Jinlan Dumplings opening in Rockville

Jinlan Dumplings is coming soon to White Flint Station at 11620-A Rockville Pike. Chef and cooking instructor Jinlan Wenhua is a fixture at many farmer's markets across the region, where she has been selling her authentic Chinese dumplings made with fresh ingredients from local farmers. Now, like many chefs who have gained popularity with food trucks or farm market sales, she is opening an actual restaurant.

The 1,325-square-foot space will seat about 20 diners. It will be open seven days a week from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. A mid-June opening is anticipated, but stay tuned for an official opening date.

Photo courtesy Jinlan Wenhua

Rockville Dunkin' Donuts May 11 grand opening is a chance to win free coffee for a year

The grand opening of the newest Dunkin' Donuts in Rockville this Saturday, May 11, 2024, will give you a chance to win free coffee for a year. Just be one of the first 100 guests in line starting at 9:00 AM at the Dunkin' Donuts store at 9761 Traville Gateway Drive, and you'll receive a coupon book containing 4 free medium hot or iced coffee coupons per month for 14 months good only at this location. A ribbon-cutting will be held at 10:00 AM. 

This is Luis Group Management's 26th Dunkin' Donuts store in Maryland. Following the ribbon-cutting Saturday, the Luis Group will present a check that will award Driven to Cure with a $3,000 grant to help raise awareness and provide funding for research of rare kidney cancers in children and young adults. Between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM, guests will also enjoy free giveaways from the Dunkin’ Prize Wheel, an appearance from the Dunkin’ mascot Cuppy, and face painting.  

The Traville Gateway store features the new upgrades Luis Group has implemented at many of its existing and new locations in recent years, including a more energy efficient and environmentally-sensitive design and materials, the Premium Pours tap system that provides consistent quality for 8 of the chain's most popular cold beverages, and touchscreen ordering and dedicated mobile order pickup area to get you in and out of the store with your takeout order faster than ever before.

This new Rockville location will be open daily from 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM. At 2,000-square-feet in size, it employs about 20 team members. Free Wi-Fi is available for customers, and best of all, there is a drive-thru!

Mui Japanese restaurant to replace The Block in Rockville

The Block is gone at 967 Rose Avenue at Pike & Rose, but the space is going to remain a destination for Asian cuisine. Mui, a Japanese restaurant, will open in the former food hall spot next to West Elm this coming winter. Inspired by the modern cuisine of Japan, the menu at Mui will combine traditional and innovative new dishes. Seafood and meat will be cooked on a Robata grill. Like many top sushi restaurants in the region, Mui will offer an omakase dining option, which will leave the selection to the chef, who will surprise and delight diners with their latest creations.

A wine and champagne list will join a curated selection of cocktails. These will be complimented by a menu of fine agave, scotch and sake brands. 

"We warmly welcome Mui to Pike & Rose," Federal Realty Senior Vice President Stuart Biel said in a statement this morning. "Our highly amenitized neighborhood is a popular destination for foodies and shoppers from North Bethesda and the greater community, and we are thrilled to share this new dining experience." "With its lively environment, Pike & Rose is the perfect setting for Mui’s first restaurant location, noted Mui's Edward Wong.

Chocolate Moonshine reopens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Chocolate Moonshine has reopened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. It is now on the edge of the Dining Terrace food court on Level 2. This is the spot recently - and shockingly - vacated by 7-Eleven. Chocolate Moonshine closed in its old location in early April, where it had been in operation since 2016.

Chocolate Moonshine's chocolate bars are made with bourbon, whiskey, champagne, rum, and Barrel aged Irish whiskey. Moonshine Bars are filled with smooth and creamy centers. All bars are gluten-free, and made with only natural and organic ingredients. Their fudge is cooked in small, 50-pound batches, and made with 30% less sugar than competing products.

Kung Fu Kitchen replaces Peter Chang in Rockville

Peter Chang has left the building. The beloved restaurateur and chef recently opened a Gaithersburg location, but now his Rockville outpost has closed. His space at 20-A Maryland Avenue at Rockville Town Square isn't going dark like so many others in the struggling town center, though. It has quickly been filled by Kung Fu Kitchen. Promising a new menu of "authentic Chinese cuisine," it still has the Peter Chang signage above the storefront, but that will change in the coming weeks.

Brio's Chicken now open at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Brio's Chicken has opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The Peruvian charcoal chicken restaurant is located in the former Tara Thai space, on the upper level of the parking deck outside the Nordstrom wing. Tara Thai closed there just over a year ago. 

It seemed like an ideal spot for a new chain restaurant like Olive Garden or Texas Roadhouse, or any of the other brands ubiquitous nationwide, but bizarrely missing from Montgomery County. Much like Walmart (with the exception of the Germantown store that was built before the chain was banned by the County Council) and Cracker Barrel, you can drive in any direction out of Montgomery County and find these chains in the surrounding counties, and every few miles as far as you keep driving across the nation - - but not here. Truly nutty, and utterly embarrassing for our elected officials, even if the local press won't call them on the carpet for it. Surely there's a Maura Judkis article to be written, albeit filled with snarky, elitist swipes at those who derive enjoyment from unlimited bread sticks.

