Grain of Rice — Restaurant in Lewis Farms

I expected this new local business to be at least 3-stars, but unfortunately I think it's only 3-stars at most.

The Peaches and Shrimp were a little weak. The batter was soft and there wasn't anything special about it. Unfortunately, I've had much better elsewhere at a comparable price.

The OG Bowl came out next. Fried rice, gai lan, and scallops. The scallops were terribly small and the gai lan was lacking - barely any actually. They were cut so small you thought they were green onions in your food.

Two moments too late later, the Beef and Rice Noodles arrived. The beef was over-cooked and the dish overall was too greasy. Unfortunately another miss.

Aside from the food, I'm not a big fan of their "don't tip" concept for two reasons:

It felt awkward to not tip for someone's service. They mention that it's because of their already-market-priced meals, but a tip isn't meant to replace that - it's a monetary "high five" for the customer service received. It's the big "Thank You!" at the end that we, consumers, give to show our gratitude.

As a business owner, the tip should provide a gauge of customer service temperature. Poor service = small tip, better service = bigger tip. As a business owner, I would want to evaluate how my staff are doing vs how many people have come through the door vs leftover food, and how or if the tips directly affect or relate to any of those variables.

At any rate, if you can wait for this new business to gain some experience and "pan out" their meals, I'd wait. They are in a great location and I'm sure they'll find ways to...

I was very excited to see this show up in our neighborhood. I decided to take my wife there for lunch and see what it was all about. When we arrived there was only two other tables occupied in the restaurant. After placing our order 20 minutes had passed before we even saw our drinks. I can tell already that service was going to be an issue. After another 15 minutes had passed I noticed the table that came in after us receive their appetizer. Now 35 minutes after placing our order I headed back to the till to cancel ours. The lady begged us not to and said it would only be 5 more minutes. Upon returning to my table I had noticed that the other table had returned their appetizers as it was Ice Cold Spring Rolls. The five minutes that was promised had now become closer to 15 and the spring rolls arrived. They were hot but they were all rapper. The Filling inside wasn't much thicker than the diameter of a pencil. Now we were coming up to an hour when we finally received our lunch. Sitting there for the 50-plus minutes watching pure chaos behind the counter and in the kitchen my expectations were low. The dish itself looks to be good but had zero flavor. My wife's soup was so so. I really hope the owners of this restaurant take this constructive criticism seriously has word of mouth will travel and this restaurant will be closed within 6 months if they don't turn something around. For lunch that was over $50 for two people it was very disappointing. The service and wait time was horrible and the food matched the service...

To everyone whining about the prices here, let me enlighten you. If you're expecting stereotypical greasy Chinese diner food for dirt-cheap prices, you're in for a rude awakening. News flash: everything's gotten more expensive. $60 for dinner for two is not outrageous. Maybe it's time to drop the colonizer mindset that ethnic food, especially Chinese, should be super cheap.

I adored the Treasury and was thrilled to hear the same family is behind this restaurant (still bummed it burnt down). Grain of Rice stands out because they pay a living wage and discourage tipping, source their meats locally, and keep the menu small (about 20 items) to ensure freshness. This isn't your typical Chinese joint with 100+ items, including "burgers and fries" to cater to the masses.

Now, let's talk food. My favorite dish is Beef Chow Fun (rice noodles), and I had it here. I'm super picky about beef, and often the consistency around Chinatown is way too chewy for my liking. But here? The beef was super tender and fresh. I'm definitely a fan, though I'd prefer it a little less sweet.

Kudos to the family and business owners for daring to modernize and be more ethical and environmentally conscious. But it's complainers like you, griping about prices and portions, who make it hard for other Asian restaurants to follow suit. You moan about the service at typical Asian places, but hey, you get what you pay for with cheap food and huge portions from servers who barely speak English.

Definitely give this local...