The Block, Asian Food Hall in Annandale Virginia

I seek out food halls wherever I travel, so I was very excited to hear about a new Asian food hall near Washington DC. The Block is located in the Northern Virginia suburb of Annandale. Home of the region’s original Koreatown, Annandale has long had a reputation as a Korean food destination.  There are plenty of other great options, an outpost of the excellent Taiwan based A&J Restaurant is located there.

Located next to a K-mart in an old strip mall, The Block isn’t the kind of place that you accidentally find.

It’s a fun concept with real potential. Unfortunately on a few recent visits, many of the staff seemed less than enthusiastic to be there. The low energy and the floor layout give it a food court feel, although the modern industrial design greatly improves the atmosphere.

Of all the food choices, national chain Pokéworks is the most reliable option. The Hawaiian dish seems to be DC’s latest food trend, and this place offers good poke with countless seasoning and topping options.

Balo Kitchen bills itself as “Asian Comfort Food,” and that’s exactly how the menu reads. I’ve heard good things about the Grilled Street Bread with sate butter, fish sauce, pork, fried garlic and shallots – but it hasn’t been on the menu when I’ve visited. The plain fries didn’t stand out. I’m guessing they taste much better if you order the Pig Frites with bacon, sausage, persimmon mayo and scallions.

The chicken nuggets had an overwhelming taste of five spice that got old after a few bites. The chicken and rice with pickled mustard greens and a fried egg looked amazing, but lacked depth of flavor. Again, the main flavor was five spice powder.

The Banh Mi with Pork Belly lacked the complexity of traditional banh mi. The carrots were very sweet. The pork belly tasted mainly of five spice. It was definitely missing balance from picked daikon, carrots, cilantro, cucumber, and jalapeño.

We ordered the chicken wings and fries for a couple of young eaters, as recommended by the staff.

In general, the colors and flavors of all the dishes we ordered were fairly similar. On my last visit, I noticed the scent of five spice as soon as I opened the door. The menu at Balo Kitchen shows creativity, a little more of that in the seasoning would elevate the food.

Roots offers Thai Street food.  The Beef Noodle Soup was cooked to order and was okay, but not something we would try again.

The Block is the brainchild of the founder of the Taiwanese shaved ice Snocream Company. Of course Snocream is one of the featured offerings in the food hall. Unfortunately it opens 1-2 hours after the other shops. This is less than convenient if you promise a toddler a special treat, but need to wait for so long after everyone is done eating lunch.

I grew up with Japanese kakigori, but I love Asian shaved ice in most forms. China has baobing, Korea has patbingsu, and Taiwan, Philippines, and Malaysia each have their own version. My favorite form is a big block of ice that is beautiful shaved in thin lacy piles of art. In the Kakigori version, the delicate ice is topped with often homemade syrup and condensed milk. The ice machines at Snocone did not disappoint.  However, the blocks are preflavored instead of pure ice.  There are plenty of topping options including fruit, traditional red bean, mochi, and western staples like cereal and cookies.

We were disappointed by the artificial and overly sweet flavor of the mango.

The green tea was a big improvement. The snocream is artfully shaved, but lacks visual appeal since it is hidden by the large white paper cups. Usually when I’ve had a variation of this dessert, a high pile of shaved ice is served in a smaller container that showcases beautifully shaved ice.

The little guys enjoyed a very sweet version topped with Oreos and chocolate, but it was gone before I could take a picture.   Bubble tea is also on offer.

I have yet to try the second dessert shop that recently opened. Munch is an ice cream stand that serves ice cream in a cone or sandwiched in a donut.

In addition to the food choices, alcohol is available at Block Bar.

I’ve visited The Block on a few occasions with friends who have traveled extensively in Asia. Between us, we have Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese roots. Besides Pokéworks, the most common reaction to the food was that it was “okay” but not as expected. Overall though, The Block is a fun place to hang out. It’s crowded with families during the weekend, and it’s a good place to grab a drink with friends.  Some of the food could be improved, but it’s still new and seems to be settling in. It’s a great concept and I hope it succeeds and catches on.

Access:

The Block is located at 4221 John Marr Dr, Annandale, VA 22003.  It is about 12 miles from Washington, DC.  The area is not easily accessible without a car, but there is plenty of free parking.

The Block is listed as opening from 11am – 10pm daily, but Snocream opens 1-2 hours after the rest of the facility.