Rice Restaurant — Restaurant in Washington

Extremely over-priced. Foods are mediocre at best. If someone wants me to come back to this place he has to pay for me to do that.

I am a tourist and was looking for a nice thai restaurant in DC. Our quick search appears that this restaurant is a good choice. So we went there. As we entered we were pleased that this place was already packed with customers. Good sign. However one negative sign that I overlooked, in retrospect, was that asian:non asian customer ratio was too low. I consider high ratio is a good indicator of the quality/authenticity of asian restaurants.

I started with a tom yum soup and for the main entree I had their specialty three course thai curry meal. The tom yum soup that I had....my god...was the worst I have had so far. It was so watery and sour that I felt it was a ‘tom yum soup’ flavored vinegar. Besides liquid portion of soup, you will get a couple pieces of half mushrooms and tomatoes, and three shrimps in a small bowl. And they expect you to pay $8 + tips + 10% tax.

The three curry thing that I ordered was mediocre at best. It was initially fun to try three different types of curry. But first, in each bowl of curry, meat was not shredded or cut. It was a chunk of meat. If you plan to serve a chunk of meat, they where the heck is a knife? In asia we don’t use knife because meats are served precut so that they are already a perfect bite size. Without a knife it was extremely inconvenient to eat those meats. Also amount of rice : amount of curry ratio was low. This was $20 + tips + 10% tax.

So.. we ended up spending at least $25/person at there (I spent 31) for sub par food. You don’t even imagine how much I laughed when I found someone on google map review commented his experience “a party...

Rice serves up some classic Thai favorites in an urban chic space that emphasizes simplicity and warmth. Located in the 14th St corridor, Rice maintains the trendy, chic neighborhood vibe with its earth-toned interior and sleek, full-service bar. It can get pretty busy, so I’d recommend coming on the early-side to ensure you’re not sitting too close to any other loud patrons. The food is very good and they offer a nice array of options to pick from. They frequently have specials like a curry sampler. I’d recommend getting the Papaya salad with shrimp, Green curry with beef, and the Seafood basil. The presentation of food is tastefully done – simple and clean. The portion sizes are pretty good considering the prices. I strongly encourage you to look at the seasonal menu, so you can try some special foods. This is a great date night spot and wouldn’t be ideal for small children. There’s an outside patio with seating available for those nice weather days. They also have a small market at the entrance with lots of Thai cooking ware...

Strolling 14th and U for a place to eat dinner, we walked into many restaurants. Some were so busy that they had "frozen" the seating list (ahem, Barcelona). Others were so noisy that even an open table couldn't pull us in. Rice had immediate seating and a fine ambiance--a bit loud, but you get used to it and to having to shout a little to make conversation.

The food--excellent. I got pad thai with chicken, my fiancé got the spicy duck. We both Mmmed repeatedly throughout the meal, and were hesitant to offer the other person a second taste of our own deliciousness. The garnishing and portioning were also fine, and our waters were refilled a lot.

For two people and two dishes (no appetizers, no drinks, no desserts), we were in and out for under $20pp. Not terrible, though still a little pricy.

I'd happily recommend the place, and would certainly go back if friends invited me... otherwise I'll be checking out other great Thai...