Order Balo Kitchen Takeout or Delivery
Balo Kitchen Photos
Business Info
BALO KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE
You might also consider
More like Balo Kitchen
Recommended Reviews - Balo Kitchen
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
I popped into The Block for Dan Dan noodles and Balo has them. I ordered it regular spicy and it was ready to go within 10 minutes. The portion is large and the spice was great. Amazing flavors!
This a kiosk/food stall at The Block. We opted for the fried chicken wings with fish sauce and chow fun with chicken. The food is made to order so it took about 15 mins. The food was hot and fresh. The wings were so hot in fact, that it melted the plastic fork (see photo). The wings with fried perfectly crispy and it was juicy inside. The fish sauce caramel was light. Could have used more sauce on the wings themselves or at least a side of extra. The homemade ranch was good. 9/10 Needed more sauce on wings. The chow fun had a great wok hei flavor. Didn't have a lot of green onions or chicken. The noodles were a tad overcooked as well. And there were no char marks on the wide noodles. Also, at bottom of the bowl, way too much oil. There was a puddle of oil. We could not finish the rest. Way too oily. 7/10 If the noodles were less oily and had more chicken and green onions, solid 9. Again, WAAAAY TOO OILY!
Located inside the block food hall, in the back right corner is balo! I was super intrigued by the brussel sprouts one of my favorite dishes if done correctly. I asked the cashier if it was good and crispy and he said yes. So i went ahead and ordered. It came out to be around $13 for a small which i thought was kinda pricey but it came out pretty quickly. It smelled a little garlicy so not great if you're trying to impress but decent portions. Unfortunately it was not crispy at all even though it was fried. It was pretty soggy but the flavor was there! If it came out crispier I think there would be a lot of potential! Would come back to try something new but not sure I would order them again
Came here on a Friday night 20 minutes before closing and ordered the green beans. They were made to order so crispy with a hint of salt And garlic. It doesn't come with anything other than the green beans and it was the perfect meal for me. dish I often use the crispy green bean dish as an indicator of if I'll like a place's other food. These were great so I'll be back to try their other offerings which looked interesting and unique. It's a food court so there's open seating and a bar in this place too. Fun to bring a group of people and everyone can get what they want from the various food places. I'll be back to try some of their other dishes too! Service was friendly.
My all time favorite meal is the lemongrass chicken with fish sauce! It's my ideal comfort food when I'm missing my mom's home cooking! The chicken is always so tender, and I love their pickled veggies with scallion sauce. The fish sauce makes it so so good! Service is always quick, and they serve it in a plastic take out container, so whatever you don't finish, just ask for a lid to take it home! It's located inside the block Foodhall, and there's a lot of seating inside and outside!
Realllly good food! We tried the chicken and rice dish, I got the soy glaze flavor. If came with pickled veggies and ginger scallion oil and it was sooooo good. The second dish was chow fun noodles with crispy pork belly and let me tell you it was cooked to perfection. The noodles had a nice wok flavor and the pork belly was crispy and tender. Even after we saved some for left overs it was still Crispy! We will be back to try other food.
Delicious foods that you can order using their scanned menu system and have it ready instead of standing in line. Balo Kitchen is inside the block in annandale. They provide variety mixed of asian culture food. I love their chicken wings with fish sauce (part vietnamese). Their Dan dan noodles (part taiwanese) tasted okay. not something i would order again because noodles is plain and all seasoned is in the meat. Their beef and rice is delicious. Everything seasoned right with plenty of meat and rice and veggies. All their bowls takes me 2 seatings to eat. It does take them a bit long to make the food so expect 15-20 minutes to make the food so call or orddr ahead! The staff is super nice and sweet!
Since The Block overall is set up like a giant cafeteria with it's own section for different cuisine/drinks, Balo Kitchen is just one of the few places you can order from. Sometimes the line can be a bit long and slow ( they only have one person ringing up orders) I do like the added convenience of a kiosk right next to the front if you already know what you want to order. It helps speeds the line up! I got the chicken over rice. Pretty solid bowl with a generous amount of chicken, pickled greens, rice cooked with chicken broth and on the side, some fish sauce for that extra umami. For the price you pay for, I think it's a tad high but I think it's average around the area. I'll have to try more next visit!
