A new restaurant plans to start serving up a “traditional” Cantonese brunch this spring in Tysons.

The upcoming HAN Palace (7900 Westpark Drive) will feature an all-day dim sum menu and will be the first restaurant in the D.C., Maryland or Virginia area to do so, according to the location’s owner Chris Zhu, who added that most restaurants only offer dim sum for lunch.

The eatery plans to open in April, according to Zhu. She plans to host a soft opening with VIP promotions before the grand opening later next month once supplies from China arrive, she said.

Dim sum is a form of Chinese small-plate dining that traditionally allows families and groups to gather for a communal meal. Items usually include various types of dumplings and sweets served in a steamer basket.

People familiar with China Garden (11333 Woodglen Drive), which recently relocated to Rockville, Md., may recognize the style of cooking since the restaurants are both owned by Zhu.

HAN Palance will be open from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. every day and feature happy hour specials on drinks from 4 to 7 p.m., Zhu said.

Two hours of free garage parking will be offered on weekdays, and free validation will be offered after 6 p.m. on weekdays and for six hours on the weekends, according to the restaurant’s Facebook post.

Photos courtesy Chris Zhu

Local Vienna eatery Pure Pasty Co. won several international awards this past weekend for its food.

The 2020 World Pasty Championships took place in Cornwall, England, which is home of the traditional meat pocket. Pasties are a traditional English specialty and can come in a variety of flavors but are typically a savory snack filled with a variety of ingredients and encased with a flaky crust.

At a biodome venue called the Eden Project, the competition brought together chefs from Argentina, Canada, the U.S. and the United Kingdom, according to Michael Burgess, the Vienna eatery’s owner.

Burgess beat most of the other roughly 180 entries and took home a silver medal for his lamb jalfrezi pasty and a bronze medal for the cheese and onion flavor pasty, which were both in the savory category.

The lamb jalfrezi, which embodies a flare of Indian cuisine, is one of his favorite recipes since it has a good “flavor profile and heat,” Burgess told Tysons Reporter, adding that he credits one of his friends and customers for giving him the original recipe, which he tweaked.

In past years, the eatery at 128 Church Street NW has won other awards at the competition as well, and Burgess said attending the competition became a “pilgrimage” and “tradition.”

Many community members congratulated the eatery online after a shoutout on the Town of Vienna’s social media accounts.

“Wonderful! I’ve had the cheese onion one and it is scrumptious!,” wrote one Facebook user.

Congratulations to Vienna’s own Pure Pasty Company, which took two of the top three spots in the open savoury category at this weekend’s 2020 World Pasty Championships in Cornwall, England! pic.twitter.com/zmSI3nlltA

— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) March 2, 2020

Originally living in the United Kingdom, Burgess worked in a banking firm and used to visit the U.S. with friends on snowboarding trips, he said. He and his friends used to talk about the lack of pasty options, and after Burgess said he saved up some money, he decided to open his own business.

“We have spent years honing our craft, and these results show that we are getting it right,” a press release said. “We do our best to give all the ex-pats in the D.C. area a real taste of home.”

The group plans to return to Vienna shortly, he said, adding that “we have a lovely certificate to hang on the wall when we get back.”

For anyone wishing to try one of the award-winning pasties, the restaurant is open on Sunday-Monday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., Tuesday-Friday from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Besides pasties, the eatery also offers pies and sausage rolls, desserts, soups and salads according to its online menu. Prices for individual dishes are about $8.

Though the store doesn’t deliver small orders for individual meals, it does catering for events and the British Embassy in D.C. is a regular client, Burgess said.

Photos courtesy Pure Pasty Co. 

Domino’s plans to celebrate its new pizza place in Tysons next week.

A ribbon-cutting will be held on Monday, March 9, at 10 a.m. Attendees can expect light refreshments, a raffle drawing and tours of the new space.

The pizza chain opened at 8133 Watson Street in October, according to a flyer for the event.

Other nearby locations include McLean (1420 Chain Bridge Road), Vienna (331 Maple Ave E.) and Falls Church (1106 W. Broad Street).

Today (Feb. 27) is National Chili Day, and the Vienna Inn has several reasons to celebrate.

The locally owned business, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, opened at 6:30 a.m. this morning and will serve chili and chili dogs all day long — including for breakfast, according to Nancy Green, the eatery’s spokesperson.

For people over the age of 21 who want to enjoy a beer, the eatery will also have deals on all domestic bottles until 9 p.m., Green said.

Though it is unclear when National Chili Day began, chili originated as a Spanish dish served with meat and has been the state food of Texas since 1977. Sausages are one of the world’s oldest processed foods, according to Newsweek, and can be traced back to the 9th century B.C.