Westfield has chosen to go local again in this space with Brio's, an admirable trend we've seen at the mall in recent years, although many of those tenants have been short-lived. In contrast, The Cheesecake Factory has been a huge success. A pretty solid market for Latin American chicken has been established in Montgomery County, however, with the growth of chains like Don Pollo and Pollo Campero, so there is promise here as Brio's opens.

There's no functioning website for Brio's as of this writing, and their Facebook page is spartan in information. Their Google listing states, "At Brio's Chicken, we pride ourselves on being an authentic Peruvian eatery, renowned for our specialty: succulent charcoal-grilled chicken. [C]ulinary passion brings the vibrant flavors of Peru to your plate, inviting you on a tantalizing journey through traditional Peruvian cuisine." Initial operating hours for Brio's at the mall are 7:30 AM to 10:30 PM Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM on Saturdays, and 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM on Sundays, according to the schedule on the door.

Mango opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Mango has opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The Barcelona-based fashion brand launched this latest Mediterranean-inspired store concept in 2021. But the company, which manufacturers apparel for men and women, was founded in 1984 by brothers Isak Andic and Nahman Andic. Look for Mango's 11th American store on Level 1 of the mall, across from Shoe Charms.

"Go, go Gadget coat!"

Teso Life Japanese Super Store "coming soon" to Rockville

Teso Life, the "Japanese Super Store," is "coming soon" to Rockville, according to signage posted at its future storefront at 1701 Rockville Pike. The chain features a variety of imported Japanese goods, including groceries, toys and collectibles, housewares, beauty and health products, and kitchenware. If this sounds familiar, it's likely because Teso Life's similarly-named competitor, Ebisu Life, already opened a store on Rockville Pike two years ago. 

The addition of Teso Life bolsters a new era for the Shops at Congressional Village, which is shifting to align itself with the booming Asian business sector in Rockville. As Rockville finds itself vying to be the ultimate destination for Asian cuisine in the Washington, D.C. area, the retail property has leased several spaces to new Asian restaurants. When it opens, look for Teso Life next to 7-Eleven.

Peter Chang opens in Gaithersburg

One of the D.C. area's top chefs chose an auspicious day to open the latest addition to his growing restaurant empire. Peter Chang's new Gaithersburg location at 637 N. Frederick Avenue celebrated its grand opening last night, following a rare solar eclipse. This is Chang's first tapas-style small plates concept. The restaurant also offers a Dim Sum menu. 

During the final countdown to Monday's opening, an artist worked to complete a colorful mural on the exterior of the building. The Gaithersburg venture joins Chang's other successful Montgomery County restaurants in downtown Bethesda, and at Rockville Town Square.

Torchy's Tacos opening in Rockville

Torchy's Tacos has leased the former Chuy's space at Federal Plaza on Rockville Pike, according to signage posted in the windows. Chuy's closed at 12266 Rockville Pike in 2020. 

Like Chuy's, Torchy's has an apostrophe "S," was founded in Austin, Texas, and owns all of its locations rather than license franchises. Unlike Chuy's, Torchy's leans more toward the fast casual model, and less toward a decor that looks like a freight train carrying a shipment of hubcaps crashed into a Texas flea market. 

Torchy's does have a full-service bar, unlike most fast-casual restaurants, however, and relies on a very simple marketing gimmick of serving "damn good" tacos. Which sets the bar very high, as Torchy's will live or die on the Pike based on the first few bites taken by customers, who are a short drive from Taco Bamba, Nada, and El Mariachi in Rockville, not to mention Tacos Don Perez in Glenmont.

Naz's Halal Food opening in Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg Square is swapping halal for halal in the same spot. Naz's Halal Food will be opening at the shopping center at 522 N. Frederick Avenue, according to a banner posted on the storefront. That's the same space just vacated by The Halal Guys. So, if you were sad about The Halal Guys inexplicably failing at this location, you can now dry your tears. Great halal food is returning soon to Gaithersburg Square.

Naz's Halal has been around for fewer years than The Halal Guys, but has menu items the Guys don't, like burgers, fish, and Philly cheesesteaks. Of course, you can also order the kind of platters familiar to Halal Guys customers, which make up the heart of the menu here. Montgomery County residents already have familiarity with the chain, as Naz's has locations in Germantown, Rockville, Burtonsville, White Oak and Takoma Park.

Montgomery County's first Wawa opens in Gaithersburg (Photos)

The first Wawa convenience store and mega gas station celebrated its Grand Opening yesterday, March 7, 2024 at 405 S. Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg. Many of the price promotions for the opening remain in effect through Sunday, as you will see in some of the photos below. The gleaming interior holds, if not every snack you can imagine, every snack you need. 

Located directly across MD 355 from Gaithersburg High School, Wawa has posted a prohibition on having more than two minors inside the store at any time. Backpacks are also prohibited beyond the vestibule of the store. It will be interesting to compare gas prices at this Wawa with competitors Sheetz and Royal Farms up the road in the coming months.