Warning: This place is addicting! I live in RVA but whenever I go up to NOVA to visit my family I always have to find some sort of excuse to get tacos from this place! I've always ordered online for pickup and they've been pretty quick. There really isn't a point in putting the time that you wish to have it ready by, they will go ahead and just work on it and get it done asap - One of the orders that I had done was done about an hour early. Fortunately, I was closer than expected and could do the driveby pickup haha. I went with my sister the first time so it does take getting used to around the parking lot and where to go to get what. The Block is pretty kickass and I would like to try the other food options that are located there (like poke bowls and some alcohol bar-like places). The place can definitely be packed but it's a food hall - what do you sort of expect? Anyway, I ALWAYS order their pork belly and grilled chicken taco (at least and pretty good for traveling too - from NOVA to RVA). If my husband is with me then we'll in addition typically get their fried chicken and shrimp as well. They never disappoint! I'd like to try the other foods listed on their menu but it's sorta of like, "Why fix it if it's not broken"? I know that I will always be satisfied with their tacos so...why order anything else when I'm in town? haha. LOVE their tacos and I'm so glad my sister was nice enough to share this delicious location with me. (She actually does love me!!! haha)
Tried this spot out on the block in Annandale. The block is known for being a typical hangout spot in the dmv and there was a good mix of people from high schoolers to adults in their 30s. The food was good but was slightly overpriced. The pork belly on the rice was crispy and more flavorful than the one in the fries.
Great Vietnamese street food in a very cool setting! This place is a part of The Block; a sort of cool food court with multiple eateries, and communal dining. I tried crispy pork belly rice and pork belly banh-mi, both excellent! Planning to return for more!
I've always preferred to address issues directly with businesses, giving them a chance to rectify them. Recently, I ordered a crispy pork bowl with rice and chicken soup through Toast. Unfortunately, they called me 15 minutes later to inform me they didn't have the soup. That was fine, and I asked them to cancel it. When I picked up my order, I was disappointed. The meat and rice were cold, which is strange coming from an Asian restaurant. I inquired about the reduced portion of pork belly, which I noticed hadn't been reflected in the price. The employee apologized and said there was nothing she could do as they did in fact change the quantity recently. I'm surprised, as I had a great experience there just a month ago. I'm not sure what caused the decline in quality
Food options are delicious all in one place! Highly recommended! Nice bar with music. Very courteous.
Every time I try this place, I'm always so excited but the dishes I've ordered are always ok. I've tried the laska noodle soup (curry broth), Dan Dan noodles (ground pork, with sauce over ramen noodles), curry rice (fried chicken cutlet, curry gravy, pickled radishes, and rice). All of the dishes were flavorful but I kinda felt like something was missing for each of them. I'm not sure exactly what was missing but it seemed slightly off. I might try some other dishes and give them a try but I haven't had a dish I loved or would want to order again. read more
Service is very good! I was greeted when I came to the booth and the cashier was helpful in helping me choose what to eat. I highly recommend the crispy pork belly with rice. It was crispy, flavor was there, and it was very filling. Some places make the pork salty so I was happy this wasn't the case. The chicken nugget appetizer is honestly an entree in itself. Don't let that fool you that it's small! Well worth the price. I'll definitely come back again! My fiancé had the Bo kho and I was impressed! read more
3 years ago
Came on New Year's Day and they are open as usual! Got the Dan Dan chili cheese fries and the Brussels sprouts to share with a friend. Small plates are pretty large and we were full. Service was so nice, they gave a kiosk or you can order from a person. The kiosk takes credit cards only, no Apply Pay! Food came out really fast and hot, they text you when it's ready. Fries were so crispy and sprouts were perfect. Would recommend!! read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
Balo kitchen is a hidden gem. The food there is amazing. I can always recommend the tacos because they are so filling! The flavor is packed and they are definitely filling. I get the pork belly and the fried chicken and I can say I am satisfied for the entire day. Everyone should try this spot at The Block! read more
I did an online order but you can also order over the phone or via the kiosk inside . Food came out faster then what was estimated and A+ on packaging. The restaurant is inside the Block and the menu has a huge variety. I first order the small rice bowl with half chicken/ pork belly since I could not make up my mind . I was apprehensive on the food but wanted to give it a try. Solid 10/10 rice bowl and the size S still is alot of food . The chicken and pork belly had so much flavor while still juicy . The accoutrements were on point and made the dish even better . The fried garlic, mustard greens , and scallion ginger oil just made each bite more addicting. This dish was so good I went back and ordered the LoMein as well for my mom . You can get LoMein anywhere but looking at the menu it just seemed special . You still get that delicious taste and texture but whatever they put in this dish; it hits different. The shrimp was also deliciousness coated in this garlic sauce that was amazing. After just sampling these two dishes I want to eat the whole menu. In an area where Asian cuisine is celebrated and represented this is a great addition to my list of places to try when in northern VA read more
