually attentive to detail, maybe an off day for them. After a slight delay, I finally got what I ordered. It was absolutely delicious! Rt ngon!
More than 20 minutes later (this really is unlike this place!!), when the ph finally arrived (I ordered item P8 in case you’re looking at the photos and menu) the bean sprouts were cold although I had asked for them steamed.
And I didn’t get the extra peppers that I had ordered! Man! I’m bummed!

When your [über picky-​has a sensitive stomach-​Viet] aunt mentions that there is a Decent Viet place in Silver Spring, you know it gets you intrigued.
On a weekday lunch, my brother & I dug into the following:
The Mi La Cay soup — Bro said it started out amazing and had a funny after taste towards the end, possibly from the mixture of meats that they had.
Fried Chicken & Tomato Rice — Having had the real deal in Vietnam, it’s super difficult to find any place in the States that makes it even half decent. This place did a superb job: Crispy chicken skin, tender meat (though there was a ton of bone). The tomato rice was good, but needed more of a tomato base-​taste (had too much food coloring).
The Avocado Smoothie was good but a tad too sweet.
The place was kept clean. The service was decent. I think for the price and the area and the portions, the food was def solid enough to warrant another trip back here.

Pretty good service (friendly and fast, but not rushy). Ordered the vegetarian summer rolls — they were refreshing and decent but I probably wouldn’t go for them again. Avocado smoothie with bubbles was pretty good (a bit too sweet for my taste, but everyone else on my table gladly finished it!)… Had a nice, strong avocado taste and it was thick but light and creamy at the same time. Best part of the meal was the phở la cay (spicy beef phở) — It was divine! Not too spicy but def cleared my sinuses. Perfect for a chilly day. I also liked that my friend had vegetarian phở option that he seemed to enjoy!

I am a regular here for lunch takeout and occasional dining in. This place is phenomenal! Inexpensive, high quality food with friendly and accommodating service. They also remember you if you keep coming, which is sweet.
I love their phở, but I would say it isn’t the best in the area. It places 3^rd on my list, behind Phở 75 (Rockville) and Cam Ranh Bay (Wheaton). However, it very, very good. I think it just has a lot of competition locally. They give a generous helping, and it’s decently priced. Good beefy broth flavor, and yummy meats. Very fresh toppings!
Their grilled dishes are another story. SO DELICIOUS. And cheap, which makes it even better. I regularly get their version of Pad Thai, which is not authentic, but I like even better. It’s served spicy, which I’ve never heard of, and it’s awesome. I also really enjoy their combination rice and meat dishes. There’s a «Pick 3» combo rice. I get beef, pork and shrimp, which comes with pickled veggies and tons of fluffy rice. For $ 10. It’s basically divine.
They are really great for carryout. I order ahead (10 – 15 minute wait), and I pickup around 1 normally. It’s located in a strip mall, so if you want to park directly out front, it can be hard between 12 – 12:45, during peak lunch time. I tend to go later to avoid that. There’s plenty of parking nearby though so you can walk.
This place is a neighborhood gem. Highly recommend!

This place has always been great. I stopped by on a busy Friday evening. Ordered the Bun Bo Hue and the Bun Sate. The BBH had the authentic flavor and they definitely did not skimp on the meat. I’ve never tried there Bun Sate, but it was great! I love the Sate spicy flavor (It’s basically BBH with a spicy chile sauce). Not to overwhelming with the heat and I’d recommend it if your into spicy food. I had there mango smoothie and it had the natural mango taste with some pulp. You can tell the flavor isn’t powdered. I’m glad to see the business is still doing well after moving over from there small location across the street. There’s plenty of parking in the back. Wait times are pretty short in the evening, but during the weekends expect a long wait to get a table.

