A New Food Hall Transforms the Tysons Food Scene With 5 Different Offerings

The new food hall by A Taste of Urbanspace has made the Tysons Galleria a foodie destination. Five of the best local eateries have come to town, and they're all worth checking out.

The difference between a food court and a food hall is that the latter consists of small businesses, usually artisanal with scratch kitchens. A Taste of Urbanspace has carefully curated a group of five spots for their gorgeous Tysons Galleria food hall where you are able to sample Lao food, gourmet ice cream, scratch Southern food, Japanese rice bowls, and great pizza by the slice.

WHERE: 2001 International Drive in McLean, VA
PARKING: free garage, optional valet parking
METRO: take the Silver Line to Tysons Corner station

Enter near Saks Fifth Avenue, and take the elevator up to Level 3 to explore the space.

A Taste of Urban Space

Take a look at the amazing design of this communal seating. Can't you imagine meeting up here before seeing a movie or doing some shopping?

A Taste of Urban Space

Sen Khao

Lao food done right and served quickly is a recipe for success. This venture from acclaimed local chef Seng Luangrath, features both vegetarian and chicken khao poon (curry rice noodles), khao piak sen (housemade rice noodles in chicken broth), and coconut sticky rice with either beef or spicy chicken wings.

Everything is made with care here, in the traditional methods, and is only moderately spicy. The flavors of the freshly made curry paste and handmade rice noodles really shine through in their signature dishes. I would recommend that first-timers try one of each until you determine your favorite -- it may be hard to choose just one!

Ice Cream Jubilee

This is no ordinary ice cream parlor. The flavors are whimsical here, and your waffle bowls are made right in front of you. The owner, Victoria, pulls up ice cream flavors from her dreams, international trips, books, and shows ... everything has a flavor. She is constantly looking for ways to make life more special and joyful -- and what better way than through ice cream?

Flavors change seasonally, so Victoria explains that they're constantly breaking hearts and making new friends. Keep an eye out for flavors inspired by the Lunar New Year, like Red Bean Almond Cookie and Korean Barley Tea. Our sundaes were built with Very Vanilla, Thai Iced Tea, Chocolate Chocolate, and Cookies with Cookie Dough.

Both their fudge and caramel sauces are housemade. When was the last time you had real caramel? Local cream from South Mountain Creamery in Maryland makes all of the flavors incredibly complex and rich, and everything is made in Washington, D.C.

Stomping Ground

The owner's take on a Georgia chicken and cheese biscuit is this sublime chicken biscuit with housemade pimento cheese and tangy pickles. The crisp fried chicken was absolute perfection --unbelievably tender and juicy on the inside. Luckily, breakfast is served all day, so this would be a perfect place to meet for brunch.

Andy's Pizza

This is the first brick-and-mortar location for a local purveyor of frozen pizza. Eat Great Pizza is proud to present their delicious products in this takeaway shop.

Courtesy of Tysons Galleria

Donburi

Rice bowls are the ultimate comfort food. Topped with whatever you'd like, from barbecued eel to crispy cutlets, they make a wonderful one-dish meal. This D.C. restaurant is bringing their special brand of Japanese food to the Tysons area.

Courtesy of Donburi

Disclaimer: We were treated to the pictured dishes at Sen Khao, Ice Cream Jubilee, and Stomping Ground. The owners wanted OCN readers to get an idea of what is waiting for them at A Taste of Urban Space. All photos in this article are by Sarina Petrocelly or Tony Petrocelly, unless credited otherwise.

Does this seem like somewhere you'd like to go on your next outing? Give it a try and let us know what you think in the comments below!

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