what's up with RICE (restaurant)? - poor experience

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what's up with RICE (restaurant)? - poor experience

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cat
above average
Joined: Sep '05
Posts: 345

Subject: what's up with RICE (restaurant)? - poor experience
My friend and I went to RICE last night after having been to the DUMBO location a number of times. We ordered soups and a large Thai Curry vegetable dish to share. The curry dish SHARES the bowl with the rice (typically, in restaurants, the rice is a side dish). This seemed pretty chintzy and I don't recall it being that way at the DUMBO location. It was not a "large" portion by any stretch of the imagination.

When the waitress came over, she said "is everything okay?" (as they tend to in restaurants). My friend said "well the Large is pretty small," (or something like that) pointing to the dish. She frowned, picked up the dish and walked away. As he then said to me, "if you don't want to know, don't ask." But what kind of attitude is that? I know they only want to hear the POSITIVE, but shouldn't they know some kind of response when they hear something negative? I never feel it's worth saying anything because the chance that it gets to anyone beyond the wait staff seems slim to null. But this was just rude and, on top of the small portion to begin with, seemed like very bad restaurant practice.

thought I'd share... (how is Red Bamboo, by the way? )

cat.[/b]

# Posted 6 yrs ago
alafairnadia
radical quellist
Joined: Aug '05
Posts: 8,273

every time I've eaten at Rice, the rice comes in the bowl with the food.

that said, they always have pretty aloof waitstaff - at least that's what I've found at both the DUMBO and SoHo locations.

also, I've found that the DUMBO food isn't quite as good as the food at the SoHo location ..
like a smoked meat with an earthy youth overnote

# Posted 6 yrs ago
bifteck
above average
Joined: Sep '05
Posts: 292

Rice always serves the rice in the bowl with the food. I've eaten at the SoHo and Dekalb locations many times and that's how it's been every time. I don't know that I would call it 'chintzy,' but to each his own. That said, the waitstaff can be a little less than helpful. But I've had good experiences there for the most part.

# Posted 6 yrs ago
arZan
getting it
Joined: Nov '06
Posts: 107

the wait staff at the lex location is great.

The one at Dekalb is a little aloof and sometimes clumsy

However I like their food. For the OP to say that the rice should come seperate from the curry is like saying that shirts should always be tucked in !! Come on !
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# Posted 6 yrs ago
cat
above average
Joined: Sep '05
Posts: 345

hi there. I wouldn't mind the rice being IN the bowl - sorry if I confused issues although I did not recall it being that way in DUMBO... - if the size seemed proportionate to what a restaurant of that calibre should be serving. The size of that bowl is the size of most entrees in most restaurants -- sans rice! That was my point. Plus the rudeness of the waitress. I guess it comes on top of my own customer service experiences lately in general... most businesses do not want to hear anything 'negative' or how about... 'you could improve this by doing x, y or z...' then next thing you go by the place and it's closed! I guess it's only human nature to want to hear the positive but places should figure out appropriate responses when someone does have something negative to say...

I didn't think the curry dish was anything to write home about. I really wanted the tofu meatballs but went against my first instinct. So there you go!

cat.

# Posted 6 yrs ago
southoxford
rookie newb
Joined: Oct '06
Posts: 25

I'm not a Rice fan, which makes me really sad, because they have amazingly fast and organized delivery service. But with the exception of their pad thai, I really think their food is pretty average (and I had an indian curry there once that was TERRIBLE.) I wish there were more good take-out options in Fort Greene!

# Posted 6 yrs ago
alafairnadia
radical quellist
Joined: Aug '05
Posts: 8,273

I really wanted the tofu meatballs but went against my first instinct. So there you go!

pretty much the best dish at the restaurant - with black rice with edamame - totally rockin. (get the spicy sauce) I wish they delivered past atlantic.
like a smoked meat with an earthy youth overnote

# Posted 6 yrs ago
hill38
getting it
Joined: Oct '06
Posts: 106

I ate from there once, and it was disappointing. A yellow curry that wasn't seasoned well. Not horrible, just not memorable. But if I walk by midday there seems to be a cafe-style crowd chilling with coffee cups, so it must have a steady following for something.

# Posted 6 yrs ago
escap
expatriated
Joined: Jul '05
Posts: 1,190

The black coconut rice is really good. Otherwise, I haven't been impressed either. As for the service, it's about par for the course among the Dekalb joints, unfortunately.

# Posted 6 yrs ago
nicolamj
rookie newb
Joined: Sep '06
Posts: 45

I actually really like Rice - it's one of the few inexpensive options in the area. Sometimes I want something for dinner that clocks in at under $10 (GASP!) Although, with the addition of Smoke Joint, Burger 67, Mullane's and Bonita things are getting better in that area.

The first time I went to Rice, I asked, "How big is the small and how big is the big?" The waitress pointed out to me the three sets of bowls displayed on the back wall. The middle one is small entree and the third one is large entree. I look at these every time to decide how hungry I am.

Frankly, the Indian curry is actually my favorite dish there - it has bananas and raisins and yogurt - not the kind of thing that is traditionally served in Indian restaurants in the States, but more like what I think real Indian food should be like. (Although, I'll be the first to admit I don't know anything in this area.)

I have never noticed the service to be horrible or stellar.

# Posted 6 yrs ago
escap
expatriated
Joined: Jul '05
Posts: 1,190

Speaking of Burger 67, has anybody been there yet? I see that it is open now. Looks like a nice spot to jump into for a casual bite with some buddies or with a family.

# Posted 6 yrs ago
BklynTransplant
above average
Joined: Nov '06
Posts: 319

We brought home some takeout from Burger 67 tonight....I recommend the Parisian burger highly. My boyfriend enjoyed his cheeseburger quite a bit also and the prices were quite reasonable. Super-friendly staff also.

# Posted 6 yrs ago
bojolais
LdyNwaiting
Joined: Feb '06
Posts: 261

I love the spicy veg meatballs at Rice but I have had consistently bad service there since it opened. I find them rude and apathetic. I ended up moving from the neighborhood and certainly wouldn't make an effort to go back.. Too bad, I used to eat at the one in SoHo religiously.
-The more I see of man, the more I like dogs

# Posted 6 yrs ago
tuva spalding
what am I, new?
Joined: Dec '06
Posts: 1

cat asked: thought I'd share... (how is Red Bamboo, by the way?

Funny you should ask. My partner and I are about to move to Fort Greene and as a celebration we thought to try some of the restaurants in our new neighborhood. Since Red Bamboo has a branch in Manhattan, and we have had only positive experiences there, we thought we'd begin our adventures in dining with a known quantity.

Well, the fact that the name is the same and that both offer vegetarian food with vegan friendly options gulled us into believing that dinner would be splendid.

Wrong.

Ignoring the fact that the music was just too loud, and that the service was at best fair to poor, there was the food. The mushroom ceviche appetizer was ambitious but unfilled. I don't mind that. It shows that they were willing to experiment. The coconut "shrimp" was quite wonderful. Credit where credit is due.

However, the main courses were disastrous. Over-cooked, under-seasoned, and verging on room temperature, it was one of the worst meals I've experienced in a long, long time.

Perhaps the chef had an off night, perhaps the bartender(s) had a hearing problem (hence the volume), and perhaps the mushrooms used in the mushroon gravy were grown in too close proximity to a waste treatment plant. Perhaps we'll give it a second chance. But first impressions are hard to dispel.
Respectfully,

- tuva

# Posted 6 yrs ago