I ordered the M3 hu tieu with sliced pork, minced pork, shrimp, and seafood balls. I’ve been told by my Vietnamese friends that everyone has a different version of hu tieu. I’ve had dry versions served with a sweeter brown sauce and fresh veggies, and I’ve had bowls of hu tieu that mimicked clear broth with egg noodles and different fixings. MLC’s M3 hu tieu is the latter type. I ate everything except for the sliced pork. It didn’t have enough flavor for me and it came out a little dry. Everything else about my bowl was great, though. The broth wasn’t overly salty, the shrimp were cooked perfectly, and a spoonful of chili sauce (not sriracha) hit the spot.
Future patrons be advised, I drove from Northern Virginia to MLC for a lunch date and used GoogleMaps as my guidance. Type in the actual address rather than searching «Mi La Cay.» My first search led me to a residential area down the street and not the restaurant itself.

First! My fiancé ended up in the bathroom twice before we paid out bill. Then we drive to h mart and my gma went running for the bathroom.
So, We end up here once every six months or so… And we’re always disappointed. I think we’ve had two good experiences here. Only two. This time it was pretty awful. They got two out of four orders wrong. I ordered egg noodles with soup on the side and they gave me noodles and broth. My grandmother ordered «lot». Some stir fried noodle with chicken. They gave it to her with beef. Which she doesn’t eat at all, ever. My fiancé ordered bbh and it lacked any flavor besides shrimp paste/​something paste. My grandmother and I asked them to replace our dishes because I’m not a noodle soup water and she hasn’t had beef in probably 50 years. Well… We were towards the end of the meal and my sister notices beef in my gma stir fried noodles… So… They picked out the beef and threw some chicken on the noodles!!! My grandmother is over 75 and didn’t notice the little beef particles sprinkled through her dish. And when she saw it she was disgusted. She’s a non English speaker and is usually shy but she was so upset that she tried to tell the waiter what happened. He did take that off the bill but I don’t think that made up for anything. My dish was wrong, her dish was wrong. The most upsetting part is what if she was allergic to it! That would have had the food already contaminated. And I felt bad cause my grandmother was really really disgusted. The cook/​mgr/​owner actually brought his dinner out and didn’t even look at us (we were first table closest to the register). And another thing that adds salt to the wounds is that my gma used to come here a lot and was friendly with the woman waitress. They Spoke be same language.
My fiancé and I have decided to never come back. My gma won’t be back either. Poor business practice and morals. And flat out CHEAP AND SHADY!

My expectations were extremely high for this place, as one of my friends raved about it non-​stop as the GO-​TO Vietnamese restaurant in town. While I was pretty disappointed with the regular Phở dish that I ordered, the bun bo hue dish saved the day! Definitely became a fan and would recommend the BBH to anyone!
Let’s break it down!
Drinks: Young Coconut Juice
Rating: *****
Very tasty and refreshing. Would recommend to pair with a spicy dish.
Appetizer: Summer Roll
Rating: ***
Your average summer roll. Nothing special about this.
Appetizer: Roasted Quail
Rating: ****
Tiny bird roasted and tasty. The sauce was a bit sour to me and was unnecessary.
Entrée: Phở combination of everything (#1)
Rating: **
Since this was my first time here, I HAD to get a regular Phở dish. It’s how I judge and place my bar for the restaurant. I was pretty disappointed with the flavor and quality of the meat. Personally, I prefer the Phở 75 broth and taste.
Entrée: Bun bo hue
Rating: *****
This saved the day. The flavor of the broth was in your face delicious. I absolutely enjoyed this dish and personal preference would be to sub the regular Phở rice noodles in place of the traditional BBH noodles.
Service/​Ambiance: Great!
Rating: *****
Can’t complain when the waiter/​waitress pre-​busses your table promptly and food comes out on time. The restaurant itself was medium sized and offered booths which gave the options of private dining, unlike your other traditional Vietnamese restaurants that seems like you’re sharing a table.
Overall: Definitely would try again and get either an egg noodle dish, BBH, or the Curry chicken noodle dish. Mi La Cay was delish!

This trip, we went twice. This time, I went out of my comfort zone of ordering the phở, and had the curry chicken and vermicelli noodle soup was oh so good. The flavors reminds me of thai food. Adding some lime and cilantro kicks the flavor up a notch.
We also had the special phở, the crispy noodles with seafood, and the bun ba mon.
Service, as always, was very good.