The event today is the latest of several celebrations in February where the Vienna Inn invited people to support the local business and socialize with other community members.

As always, the eatery will also be serving a variety of other chili-based foods, such as chili macs, chili bowls and chili cheese fries.

Hei Hei Tiger is now serving up Cantonese cuisine in Tysons Galleria’s Urbanspace.

The new eatery is from the team behind Tiger Fork in D.C. and opened yesterday (Tuesday) in the mall, according to a press release.

“Hei Hei Tiger (pronounced ‘hey hey tiger’) means ‘Happy Happy Tiger’ in Chinese,” according to the press release. “The double happiness characters are significant in Chinese culture, symbolizing a union and joy.”

The restaurant is serving up Chinese barbecue, Hong Kong-style noodle bowls, soft serve and will soon offer boba milk tea, the press release said. The octagon-shaped bar offers “Traditional Chinese Medicine” cocktails, teas, tonics, sake, beer, wine and more.

More from the press release:

The culinary program is led by co-owner Will Fung, who has been part of Tiger Fork’s operating team since day one, in collaboration with the group’s corporate chef/co-owner Nathan Beauchamp and co-owner Greg Algie.

A Hong Kong native, Fung has more than 20 years of industry experience, both back-of-house as a former sushi chef at Sushiko and founder of the Dirty South Deli food truck, and front-of-house as former general manager at Ted’s Bulletin and Matchbox. Most recently, Fung spent his entire 2018 in Kyoto, cooking and training in 3-Michelin star Kaiseki restaurants Kikunoi and Takesh igero under the guidance of chef Yoshihiro Murata.

Inspired by the styles of Hong Kong dining, Fung draws on his childhood and familial cooking heritage, plus the techniques learned from his Japanese training, such as the fine art of dashi and intricate broths and sauces, and modernizing the recipes for today at Hei Hei Tiger…

A private dining room will follow, eventually serving dim sum brunches and hosting private events.

“Before we opened Tiger Fork, we always had this idea to open a hybrid service, casual-style concept offering Chinese BBQ and Hong Kong noodle soups,” Algie said in the press release. “After seeing the success and positive response to Tiger Fork, and with Will at the helm, we’re excited to make our first expansion outside of D.C.”

The restaurant is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-6 p.m. on Sundays.

Updated 10:50 p.m. — Corrects proposed performance times.

British music enthusiasts may soon be able to enjoy food and drink at an upcoming restaurant in Vienna.

The Hawk & Griffin Pub wants to offer guests a place to listen to live music while grabbing something from the bar or kitchen at 405 W. Maple Ave, according to town documents.

Currently, a brick building built-in 1988 occupies the site.

The owners are hoping to include options for indoor and outdoor performance space on a patio for both solo and small group acoustic performances, the documents said.

“Musical performances will be a way to help create the authentic British public house atmosphere,” the application for zoning approval said.

Proposed performance times would be Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 6 to 9 p.m. or 9 p.m. to midnight, depending on the season.

The proposal is set to go before the Vienna Planning Commission tomorrow (Feb. 26).

Photo via Google Maps

A Mexican restaurant plans to debut in the Vienna area this week.

El Sol plans to open at 262 Cedar Lane SE, Suite C in the Cedar Park Shopping Center on Thursday (Feb. 27), according to a press release.

Restauranteurs Alfredo and Jessica Solis, brother and sister, are behind El Sol, which currently has a D.C. spot, along with Mezcalero and Anafre, which are also in D.C.

Jessica will lead the kitchen, while Alfredo will manage Mezcalero and Anafre, according to the press release.

“We just set out to cook the food we grew up eating and now we have four restaurants. It’s incredible,” Jessica said in the press release.

Diners can expect traditional Mexican foods like street tacos, carne asada, gorditas and other items.

The menu includes a dish where a mixture of cheeses prepared atop the grill in a large plant leaf and another one with a bowl of oysters, shrimp, fish, octopus, avocado and spicy tomato.

More from the press release:

El Sol is an anchor tenant for the plaza which is currently undergoing redevelopment,” the press release said. “This is also the Solis’s largest restaurant at 80 seats and 3900 square feet…

The Vienna shop is a family-friendly full-service establishment that also offers weekend brunch, just like the D.C. location. A full bar highlighting mezcal and tequila is also be available.

Unlike El Sol D.C. and the other Solis restaurants, the Vienna restaurant has a private dining space that can accommodate up to 20 guests.

The restaurant plans to open at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

Photo via El Sol/Facebook

Mardi Gras is approaching and throughout the weekend leading up to Tuesday (Feb. 25), several local businesses and eateries around town are holding festive events.

Tysons Reporter rounded up where and when to Mardi Gras celebrations around the Tysons area.

