New shops open in Annandale

Annandale has recently gained some new retail outlets with the opening of a two-story shopping center on Annandale Road between Little River Turnpike and Maple Place. Does anyone know what used to be in that spot? The Annandale blogger doesn’t remember. All but one of the stores are Korean, and none of the people working there had a solid command of English, at least the day I visited.

A variety store with only signs in English offers the same mix of items one usually finds in Korean stores in this area: large boxes of ginseng, bags of herbs, baby clothes, cute Korean children’s outfits, boxes of “diet plums” and onions, tea sets, various small appliances, and cosmetics.

The Hello Fancy store carries toys, shoes, and a variety of Hello Kitty items, like notebooks and dolls. There’s also the Great Custom Tailor and a Korean Restaurant still under construction called Gom Tang. The upper level has Mina & Mimi’s hair salon and several vacant spots for lease.

The one non-Korean venue is Tikal, a Guatemalan restaurant and bakery, open daily 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Among the more interesting items on the menu are an appetizer called Enchiladas Guatemaltecas, open-faced crispy corn tortillas topped with mixed vegetables, chicken, beets, cabbage, tomato sauce, broiled sliced eggs, onions, and parmesan cheese ($2.75) and the Tipico Tikal entrée, consisting of a grilled New York steak with two eggs any style, beans, plantains, baked potato, homemade cheese, and a side salad ($14.95).

Filling out the menu are various shrimp, chicken, and steak entrees; sandwiches; burgers; fajitas; ceviche with shrimp; tacos; tostados; pasta; soup; and various fruity milkshakes including melon and papaya. Among the breakfast selections, the Desayuno Guatemalteco ($8.95) comes with two eggs, refried beans, fried plantain, homemade cheese, hashbrowns, and coffee. The bakery counter offers several types of bread, rolls, and pastries.