Rice K — Restaurant in New York

I just moved to the area and was excited about all the food options. Rice K gets pretty decent reviews, so I gave it a try. I got the pork katsu dinner bento (pork katsu, california roll, 3 shumai, 3 gyoza, soup, salad), fried oyster appetizer, fried chicken wings. I ordered for pick up and arrived early, so that the food would be perfectly hot when I got it. Food came out about 5 minutes after I arrived. I would say the only really hot food I got when I got home were the chicken wings. Everything else was warm at best.

The chicken wings were about the only thing that was good about the meal. There were basic chicken wings. Floured and fried. Pretty standard fare you could get at any Chinese takeout joint. Nothing to complain about here, but also nothing to rave about either.

The fried oysters were something I was excited about. One of my favorite things. I got them from Watawa a couple weeks ago and they were pretty good, so I was excited to see what Rice K offered. The oysters were definitely not fresh. Probably from a can or container, preshucked, or even pre-frozen. The breading wasn't that crispy but I'll give them the benefit since I got takeout. All in all I would give it a 3.5 out of 10. Additionally, there was no sauce for me to dip them in. What gives?

Lastly was the bento. The miso soup was bland and flavorless. I would suspect they used instant miso soup that came from a box. At least that's what it tasted like. The salad was basically lumps of nearly white iceberg lettuce, some "greens" and sprigs of carrot with a ginger dressing that wasn't very good. The shumai and gyoza were definitely pre-made frozen that you'd buy at the asian grocery. Not even worth eating to be honest, unless you like that sort of thing. California roll was eh. If it's any indication of their other sushi, i would stay FAR away. Lastly, the pork katsu was dry and overcooked. It's a skinny thin piece of pork. I'd say a quarter inch at its thickest part. It was dry, tough, and a bit chewy. Basically, the entire bento was a waste of money.

In summary, the chicken wings are decent. Nothing else seems to be cooked from scratch. You're better off going to an Asian grocery and buying frozen and cooking it yourself. You'll save...

UPDATE: I'm highly offended and disappointed by how you responded to my disappointing experience at your restaurant. I understand you want to defend the fact that the food wasn't up to par, and the drink was watery. As I mentioned in the previous review, the server was courteous; however, she did NOT come to our table 10 times. Your description of how we were at the restaurant was over exaggerated and honestly, it teeters on defamation of character. I've always had empathy for servers, so I tipped the server in the range suggested, so that her pay may be fair and balanced. The fact of the matter is, you had customers in your establishment that wasn't pleased and instead of hearing the critiques, and empathizing with your patrons, you prefer to attack us. PATRONS BEWARE!!!!! THIS COULD BE YOU!!!

Original Review: My family and I went there this past Wednesday because we had a taste for Hibachi and were trying to find a place with good reviews. Unfortunately, you can't always go by someone else's experience. Besides the wonton soup, the food was extremely disappointing that we literally took the rest of it home, to eventually throw out later. Not to mention, they nickel and dime you for everything. Service: The server was nice. She made our drinks. Although the restaurant was fairly empty, she took a long time bringing the drinks. My daughter and sister's specialized drink was good to them; however, I only ordered Tito's with a little cranberry and a splash of seltzer. How can you mess that up? It was absolutely watery, that you couldn't taste anything but all the ice that was put in it. I shared with the server how displeased I was, and she didn't care. She made it clear that I was gonna be charged for the drink, so she supposedly added more liquor to an already watery drink. We spent over $120 for a...

First off, don’t get the General Tso’s chicken or Chicken with Brocolli. Sure, it might look appetizing from the photos they have online, but it wasn’t good at all. I’ll say the miso black cod was decent and also the truffle steak appetizer.

Apart from that, the atmosphere wasn’t the best (it’s always been really dim but I didn’t realize how dim it was until I went inside) and also the high chairs aren’t really the best height for people under 5’10. Felt really low from the table.

The servers weren’t really as welcoming as I’d hope either.

UPDATE: Hello, I expected them to at least say hello back when I said hello and respond back with some courtesy when I said how are you. At the very least… I have no reason to lie and I am telling the truth.

You’re right, I could’ve asked for a better seat, but I didn’t. I reviewed the restaurant based on my initial seating. To switch seats is somewhat of an inconvenience when you’re already situated at your table. Also, I actually got those dishes because they were your top sellers… so if I will elaborate further, the chicken & broccoli tasted of the same quality as something you’d get from Dragon & Phoenix on Ditmars Blvd. which is primarily a takeout place. Very soft, lacking structure, and just off putting with every bite. The General Tso’s chicken had too much batter as well, with some bites feeling too soggy and mushy.

I’ve lived in Astoria for more than 25 years, and have passed by your restaurant very often and wondered if it was a good place to eat. I’m here to tell you it wasn’t the best.

Yesterday was Friday, which wasn’t a weekend. You claim it’s supposed to be a weekend vibe, but it wasn’t even the weekend. I suppose you might not like my review but it’s an honest one.

Have a good rest...