We only tried the Brussels sprouts, but they were ready quickly and were quite delicious, a good vegetarian lunch option. The soy glaze sauce worked nicely. We look forward to trying their Banh mi next time -- they carve out the breading inside the French bread to turn it into a sort-of big wrap. read more
5 years ago
Wow! Pleasantly surprised with how good this steak & rice and basil chicken was! also, they finished making my boyfriend and I's orders in like 5 minutes so thats also a plus Steak & rice was flavorful, the bowl was packed, and reasonably priced ($15) Nuggets were hot, juicy and super tasty. I love a good taiwanese basil fried chicken, and this hit the spot. Gna come back to try the chicken rice. Also! would recommend ordering on the screen next to the cashier or ordering by phone (they have QR codes on every desk) to cut the line. read more
Had the chicken + rice and the pork belly + rice. Omg the marinade they use for the soy-glazed chicken is soooo good. The pickled greens are really good, as well as the (collard green veggies?) they pack in as well. For these dishes they do give you a ton of rice, too much. But worth it, and generous helping of the protein. read more
This little eatery is located in a good court with plenty of parking. There are several benches placed rather close to each other so I imagine when it gets busy here, it's probably better to order to go. Balo Kitchen - I ordered the Brussels sprout, Fish Sauce wings with Fries, and the Tofu and Eggplant with chicken rice. The only disappointment was the wings. The sauce was not good at all...I'm not a big fan of BBQ chips and that's what it tastes like. My boyfriend took a bite and was like.."wow, this is pretty bad." Next time, the wings will be a hard pass for me. However, everything else was sooooo delicious! The tofu and eggplant with chicken rice had great flavor. My favorite would have to be the Brussels sprouts. We ordered a small and we got a lot. read more
First timers...LISTEN UP! You're going to want to pay attention to this! Obviously, I am here to help y'all out; especially, after I got lost haha. A couple of days ago, I decided I wanted to try Balo Kitchen for dinner after seeing it on YelpNOVA's instagram page. I put the address into my GPS system and proceeded to make my way to the establishment. I have attached a picture of the outside of the building because I got lost in the parking lot and the Market that I went to thinking it was in the food court section :). Therefore, I hope the picture is helpful for you all. Additionally, I think the picture of the menu would also be helpful because the prices were not listed on the website when I initially looked. This restaurant is straight ahead toward the back when you walk in. They have an extensive menu (photo included) of many items to select from. I ordered the curry Loco Moco and the pork belly with rice. Both dishes were absolutely delicious and lasted me a few days. I added a picture of the dish (half eaten haha) and the container to give an estimate of how much you will be getting. Overall, this restaurant was delicious with great service! I would recommend this others to at least try as the menu is plentiful. read more
Came here for a quick bite. steak & rice - decent sized portion, steak was nice and juicy. they give some thick sliced tomatoes too which is a plus lol. chicken nuggets - lightly fried and the chicken was super tender. def loved this the most and would get this again. read more
This place was just okay to me when it first opened but omg everything here is sooooo good! Might be one of the best places to get food from at the block. I don't like pho but I really liked the pho and thicker noodle here. Spicy chicken sandwich was also really good! Steak fries were really good but we did wish the fries were crispier Curry katsu was so good! It had a nice spicy kick and the katsu was good. Brussel sprouts was also good but I wished it was crispier. The sauce was good I'm excited to go back and try other dishes from balo kitchen :) read more
Came here again, this time looking to try something new, their Hot Chicken Sandwich since I did not want to wait around for the Popeyes Sandwich for that long. We also ordered a Gochujang Glazed Chicken Sandwich as well just to try it. There's also the option to add papaya slaw and an egg which of course we did along with fries. Took a little time to get, I'm assuming because they were made to order. Not surprising, they were both really really good sandwiches. The hot chicken sandwich was specifically super huge, the chicken was 1.5x the size of the bun. The heat was perfect at a 2 (they have a 0-4 spice scale). The crust was super crispy but some of it broke off in big pieces which made it a little messy but I didn't mind. The papaya slaw is a nice cool, crunchy, sweet touch and was a perfect compliment. Fried egg didn't seem necessary so I wouldn't put it on again. The Gochujang Glazed sandwich was also great and is definitely an option next time if I don't want to eat something as heavy. This place can't really do wrong in my eyes again and of course, I'll be back. read more
