Welcome to FamilyStyleDC: our occasional recommendations of places to eat, play & go! around Washington, DC. Today we’re featuring a family favorite for Korean-style barbecue in Annandale, Va., and local dessert spot.
It’s no secret that Honey Pig is the place to go in Northern Virginia for Korean barbecue, but we’ve had good luck avoiding a long wait — even on a Friday night — by arriving on the early side for dinner service. This is truly a family-style meal, as you choose your meats to be cooked on the hot plate in the center of the table. Each family member gets a bowl of rice, and an assortment of hot pickles, kimchi and other sides is quickly placed on the table. We usually start with an order of pan-fried dumplings while waiting for the meats to cook. Our go-to order is bulgogi beef and sliced pork belly, although the foodie boy recently asked to try beef tongue and loved it, too!
Loud K-pop music videos play throughout the restaurant, keeping it lively and giving the kids something to watch while waiting to eat — although the food moves very quickly, so the wait isn’t long.
And as for dessert…
Just across the road in the back of the K-Mart parking lot you can find dessert served out of a colorful vintage school bus — SnoCream Company makes shaved ice-style ice cream with toppings ranging from traditional mochi, boba and lychee to your usual cereal, cookies, and candy. The girl and I shared a honeydew snocream with mochi, Pocky and condensed milk, while the boy went for mango with oreo and m&ms. Delicious! And, you get to sit on glowing “ice” cubes while you eat, for added entertainment value.
Where to find it…
Honey Pig Korean BBQ
eathoneypig.com
7220 Columbia Pike
Annandale, VA
(other locations: Ellicott City, Centreville & Germantown)
SnoCream Company
snocreamcompany.com – check their website or twitter for location & hours