Say hello to The Spot, a brand new Asian Food Hall in Rockville Town Square that might become your favorite new spot for hungry adventurers. Think of it as a mall food hall except elevated with a poki bowl, handmade noodles, bubble tea, and waffle cone ice cream. This new Spot will make you want to come back and try different kinds of nomnom places. The new Asian Food Hall is the first in Rockville but not the last. The Block, originally from Virginia, will soon be coming to Pike & Rose. We decided to check out Spot and see if Instagram’s fun pictures were accurate. We’ve tried all the spots (lol) and now can tell you what you must order.
Welcome to the Spot Food Hall
The first thing you must prepare for is how crazy and packed this place is. Sometimes, it can be hard to tell where the lines start but don’t worry; you will get the hang of it. Walkthrough and check out all the places to decide what you want for food, drinks, and desserts. It can take some time to get each order since the lines can grow long, and items are often made to order. Make sure you go with friends and divide and conquer by having one friend get the food, another get the drinks, and then make a plan for desserts.
You likely won’t find a spot (pun intended) in the hall area, but people often forget about it outside sitting. It would help if one of your friends can save a spot while you get the food. Plus, the place gets very loud during busy hours, so stay nearby to listen to your order. All this hassle is worth it because this place has some very yummy things.
Taiwanese Fried Chicken @ CheersCut (5/5 NOMs)
OMG, the giant piece of Taiwanese Fried Chicken is a must-order at The Spot food hall. We don’t know what you’ve been doing if you are unfamiliar with Taiwanese fried chicken. Go there right now and order one! Split it with a friend or eat the whole thing yourself because you are a hungry nomster. This is not just a tiny piece; it’s half a chicken, all for you. This perfectly lightly breaded and seasoned chicken will make your taste buds happy. Now, if you are a cool kid familiar with the fabulous world of Taiwanese fried chicken, this will not disappoint. You will want to come back. Now your goal is to find someone who looks at you like Boris looks at this Taiwanese Fried Chicken!!
Noodle Soup @ Mian Pull Noodles (3/5 NOMs)
It’s time for some tasty, freshly made noodles from Mian Pull Noodles. These are made right before you and combined with delicious broth and meat. With many different variations, we went for a combination of soup that includes it all. Nothing beats a mix of excellent beef, tripes, and other parts. The noodles are very soft and light, so don’t let them sit for long or become soggy. We did think the broth needed some kick to it. Make sure to grab some extra sauce to adjust the seasoning to taste. You can also order some sides like the Pig Ears, which we usually like but not this time. We will stick to the noodle soup.
Taro Bubble Tea @ Gong Cha (5/5 NOMs)
Bubble tea is a perfect way to end a foodie adventure or just as a refreshment on a hot day. We especially liked the Taro Milk tea from Gong Cha. While Gong Cha has many different and more exotic flavors, we decided to go for our favorite, Taro Milk. One of the big things we love is how you can control the level of sweetness by choosing between 100%, 50%, or 30%. You can do that in many places, but not many make it evident to customers.
Poki Bowl @ Poki DC (5/5 NOMs)
We are excited about that particular kind of poke in our spot. Now is the time to get poked – with a Spicy Salmon Poke Bowl from the Poki DC stands at the Spot. Fate brought us here, or maybe it was just the shorter line. We are still unsure why the lines were short because this place rocked our taste buds. This is one of the newest locations for this local chain, which has several locations in D.C. and Maryland and will soon expand to Virginia. There were many choices here; we could put anything we wanted on for toppings.
It’s a 5-step process of choices with Step 1: Noodles, Rice, or Half/Half; Step 2: Protein; Step 3: Toppings; Step 4: Sauce; and Step 5: Extra Crunchies. Our protein craving was a spicy salmon with about all their toppings. WE WERE HUNGRY! It was a satisfying Poke bowl and one of our favorites – perfect for those extra-hungry nomsters. We highly recommend checking out Poki DC at the Spot, even if the lines are long.
Waffle Con Thai Ice Cream @ Alpaca Dessert (4 NOMs)
Did you know that ice cream comes from Alpacas? No, we are not that cute, but these cutely branded Alpaca Desserts make an excellent waffle cone Thai Ice Cream. As it is now trendy, this design is your nomnom kind of place.
Step 1: Pick a waffle. You can choose between original, chocolate, or Matcha if you don’t; this is a green tea leaf finely ground into a powder. We went with Matcha because it was just fun to say.
Step 2: This is an essential part – choosing your ice cream. Your choices are vanilla, chocolate, green tea, black sesame, or milk tea.
Step 3 is all about the toppings; you get three free toppings.
Step 4: Choose what you want to drizzle over your creation. You can choose between several options, including condensed milk and chocolate. It’s like being a kid at a candy store with many different and tasty choices.
Waffle Ice Cream takes some time to make, and you must be nearby to hear your number called. They will keep your order in the fridge if your extra cuteness kicks in. This was a great way to end this visit at the food call because sweetness does hit the spot.
255 N Washington St Rockville, MD 20850 (Rockville Town Center)
www.thespotdmv.com / Yelp / Facebook / Instagram