7 years ago
My friends and I went to The Block for the first time and decided to grab lunch at Balo. The line was long but the wait wasn't that bad. I ordered the Pork Belly and Chicken Rice with Egg while my friends ordered Panko Fried Cutlet on Curry Rice and Fried Rice with Spam. I wasn't expecting much from my pork belly but it is mindblowingly delicious - the meat is so tender and flavorful. It blends well with all the components (mustard greens, scallions, etc) added to the whole dish. I also tried my friends' orders and I really liked the cutlet curry rice. The staff was very accommodating even with the chaos happening. Also, I like that their packaging makes it easier for takeaway. I wouldn't be surprised if this place will become a full-blown restaurant in the future. I can't wait to try the rest of their menu. read more
Located within 'The Block' in Annandale, Balo Kitchen takes a modern twist on Asian foods. This place was the only place that caught my attention for a filling meal inside the block. I ordered a lemongrass pork banh mi. It came with fries that were straight out of the fryer. It was really tasty and hot. The banh mi itself is very big compared to traditional ones. They are very generous with the meat and the portion. The bread has a nice crunchy and soft texture. The employees were also very friendly. Although it is on the pricier side, they accommodate with the taste and good experience. They give you a beeper while you wait for your food. Just don't go too far with it. I would recommend this place over the other vendors inside the block. read more
2 years ago
5 years ago
After having eaten here a few times I feel confident enough to leave a review. The food is definitely good the first few times you try it but after having tried a variety of the menu I can confidently say that it all just tastes the same after awhile. Other things that I've tried and not in my screenshots is the Pork Belly Banh Mi, Smoked Soy Grilled Chicken Wings and 24 HR Pork Belly Laksa Curry Noodle Soup lvl 3. The quality also seems to have gone down from last year as well, the chicken + rice options I used to get taste pretty bland now from their original flavor and the pork belly banh mi just tastes like I was chewing fat with bread and nothing else. The Steak Frites, Curry Loco Moco and Laksa Curry Noodle Soup are still good choices. I would recommend just going for their steak options as that still tastes pretty good. Avoid the chicken and regular pork belly. It's a shame because the chicken + rice was my favorite and it's not worth getting anymore IMO. I'll probably try other steak options in the future as they still taste great but Balo Kitchen definitely isn't on the top of my list to visit anymore. read more
Balo Kitchen is a powerhouse of yummy eats at The Block. They bring on the Asian "meat and potatoes" and whatever you order will probably be deliciously/fatteningly satisfying! It's Asian comfort food, after all. With a huge menu with many words that will appetize you, I recommend going with: Belly and Rice - 24 hr Porkbelly, Pickled Mustard Greens, Scallion & Ginger Oil, Fried Shallots, Chicken Rice. Service is relatively quick and I like the pager system to let you know when your food is done so people can wait elsewhere in the building and not congregate at the already-crowded counter area. Can't wait to try more menu items! read more
We always enjoy our time at The Block when we are in town. This time we ordered food at Balo Kitchen and were pleasantly surprised. Hubby ordered the Bho Kho and I ordered the Pork Belly on rice. We enjoyed both dishes. They had different flavors from the traditional dishes but very good flavor. Would definitely go back and try different dishes. read more
4 years ago
Wow - craving hot and spicy Asian on a rainly Friday I came to Balo (which is located in the Block) and ordered a feast which did not disappoint. I've had my fair share of Asian fushion but I was totally shocked with the combination of flavors and how everything just worked well together. We ordered the garlic noodles with beef, basil chicken and chicken tacos. I was a huge fan of the noodles, which was perfectly saucy, and the tacos which was INSIDE OF A WARM FLAKY ROTI. I come from an Indian background and was blown away - I would come back for those tacos alone. The flavor of the chicken was good but needed some type of dipping sauce. Overall so happy with this place and can't wait to come back and try out more dishes. read more
5 years ago
My ground pork was really mushy tasting, the noodles very dry. Just tasted like oily noodles and mushy pork. Spice level was decent I got a level 2. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
On our visit to Balo Kitchen, we tried the new garlic shrimp with rice and the chow fun noodles with beef. The shrimp was very flavorful and definitely had a strong garlic taste to it with all the small bits of garlic on the outside of the shrimp. It was fried crispy and was very tasty. Personally, I would have loved to have them fried and then tossed in a garlic sauce, but they were still enjoyable. The chow fun noodles were decent. You can definitely taste the "wok" essence/flavor in the noodles, but in my opinion there was a bit of flavor lacking aside from that. The texture of the noodles were great and the beef and vegetables were cooked well, helping to bring the noodles together. The portions they served for both dishes met our expectations. Overall, we would get the shrimp again on our next visit and their chicken nuggets with five spice/basil which we've had on prior visits. Those are always delicious! read more
