02/16/07

Go somewhere else.

by newnycgirl

My boyfriend and I went to Rice on Valentine's Day and were extremely disappointed with the overall experience. We were seated promptly but then waited 20 minutes before the waitress greeted us...mind you we were one of 4 occupied tables at the time. The menu looked interesting, but the food was definitely not what we were expecting. The sticky rice and salmon tasted old, the chicken was rubbery, and our lemongrass salad came with iceburg lettuce (the menu stated mixed greens). Our drinks tasted waterdowned at best. The only redeeming quality was the black rice was pretty good. I do not recommend Rice on Lexington Ave. to anyone. If you're in the neighborhood - go somewhere else.

New Yorkers travel the world in the name of the grain.

by Justin Hartung

In Short
The minimalist brick-and-steel decor of the massively popular, original Soho location has carried over to its offshoots in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Tribute gets paid to the restaurant's namesake with 10 kinds of rice and accompanying sauces that border-hop through pan-Asian, Mexican, Italian and Middle Eastern cuisines. Rounding out the menu are a few special entrees, salads with a choice of seven dressings, and unusual sides like edamame humus and Malaysian jerky.

08/28/06

Yum Yum

by kerrita

My boyfriend and I went to Rice as a spur-of-the-moment stop on Saturday night. The waitstaff may actually have been zombies dressed as New Yorkers, but no matter. My salmon salad was outstanding. He had the Vietnamese soup, which he said was bland, but his mom's from Saigon, so he's a harsh judge. Cheap, fun, delicious. We'd go back to the empty nabe just to eat at Rice.

• Pros: Great atmosphere, creative and good food
• Cons: Lame waitstaff, kitchen closes early

02/21/06

cheap food, that's it

by stilastar

Went there on Saturday night with a couple of friends and I could not have been more disappointed. The food was bland as could be, which is weird because it's supposed to be known for its spices, but maybe that was just left out of the food? Our shrimp balls had this weird little dried up shrimp inside, like it was an experiment gone wrong. The pad thai was limp, not to mention had no flavor and not too many ingredients besides the big fettucini noodles. The only dishes that were good were the chicken kebob (not hard to make) and the desserts, which were rice pudding. Oh, and the waitress acted like serving us was the last thing she wanted to be doing. I am telling you if the food wasn't cheap and the bill pretty low I would've been pissed.

12/12/05

NIce but, not all it's hyped up to be

by qtgurljny

I've read very good reviews on restaurant sites for Rice but, was severly disappointed after trying it. All the items on the menu sound very interesting and appetizing but, lack somewhat in taste. Had the butternut squash soup, house salad, chicken satay, and two other dishes. The only one I really enjoyed were the Shrimp Rice Balls. Although Rice scores low on food, the decor and attentive service are both excellent. Give it a go but, don't go in with high expectations.