Rice Theory — Restaurant in Sacramento

I popped in to Rice Theory on a whim, praying that they wouldn't be sold out of their offerings. I arrived around 11:30 and there was a short line, and their case was about half full. Huzzah! My timing was perfect.

I decided to try a few items and ordered enough for 4-5 people which came to about $100.

We tried the: -Unagi musubi -Spam and egg musubi -Spicy salmon inari -Garlic ponzu ahi inari -Spicy crab salad inari -Egg salad inari -Spam and bacon onigiri

First impressions are that they are generous with their protein to rice ratios! I was worried it was going to be mostly rice, but everything was balanced and their sushi rice was well seasoned. Each inari is filling, so I think 2-3 a person is enough to satiated. The musubi was perfect for breakfast the next day. The onigiri was so yummy, my little one was really into it. I really enjoyed everything, but my favorite inari was the spicy salmon. Each item was under $5 and given the quality of the food is well worth it. They had kurobota sausage hand rolls and a smoked salmon and cream cheese onirigi which I didn't try.

The space isn't designed to be a sit and eat, it is definitely a grab and go kind of place so plan accordingly. They are also located in a busy strip mall with a terrible parking lot, so be aware! Next time I may park on the street, as it started to get crowded by the time I was...

I'm a big fan of Inari and Cifantuan 糍飯糰 (Stuffed sticky rice roll). When I heard Rice Theory served these items, I made time to visit on Sunday morning as soon as they were opened to pick up these yummy snacks. It's a small shop located on Freeport Blvd., across from Oto's Marketplace. I think they have two small table inside for now. Most customers do take-out. They're currently open from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm (or until sold out) on Wednesday to Sunday according to their IG page.

Salmon Inari is probably my favorite. It's lemony with a hint of spicy. I can eat several of these if we are not counting calories. LOL! Unagi Inari comes second. It's kind of a staple for Japanese cooked fish. Ahi Tuna Inari was a bit too salty for me. It could be from the seaweed but still good! I would skip the Egg Salad Inari, but it's your jam - go for it.

The Kurobuta Sausage sticky rice roll was so good! I can picture myself picking up a bunch of these for a hike or picnic. It's a no mess and well-stored snack/carb!

They also have herbal teas with many health benefits. Be warned that they're not sweeten with bitter taste, but that's how they are supposed to be.

I'm already planning my next visit and what I'll be ordering. I am thrilled to have this little gem in Sacramento and not have to travel to the...

At the time of writing this review, this place definitely has potential, however the food needs quite a bit of work.

The atmosphere felt lively and everyone was very nice and welcoming.

The food on the other hand is where they need a lot of improvement especially for how much they're charging. For example, the filling for the salmon onigiri was just basic salmon with some sour cream. Flavor was very basic, nothing special. I actually tasted the sour cream more than the actual salmon. Rice was seasoned with Furikake and wrapped with a very small trimmed strip of nori which is fine, but I wished the Nori seaweed would wrap the entire rice ball similar to how it's done in Japan. The plastic wrapping the onigiri was slightly difficult to open and hold. While not the end of the world, definitely an area worth considering improving on to make it easier to open and to hold the onigiri while eating, so your hands won't get all dirty and oily.

The Kurobuta Sausage and Shrimp Tempura rolls were also nothing spectacular. The Kurobuta sausage roll was extremely disappointing, as you tasted mostly the sausage and none of the complementing ingredients. The shrimp tempura roll also felt very generic and boring.

Overall vibe and service is good, but the food definitely needs...