This has been on my «GET IN MAH BELLY» list for about 2 years now.
Today, I fulfilled that dream.
Between myself and my partner in crime (my Mom today), we ordered Bun Bo Hue and the Pork w/​Tomato Rice. We also ordered the Beef with Broken Rice (we told the server to pack it up to go so he would think it was for someone else, but really, it was our shared 2^nd dinner– shhh).
Everything about the food was solid. I have had Bun Bo Hue at other local places (hello Eden Center) which has superior broth, but for this price point and the quantity of meat in the soup and overall food you get with each order, Mi La Cay is definitely an exceptional value meal!
I think for 3 entrees, we only spent left or right of $ 23. That’s almost unheard of in the DMV, where a SINGLE entrée is beyond capable of running that cost.
So cheap. So cheap! ^_​_​_​^

Friendly staff, good phở, pancake, and other options. The best avocado bubble tea! It doesn’t taste like the powder that some other places use. Definitely worth a stop.

Mi La Cay continues to be a gold mine — just really delicious Vietnamese food in a nice atmosphere with low prices. For more than two years the food and service have been consistently top notch. My kids love the Bun Thit dishes. My favorite is Phở #10 — Spicy Phở. Grilled quail and papaya salad are great, too!

Unilocal had a blurb about their great Bahn Mi sandwich, and they were right on point. Saucy pork, fresh crispy veggies and cilantro, perfect baugette. Had the papaya salad, cold and spicy and topped with warm perfectly grilled shrimp. Tried the stuffed Vietnamese pancake, I have no idea what it was made of, egg and rice flour, is my best guess, but so crispy and light, then stuffed with veggies and flank steak and shrimp.
Everything was fantastic, there is nothing I wouldn’t try. I loved the extended menu compared to most phở restaurants in my area. I will be back to try new things, but that Bahn Mi is a must. Plenty of parking in the back, which is always a consideration when going anywhere in Wheaton.

Love this place for good phở soup and pleasant service from all Of the restaurant staff. The soup is always piping hot, flavorful, and fresh. They also have the best Thai bubble iced tea. Definitely give this place a try!

It was a cold and snowy day. I was sick, achy, feverish and chilled. Not to fear… PHO to the rescue! Mi La Cay Phở to be specific (extra spicy)! No kidding, the food was hot, fresh, and delivered to my table before you could say «McDonald’s drive through»! The broth was rich and restorative, filled with veggies and seasoned to perfection. There was an accompanying dish of sprouts, peppers, lime wedges, scallions and noodles that I could add to my liking. Mind you, I went in at 10 am on a weekday morning and the place already had three tables of patrons. What a way to start your day and nourish your body.

Okay, stop what you are doing and immediately go out to Mi La Cay.
The fact that they have Bun Bo Hue (which you can’t find everywhere) was enough to sell me on trying this place out. (Well, the high ratings didn’t hurt either haha.) When we got there, we decided to grab an order of summer rolls, one bowl of Bun Bo Hue, and one Roasted Pork Banh Mi. The summer rolls were okay — they weren’t super tightly rolled so they sorta fell apart and we ended up eating them with a lot of help from our chopsticks. Probably wouldn’t order that again. However, the Bun Bo Hue was amazing — very flavorful and the noodles were perfectly cooked. It really hit the spot. The roasted pork banh mi was UNBELIEVABLY delicious though — mostly because it surprised me how good it was. We went off of Unilocal reviews (thanks, guys!) when ordering it since their banh mi isn’t on the menu. Just ask them what they have and they can list the different kinds! I know they have roasted pork as well as cold cut since we’ve had both (yes, I’ve already been back another time because the Bun Bo Hue and Banh Mi were so good). Both the roasted pork and cold cut were so delicious. I’m drooling thinking about it. The Vietnamese Iced Coffee was also on point. Can’t wait to go back and try more of their food!