Vienna and Merrifield 

On Friday, Feb. 21, Kim Stryker, a George Mason professor, will discuss holiday traditions and their origins during Folklore Friday at Bards Alley Bookshop (110 Church Street NW). The event is set to run from 7 to 8 p.m. King cake and Mardi Gras beads will be supplied. All are welcome to dress up in fun and festive attire for this event.

The Mardi Gras Bunco Party, hosted by the Vienna Arts Society (243 Church Street NW), next Saturday (Feb. 29) invites people to play Bunco, a dice game played with groups of 12 or more. A donation of $22 is suggested and refreshments will be served, according to the event page. This event runs from 7 to 9 p.m.

Inca Social (2670 Avenir Place) is hosting a Carnival Celebration next Saturday from 7 to 10:30 p.m. The cover charge is $6 and includes an evening of dancing, drink specials and beads.

People looking for Mardi Gras-themed baked goods can visit Amphora Bakery in Vienna (405 W. Maple Ave) to purchase king cake or a variety of decorative treats, according to its website.

Falls Church

Foodies can participate in a free Free Mardi Gras Crawfish Eating Contest on Tuesday (Feb. 25) from noon to 10 p.m. The contest will begin at 6 p.m., but drink specials will be available all day. People can submit their names to become a contestant but participation is not guaranteed. People who place in the top three will receive gift cards.

The Fat Tuesday Beer Dinner at the Dogfish Head Alehouse (6220 Leesburg Pike) in Seven Corners offers guests a four-course meal for the price of $55. Admission includes beer pairings and a hurricane cocktail, according to the event page. This event begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Sol Roots Band with guest Ron Holloway will be performing Mardi Gras-themed music at JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd) on Tuesday beginning at 8:30 p.m. The groups will be performing a variety of funk, soul, deep blues, R&B and rock, according to the event page.

This Sunday (Feb. 23), JV’s Restaurant will be hosting another Mardi Gras celebration for the community. This event will feature a DJ and dancing from 4-7 p.m., the Facebook page said.

Photo via Kristina Evstifeeva/Unsplash

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Wednesday (Feb. 19)

• Ribbon Cutting for Periodontics and Implant Center of Northern Virginia — 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Periodontics and Implant Center of Northern Virginia (243 Church Street NW) — People are welcome to celebrate the introduction of a new business in Vienna. This event is free and light refreshments will be served, according to the event listing.

Thursday (Feb. 20)

• b8ta Grand Opening — 7 to 9 p.m. at b8ta Tysons Corner (8086 Tysons Corner Center) —  A new store in Tysons Corner Center offers people the change to celebrate b8ta’s grand opening with champagne and appetizers. This event is free but RSVP is suggested.
• WIT Connect — 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Valo Park Drive (7950 Jones Branch Drive) — This event from Women in Technology will allow people to learn about how technology is changing healthcare. Networking begins at 6 p.m. and the conference starts at 6:45 p.m. Tickets start at $45.

Friday (Feb. 21)

• Storytime and Crafts with Local Children’s Author, Shelby! — 10 to 10:30 a.m. at Famille Cafe (700A W. Broad Street) — Families and kids can come and meet Shelby Hoefling, the author of recently published “Grandma’s in the Phone!” After the meet and greet, kids will be able to make crafts as well.

Saturday (Feb. 22)

• Black History Forum — 2 p.m. at Justice High School (3301 Peace Valley Lane) —  This event will feature Alexandria’s first African-American Poet Laureate, KaNikki Jakarta. People will also be able to watch a trivia competition highlighting African-American Achievements in history, according to the website.

Sunday (Feb. 23)

• Live Music with Blue Book Value — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Famille Cafe (700A W. Broad Street) — This NoVA band is known for their rock n’ roll, according to the event listing. They’ll be hosting a free performance for people hoping to enjoy some live entertainment.
• Jazz Worship & Pancake Brunch — 10 a.m. Lewinsville Presbyterian Church (1724 Chain Bridge Road) — Everyone, regardless of church affiliation, is welcome to enjoy Jazz Worship Service and a Shrove Pancake Brunch. Breakfast quiches, casseroles and crepes will also be served.

Photo via Famille Cafe/Facebook

Two new Baddpizza locations are expected to open in McLean and Falls Church a little later than expected.

Although the location in Falls Church (346 W. Broad Street) was supposed to open in November, according to the owner, a store manager said yesterday (Feb. 12) that it will instead open in about two weeks.

Meanwhile, the McLean location (6263 Old Dominion Drive), which was set to open in December or early 2020, will open in late March, according to the manager.

Opening dates for both of the locations are dependent on staffing, the manager said.

Both locations plan to serve a variety of pizzas, wings, salads, dessert and chicken tenders, according to the website.

Photo via Baddpizza/Facebook