Rockville Lands Dueling Asian Food Halls

Two strikingly similar food halls, both slated to materialize next summer in Rockville, Maryland, are determined to prove the D.C. area is hungry for more one-stop shops to satisfy all kinds of cravings.

Set about two miles apart off Rockville Pike, each forthcoming complex — one called The Spot while the other is dubbed Pike Kitchen — plans to feature shared kitchen spaces for vendors serving everything from poke to Korean fried chicken.

Both share elements with the Block in Annandale when it comes to layout and Asian-themed offerings, but each will be bigger in size. Spot developer Edward Wong, founder behind Akira Ramen and Izakaya in Rockville, tells the Washington Post his place will be more “modern,” and that his inspiration stems from packed Asian food courts he’s spotted in New York and California.

Here’s a run-down of each foodie hub coming to Montgomery County next year:

The Spot

Location: Metropolitan, a mixed-use site near Rockville Town Square

Offerings: Poke District, Gong Cha (bubble tea), Cheers Cut (fried chicken and seafood) a dessert bar with Thai ice creams and bubble waffles — a street food craze in Hong Kong

Partners: Wong, Vivian Zhu, and Poke District founder Gary Ngo

ETA: Summer 2018, with a smaller version, tentatively named Mini-Spot, opening first in the spring in neighboring College Park.

Pike Kitchen

Location: Edmonston Crossing shopping center

Offerings: Korean bibimbap, Hawaiian poké bowls, a Korean bakery, a bubble tea stand, bao buns, a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich shop, a Japanese ramen counter, Thai street food and Korean fried chicken stalls. Booze will also be on tap.

Partners: James Park, a principal at OCC Real Estate whose local restaurant building resume includes Honeypig Korean BBQ, Shilla Bakery, Tous Les Jour Bakery, and Bonchon Chicken.

ETA: Late summer 2018.