A new halal Afghan restaurant is set to open its doors along Rockville’s busy MD-355 corridor, taking over a Hungerford Drive storefront that spent years serving up all-you-can-eat hot pot before going dark this summer. Aria Restaurant Grill and Kabob will hold its grand opening from September 11 through September 14, with 30% off the menu for all four days.
The new restaurant is located at 595 Hungerford Drive in Rockville, according to The MoCo Show. Aria occupies the former Hot Pot Kitchen space, which specialized in all-you-can-eat hot pot, barbecue skewers, dim sum, stir-fried dishes and noodle soups before it closed permanently, per the same report. Aria’s signage went up earlier in summer 2026, appearing after Hot Pot Kitchen had already shut down.
Hot Pot Kitchen’s closure wasn’t entirely unexpected turnover for the address. The site opened in June 2018 as Hot Pot Legend, the first U.S. location for a Chinese hot pot chain that had operated more than 80 locations across China before expanding into Rockville, as Hoodline reported at the time in a 2018 roundup of new Rockville businesses. Hot Pot Kitchen announced its permanent closure via social media on June 15, 2026, without citing a specific reason, establishing roughly a three-month transition window before Aria’s opening, according to a separate report from The MoCo Show.
What’s on Aria’s Menu
Aria Restaurant Grill and Kabob advertises its food as 100% halal, and its menu includes Qabili Palaw, mantu, kabobs and rice dishes, gyros, and pizza, per The MoCo Show’s report. Qabili Palaw is widely recognized as Afghanistan’s national dish, made of slow-cooked basmati rice topped with tender meat, caramelized carrots, raisins, and nuts; the dish is said to have originated in royal courts and is traditionally served during celebrations, according to Al Hamid Tour and Travel…