Beef pho at Chao Ban. | Rey Lopez Celebrated chef Kevin Tien is opening an exciting new Vietnamese American counter restaurant this month. Chao Ban will arrive at the top floor of Tysons Galleria on Tuesday, March 10.  Tien says the main menu attraction is an “unconventional” lineup of banh mi sandwiches with po’ boy fillings and flavors that nod to his Louisiana upbringing. Options include lemongrass chicken, Nashville hot (an ode to Tien’s Hot Lola’s Arlington stall), and buttermilk-fried catfish with curry spices. Because there’s “nothing like NOLA’s po’ boy bread,” he says, Chao Ban sources crispy French loaves from the Big Easy’s 120-year-old bakery Leidenheimer. The one-page lunch and dinner menu also spotlights time-intensive pho, Vietnamese coffees, and riffs on some of his favorite things to eat off the clock. The famed fried salt-and-pepper shrimp at Chinatown haunt NewBigWong, for instance, helped inspire one banh mi.  For Tien, a casual Vietnamese concept is a long time coming. The idea to do one dates back a decade, when he was co-running Petworth’s critically acclaimed Himitsu. In recent years, Tien is best known for D.C.’s fine dining Vietnamese sensation Moon Rabbit, which earned him a 2024 James Beard Award finalist nomination for Outstanding Chef. The Galleria now shares the same management company as the one that runs Ballston Quarter, where Tien’s fried chicken fixture Hot Lola’s stands, and he inked the Tysons deal a year ago. “As much as I love Lola’s, it’s my baby, would it make sense for this mall?” he says. His managing partner is Alan Vo, who’s also a first-generation Vietnamese raised in Louisiana.  For drinks, a liquor license is in the works to activate its adjoining tower bar and showcase its curated coffee program. “Vietnamese coffee culture is having its moment right now,” he says. “I’m taking time to see what our version should be.” Tien’s loving the sesame rice milk on the menu, lightly sweetened with a slightly nuttier taste. “I’m drinking more coffee than I should lately,” he says. There are two types of pho: lemongrass-roasted chicken and beef, which features slow-cooked brisket that simmers overnight. The eye of round in the same bowl is shaved steak from Philly, as a mid-Atlantic nod to a Philly cheesesteak. “We’re being pretty mindful of how we’re building these things,” Tien says. One app riffs on honey walnut shrimp, another classic Chinese restaurant staple, but his take subs in candied pecans, which is “the Louisiana thing to do,” he says. The sleeper hit of the bunch, he says, is the vegan lemongrass meatball, a meat-free take on pork xiu mai that’s slow-cooked in tomato sauce and Thai basil. Instead of fish sauce, he uses a fermented pineapple sauce.  Chao Ban translates to “hello, friend,” which leans into its hospitable approach and themes around migration. The 36-seat setup was completely transformed with green tones and wooden accents, evoking a hip cafe in Vietnam. Michelle Bove of Design Case flipped through Tien’s recent vacation photos for inspiration. He plans to go back this year after the monsoon season. The hybrid model offers both the full sit-down experience and/or counter-ordering options. “We’re testing something new. We are seeing a couple of other restaurants doing that,” he says. One is Rye Bunny, Adams Morgan’s anticipated replacement to Tail Up Goat. The restaurant will soon have friends in fancy places; ​a two-story Louis Vuitton flagship store debuts next door this year.   “I’ve never seen an elevator built from scratch,” he adds. “It’s very cool to be next to that. Growing up in Vietnamese culture, having a Louis Vuitton bag was a status symbol for my grandma and mom. It means hard work pays off and you’ve made it.” There could soon be more Chao Bans down the line. “We’ll see how it goes. There’s always an opportunity to grow.” Chao Ban’s hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays (Tuesday to Thursday) and Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m. (2001 International Drive, McLean, Virginia). ...read more read less