This restaurant has the best soup in Montgomery County.
Bun Bo hue, Bun ga cari chicken curry soup and Phở. Make sure you ask for the crusty loaf of bahn-​mi bread to dip in your curry Chicken soup.
All the other standard Vietnamese dishes are executed well…

We frequent Mi La Cay and every time my family arrives we are warmly welcomed. The Maryland and tomato rice with the secret sauce is fantastic. I always ask for extra to pour over the rice and chicken. Perfection!!! My daughter loves their grape leaves and doesn’t like to share, can you blame her. Thank you for offering us these delicious dishes.

The soups are amazing. But the MD fried chicken with tomato rice is horrible. The mung bean dessert is pretty good. My daughter loves their pork. My son loves their phở. I always stick to seafood soups, but I’m thinking of trying the duck and curry soups. Soups for the win!

One of the BEST Vietnamese restaurants in the DMV… for a reason! Dishes I’ve had: veggie phở with chicken, Maryland fried chicken with tomato rice and mixed grill. EVERYTHING is delicious! Also, you know you’re at an authentic cultural restaurant when most of the patrons are of that culture. Love it!

To start off, I’m not a big fan of trying new food, and when I was brought here I was skeptical to try anything. But I tried the pork and rice plate and oh my gosh. The pork here is so good! My next go to is veggie phở with beef broth. Always go with small when getting phở. The large is as big as my head!
I’m hooked!

From all previous experiences this place is the best phở in Maryland. BUT, sadly today I got an order to go. I’m home now and I have no basil, no jalapeño :(REALLY big sad face. I’ll check my bags before I leave next time but I drive 45 minutes for their phở so there’s no return for missing items for me :(

Thai Tea is a must-​get, super refreshing, as good as Thai Tea goes. Papaya Salad is spicy, sweet, crunchy. Chili-​lime, peppery Phở is great, so are the traditional versions.
For the soup, the large bowl is a huge portion, but still only 8 – 9 dollars. Perfect for a quick, casual lunch or dinner – popular for take out, lots of parking to grab and go.

All this time, I thought only Phở 75 had yummy, authentic Vietnamese noodle soup… But Mi La Cay certainly gives them a run for their money. Huge portions, delicious broth and the wait staff treat you like family. What more can a girl ask for from a Phở restaurant? It’s super busy and can get relatively chaotic, but the wait for a table is certainly worth it.

Great food at great prices with generous portions. To top it all off, the service is the best. They are so nice and polite! Get the Maryland Fried Chicken with Tomato Rice, Bön Bu Hue, and the Quail Appetizer. It was my first time trying quail and WOW!

I had the
Crispy Maryland Chicken with egg noodle soup which is topped with fried garlic, scallions and ground pork. This is an amazing dish.
Based on what I saw when in there today. the food is all a step up in the care they take.
This is the best Vietnamese dish I have had since moving to DMV from California.

Tried the phở and one of the mi LA cay varieties. It’s average, but the portion size is generous. Good customer service, though. Perhaps just a touch pricier for viet food. I did see that they had banh bao, which I would try if I’m in the area.

This place is a awesome family run restaurant. That focuses on quality, I has their phở Tai and Thai milk tea. Both of them were delicious, the beef was soft and tender in the phở, shake the Thai tea was nice and sweet and came with tapioca.

This place is great! I can’t believe I haven’t tried this place before. Disclaimer is that I did not try the phở. I ordered the grilled pork with broken rice.
I think it’s called broken rice because the it’s literally not in a cup form. In any case, it didn’t seem like it was flavored but still good. The grilled pork was very thin, but very flavorful and since there were two pieces, it was still very filling.
I did try the chicken with tomato rice and that was also flavorful and delicious. The chicken had a crunchy skin and was juicy and moist on the inside the house.
The atmosphere is nice and the food took a little longer than expected to come out but otherwise it was a pleasant experience. I would definitely come here again.

I love the grilled meat dishes here and they don’t skimp on the meat like some other places. I usually get the grilled pork chops, the combo with the grilled pork, chicken and shrimp or the crispy maryland chicken combo with tomato rice. The phở is not bad but I prefer the rice or vermicelli combo dishes here. The summer rolls and spring rolls are good too. I’ve had their banh mi and they are good but pricier than other places and the subs seem a little smaller but it’s good. Prices are reasonable and it’s always busy.

One of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants in the area! Seriously, for the price and the quality/​taste of the food, I always leave here happy and satisfied :) It’s usually very busy, but you dont wait a long time either. Even if you do, it’s worth the wait!
I usually order the bun bo hue (i ask for the phở noodles) and it HITS THE SPOT! Broth is always perfect! It’s not too salty and the perfect level of spiciness. The grilled pork is really delicious as well. Well cooked and flavorful. Ingredients are always fresh!
Also, try the avocado smoothie!!! I never leave this place without ordering one :) Super rich and creamy, best way to end the meal!!!

This was JUST what I needed. Keep in mind I am not much of a phở person, but this was the best phở I’ve had to date. I have a cold so I was looking for some relief and I will come here from now on. Our servers were hospitable, helpful and timely; amazing staff. The restaurant was busy and very clean. Great prices too. Awesome experience!
— Vbites

Amazing! My boyfriend and I came here for lunch on a weekend as he had been craving phở for a while. The restaurant itself has ample seating, albeit simple décor. Clearly, this place is about the food, not other shenanigans. The menu boasts a wide selection of Vietnamese foods — appetizers, phở, egg noodle soups, grilled meat/​rice combos, and vermicelli — all for a modest price.
I opted for a large bowl of P10 and happily received a steaming bowl of delicious broth, swimming with spicy red oils. There was a good amount of meat and rice noodles as well, all of which I surprised myself by finishing.
My boyfriend got M9, another spicy soup dish but served with egg noodles instead of rice noodles. The broth had a more savory flavor to it, which he enjoyed. The egg noodles were very thin and not as chewy as he would have liked — though my hunch is that comes down to personal preference.
We also split an order of summer rolls as an appetizer. The ingredients tasted fresh and I loved the peanut sauce on the side. Definitely recommend!

Loved it!
Have the quail appetizer.
We also had the phở with the spicy broth and the grilled pork chop.
We drank Thai iced tea. Everything was great!

This has become a go-​to spot for my group of friends for a quick casual meal.
We usually had consistently good service and the meals are good if you avoid the Phở. The phở is by far the weakest phở I had in my life. There was no flavor to the broth, and the meats were questionable.
However, if you get the tomato rice dish with grilled chicken, or any other grilled meats, I think you will be ok and have a satisfactory meal.

Wow this place is so good! I got their pork vermicelli bowl and it was better than any vermicelli bowl I’ve had in the States. The pork was well cooked and the flavoring was on point. The rest of their ingredients were also very fresh and gave an overall light feel to the dish. Their double pork chop dish also features the same delicious pork, but doesn’t come with their amazing fish sauce.
For appetizers, their spring rolls were so good, perfectly crispy and chewy. I also highly recommend the papaya salad, which has papaya, shrimp and some spicy flavoring. Honestly it’s big enough that you could eat it as a meal in and of itself.

This place is legit. agh sigh. SO GOOD. My friend and I stumbled upon this restaurant after being bummed out that a nearby banh mi place closed. What a great trade-​off, though. This place is delicious and the element of surprise made it even better. My loyal-​to-​the-​death side is questioning itself, as I’m wondering if I like this place better than beloved Eden Ctr. (but apples to oranges, right?!)
The banh mi and phở is fresh. And my favorite noodle bowl, Bun Bo Hue/​spicy beef noodle soup has an amazing broth — complex and spicy with a substantial amount of meat (not just thin slivers as per usual, but thick slabs and even a knuckle!). The al dente noodles pair well with all the fresh basil and mung bean sprouts. I’m feeling the stars in my eyes as I even consider and reflect on the soup.
The drink options are also affordable and made on the spot. This was a perfect and refreshing counterpart to our savory dishes. My friend had the red bean bubble tea blended with coconut milk instead of reg milk, and I tried the Thai ice tea. Yum. I wish it wasn’t over. I will be back!