Tasty Tidbits: Molly Tea opens in Rockville’s Twinbrook Quarter development
Plus: Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings offering Mother’s Day pottery gift for purchase; Agora plans June launch in downtown Bethesda
By
Elia GriffinApril 28, 2026 5:56 p.m.
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Molly Tea, a shop specializing in floral-scented teas from China, is now open in Rockville’s Twinbrook Quarter development at 860 Festival St., according to the tea shop’s social media.
The pink-themed shop offers fresh milk tea, matcha drinks and hot tea topped with jasmine-infused whipped cream as well as iced tea and fruit teas, according to its menu. Tea flavors include jasmine, gardenia, osmanthus, white champaca and Oolong.
Molly Tea was founded in Shenzhen, China, in 2021, according to the company’s website, and has expanded to more than 2,000 locations in China and other countries, including the United Kingdom, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The Rockville location is one of 12 Molly Tea stores in the United States and the first store in Maryland.
Twinbrook Quarter at 850 Festival St. is home to a Wegmans grocery store, which opened in June 2025, and Terra Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse, which opened in late December. Also expected to open soon in the development is an Afghan restaurant, ZiZa Kabob, and Genki Wagyu Shabu House.
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According to Molly Tea’s social media posts, the shop held a soft opening from April 21 to 23 and a grand opening last weekend. Dozens of customers lined up outside to purchase a cup of tea, according to social media videos from the opening weekend.
The opening celebration continues through Sunday: Customers who purchase any two drinks in-store can receive a Maryland blue crab magnet, according to the shop’s social media posts.
Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings offering Mother’s Day pottery gift for purchase
Bethesda’s Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings is offering a dumpling bowl set for sale to patrons from Friday to May 10 as a Mother’s Day special, according to a social media post and a press release from the restaurant.
The bowls are made by Alison Ryczek, a pottery artist based in Long Island, New York, and are inspired by the colors of the restaurant’s “Lucky Six” soup dumpling dish. According to the eatery’s menu, the dish includes six dumplings: one stuffed with crab meat and pork; a classic pork dumpling; a chicken dumpling; one filled with truffle and pork; another with gourd, shrimp and pork; and one with scallop and pork.
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Patrons who dine in at the restaurant and spend more than $55 can purchase the six-bowl set for $16. Otherwise, anyone can visit the restaurant and purchase the bowl set for $25. According to the release, quantities are limited.
Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings opened in late September at the dining terrace in Bethesda’s Westfield Montgomery mall. The chain’s first location opened in 2006 in Queens, New York, as Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao and has been a Michelin-recognized restaurant for more than nine years.
The restaurant specializes in soup dumplings but also offers dishes from Shanghai and the Jiangsu region in China. Other dishes include wood ear mushroom salad, jellyfish and turnip salad, fried rice, stir-fries, noodles and soups, according to the menu.
Agora plans June 1 opening in downtown Bethesda
Agora, a Mediterranean restaurant with locations in Washington, D.C., and Virginia, plans to open its new location in downtown Bethesda on June 1, according to the restaurant’s print advertisements.
The restaurant, which announced the new location in July 2025, will open in the former Daily Grill space at the Hyatt Regency hotel at One Bethesda Metro Center. The restaurant has two locations in Dupont Circle and Tysons Corner, according to Agora’s website.
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The restaurant offers mezze platters, grilled entrees, seafood and kebabs on a menu inspired by cuisines in Turkey, Greece and Lebanon, according to a July press release from the restaurant. Executive Chef Ismet Sahin will lead the Bethesda restaurant, which is owned by Betul Uslu and Ismail Uslu.
“Every dish we serve is rooted in tradition but reimagined with fresh, local ingredients and a modern touch,” the owners said in the July press release. “We’re especially excited to collaborate with Maryland farms and winemakers to ensure everything we offer is responsibly sourced and thoughtfully prepared.”
A public relations representative did not respond to Bethesda Today’s repeated requests for comment this week on the upcoming opening and additional details about the new restaurant.
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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine