Rice

Located on a short block on 28th street, Curry Hill is home to several Indian restaurants, one of which is not entirely so but rather, a hodgepodge of different ethnicities united by one common theme. That is, rice. The concept of the restaurant is very interesting, as entrees are served with a choice of rice among 10 different types. Lebanese, Jasmine, Bhutanese, Green/Parsley, just to name a few. All are quite tasty, and exude a specific aroma. For the penny pinchers, price points are more than reasonable. The space is also timingly reminiscent of scenes in Slumdog Millionaire, with the straw rice bags as light covers hanging above the small wooden tables.

Restaurant: Rice
Rating: ♔


We started off with a pitcher of mojito for the table. Many restaurants typically add too much sugar in their drinks, and I was pleasantly surprised by a slight hint of sweetness in Rice's mojito.

For starters, we ordered the Lotus root chips with spicy mayo sauce, which were delightfully crunchy. The spicy mayo warmed up our palates, preparing us for our next dish, Spinach riceballs.The riceballs were lightly fried and served with salsa. The rice balls were cooked well, but the combination with the salsa didn't seem like the best choice.

Next, we shared a large order of the Vegetarian meatballs, my absolute favorite dish, on a side of green rice. The "meatballs" are essentially creamy tofu balls served with a hot sauce that might burn your tongue if you're not careful. The green rice was infused in spinach and parsley to get its beautiful forest green color. I highly recommend this dish.

My friend ordered the Jerk chicken wings on a bed of Lebanese rice, which is so deliciously buttery. The rice is cooked in butter, along with crunchy bits of vermicelli tossed into the combination.

Rice has a large variety of entrees, ranging from ratatouille and baked chili beans to Indian curry and jerk chicken wings. The restaurant certainly introduces a very interesting concept, and would be a great place for friends to catch up over a casual, cozy dinner. One last of piece of advice: Gobble up the rice crispies, but stay away from the affogato :)



Rice
115 Lexington Avenue
NY, NY 10016
(212) 686-5400
www.riceny.com