We got the chicken + rice in spicy garlic and it def had a kick!! Didn't expect it to be this spicy but it was great for us spicy food lovers. If you can't handle spicy, I would recommend something else. Quick service and a good portion size. read more
4 years ago
I got the 24 hour pork + rice. The food was cold. The pork was pretty good but the rice was super dry. I wish it came with a better sauce. The sauce it came with was like a vinaigrette which I didn't want on my rice. So without any sauce the rice was so bland. It's not worth the $15. Service was fine though. read more
4 years ago
$20 Bahn Mi (bbq pork) w fries and a side of broth... the Sandwich looks to be stacked w shredded carrots... Tasty BBQ pork, just not worth. $17.. Ppl are right, this place used to be fire and it's very pricey these days w so so food. read more
2 years ago
After a longgg time of wanting to try this place out it has finally happened! First off, follow their Instagram and try not to drool from their photos. It was from those photos that made me want to come here so badly. Zach was the friendly face at the cashier taking orders. I simply told him this was my first visit and asked for recommendations. He told me the "Pork Belly and Rice" was what they were known food, takes them over 24 hours to prepare the pork belly, the rice was soaked in their chicken stock, and for only a dollar I had to get their poached egg on top. This guy had me SOLD! When my food came out he even explained the best way to eat it. It also came with a cup of their amazing version of Nuoc Mam, they add pineapple in it! I've never tasted pork belly like this. It was packed with flavor and melted in your mouth. All I can say is that I will definitely be back for more and can't wait to try everything else on that menu! Thank you Balo and thank you Zach! read more
2 years ago
LA & NY always seem to have the trendiest Asian creations that the DMV doesn't have. Well? Balo is working on that. I tried a place in New York that had a whole short rib in their pho. Balo Kitchen served it! I tried a place in California that made sisig tacos which is a filipino-mexican fusion. Balo Kitchen served that too! Balo even makes things I've never tried before, for example, Vietnamese shaky beef put inside a philly cheese sandwich. I've never experienced flavors like that together! They're always adding the trendiest things to their menu and I feel like no one else is doing that. The one negative thing I can mention is their quality control. Sometimes it gets so busy that the dishes aren't made to the best of their ability. But I respect their vision and their uniqueness is worth a 5 Star in my opinion. Who else is serving up the latest and greatest other than Balo? Nobody I tell ya!!! read more
3 years ago
This is my favorite place in The Block. Everytime my friends want to come to The Block I always go straight here. Their pork belly and rice was the first dish that drew me in. The pork belly is so flavorful you definitely won't regret it. The second dish that's a must for me is the "chicken nuggets" I think they call it? But it's basically Taiwanese fried chicken. I've always been a fan of this dish but it's hard to find in the NoVa area. It's a great appetizer or munchy when you're drinking at the bar late night. Recently I've seen them expand their menu and I'm so excited to try everything in the future. They display pictures on this iPad near the cashier and everything looks bomb af. P.S if you're getting the pork belly and rice usually the small portion fills me up because it's actually pretty big (and cheap). And you should DEFINITELY add a poached egg (+$1) read more
Balo Kitchen is located inside The Block in Annandale and serves amazing crispy pork belly! My review will mainly be for their chow fun and pork belly rice bowls. I haven't tried many other things in the menu. The Pork Belly Rice Bowls are the BOMB. The crispy pork belly is deliciously crunchy and fatty. They definitely melt in your mouth as well. The bowl has pickled greens that you don't see served often but is great in combination with the fattyness of the pork belly. The Chow Fun with Crispy Pork Belly is also delicious! The Chow Fun is seasoned very well and spicy! The Pig Frites are pretty freaking good too. The fries are very crunchy and pair well with the vegetables and the sauce they have on top. Being in The Block also has its perks, you have options for dumplings, ice cream, drinks at a bar, boba, and poke right there. read more
More info about Balo Kitchen
4221 John Marr Dr
Annandale, VA 22003
Directions
(703) 559-3602
Call Now
Order Takeout or Delivery
Start Order
Visit Website
https://www.balokitchen.com
Full menu
Hours
Payment methods
Food & Alcohol
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
From the Business
More Info
Health Score
Ask the Community - Balo Kitchen
Is this place still have Loco Moco ? I'd love to try it if they do.
The Curry Loco Moco yeah they have it as of 09/28.
Is this still open at the Block? Seems like it got replaced by a fried chicken place.
Yes it's still open. The fried chicken replaced the Thai place.
You might also consider
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
18 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
4 years ago
10 years ago
10 years ago
10 years ago
10 years ago
6 years ago
5 years ago
5 years ago
5 years ago
7 years ago
5 years ago
9 years ago
5 years ago
7 years ago
5 years ago
10 years ago
7 years ago
