Masala Wok has closed in Fairfax, but a new restaurant is already on its way

Masala Wok has bowed out of Virginia.

The fast-casual Indian chain closed its Fairfax restaurant at 10940 Fairfax Blvd when its lease term expired on Jan. 31, real estate broker KLNB confirmed to FFXnow.

The restaurant had occupied Suite J in Fairfax Marketplace since at least May 2009, according to its Yelp page. Masala Wok previously also had a location in Herndon that shuttered earlier in the pandemic.

With the Fairfax City restaurant gone, Masala Wok appears to have limited its reach to Texas, where it’s headquartered in Plano. FFXnow was unable to reach a company representative who could comment on its decision to leave Virginia.

Fortunately for local diners, though, Suite J in Fairfax Marketplace won’t be vacant for too long.

As shown on a site plan for the shopping center, Masala Wok will be replaced by Songbird Asian Cafe and Bar, a new concept from the owners of McLean’s New Star Asian Bistro.

“The owner of Songbird is a proven operator with a successful restaurant in McLean,” KLNB Principal Billy Kelly said. “We feel the concept will be a great addition to the Fairfax community and provide a great new restaurant option.”

Songbird will have a similar focus on classic Chinese cuisine as the existing eatery, but many dishes will be updated so they won’t “leave you feeling heavy,” according to co-owner Angela Zhang, who has been running New Star with her mom for the past 10 years.

The new restaurant is projected to open at the beginning of this fall.

“We live in the area and we feel Fairfax is really exciting right now and we can contribute something a little different,” Zhang said. “Our current restaurant is a neighborhood staple in the McLean area so we hope Songbird will also be an important part of Fairfax community.”

Hat tip to Sriram Sridharan