The Rice Den
The Rice Den used to be situated in Chatswood, and I remember it quite fondly. It has since moved to St Leonards, a mere couple-minutes walk from the station. Instead of being a hole-in-the-wall place competing with all the other eateries, it has expanded to quite a nice, roomy neighbourhood gem. The menu has changed accordingly - finer foods at a higher price point, with a decent cocktail list.
The cuisine is modern Cantonese - think Hong Kong style food but with more of a mainland swing.
This citrusy, boozy number bears the name of my hometown, so of course I had to try it. I don't taste anything particularly Shanghainese about it, but it is pretty delicious. I can't even remember what was in it! It must have made me happy and blurred my memory.
A simple dish of shitake mushrooms and garlic chives, this dish immediately won me over. I don't know how, but The Rice Den has managed to make an entirely vegan dish taste taste so umami and satisfying that I would happily turn vegan if all vegan food were like this (Shameless Plug: stay tuned for next weekend's edition of Amber Tries - I'm going to go vegan for a week!). A perfect little Chinese taco of happiness.
Oh it's only a tiny bowl of shrimp and pork soup, but it is hands down the best hot and sour soup I have ever had. Rich, deep and with that signature vinegary tartness, this is the ultimate appetiser. Perfect on its own or mixed with rice, it may be a bit of an acquired taste, but it's definitely worth a try.
The absolute star of the night, this is a modern twist on an old seafood favourite. Usually, we cook mud crabs like this: heavily sauced with mung bean noodles to soak up all that deliciousness; but The Rice Den has taken things to a whole new level: they use softshell crab, so you can enjoy the deliciousness without having to battle shells. And it is fucking wonderful.
The softshell crabs are crispy and satisfying; the mung bean noodles are so flavourful, having soaked up all the pork and soy flavour - it is on the slightly salty side so some rice is definitely recommended, but oh, I could eat this all day.
Ok, I am a tad annoyed at this dish. Instead of calling it for what it is, they invented some fancy name for the dish: Canton style barbeque pork neck with molasses and honey glaze. I had imagined something totally different, and I was deeply disappointed when they brought out char siu. I thought - you've got to be kidding me.
Upon tasting the char siu, however, I must admit I was delighted. Much leaner and sweeter than the normal (and cheaper) char siu you'd get at a Chinese BBQ place, this is probably the best char siu I have ever had. It also happens to be the most expensive, but I'll forgive them. The meat is dense, rich and perfectly lean without being dry; and the honey glaze is heavenly. This is char siu at its best.
Score: 4.5 / 5
I make no secret of the fact that despite being of Chinese background, I am no fan of Chinese food. Apart from Shanghainese soup dumplings, I almost never actively seek out Chinese food. The Rice Den is an exception. I'd happily go again - maybe I'll get a big group and have their banquet next!
Price: a tad pricey for Chinese food, but not unreasonable - especially considering the quality.
Address: 30-32 Chandos St, St Leonards
Website: http://thericeden.com.au/
The cuisine is modern Cantonese - think Hong Kong style food but with more of a mainland swing.
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| Shanghai Sling, $18 |
This citrusy, boozy number bears the name of my hometown, so of course I had to try it. I don't taste anything particularly Shanghainese about it, but it is pretty delicious. I can't even remember what was in it! It must have made me happy and blurred my memory.
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| Mushroom Pancakes, $11 (or $5.50 a piece) |
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| Hot and Sour Soup, $9 |
Oh it's only a tiny bowl of shrimp and pork soup, but it is hands down the best hot and sour soup I have ever had. Rich, deep and with that signature vinegary tartness, this is the ultimate appetiser. Perfect on its own or mixed with rice, it may be a bit of an acquired taste, but it's definitely worth a try.
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| Crispy soft shell crab on a bed of mung bean noodles, $29 |
The softshell crabs are crispy and satisfying; the mung bean noodles are so flavourful, having soaked up all the pork and soy flavour - it is on the slightly salty side so some rice is definitely recommended, but oh, I could eat this all day.
 |
| Canton style barbecue pork neck with molasses and honey glaze, $23 |
Ok, I am a tad annoyed at this dish. Instead of calling it for what it is, they invented some fancy name for the dish: Canton style barbeque pork neck with molasses and honey glaze. I had imagined something totally different, and I was deeply disappointed when they brought out char siu. I thought - you've got to be kidding me.
Upon tasting the char siu, however, I must admit I was delighted. Much leaner and sweeter than the normal (and cheaper) char siu you'd get at a Chinese BBQ place, this is probably the best char siu I have ever had. It also happens to be the most expensive, but I'll forgive them. The meat is dense, rich and perfectly lean without being dry; and the honey glaze is heavenly. This is char siu at its best.
Score: 4.5 / 5
I make no secret of the fact that despite being of Chinese background, I am no fan of Chinese food. Apart from Shanghainese soup dumplings, I almost never actively seek out Chinese food. The Rice Den is an exception. I'd happily go again - maybe I'll get a big group and have their banquet next!
Price: a tad pricey for Chinese food, but not unreasonable - especially considering the quality.
Address: 30-32 Chandos St, St Leonards
Website: http://thericeden.com.au/
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