The moment I walked into Big Rice, I was greeted with brilliant whitewashed walls, a jungle of potted plants and red ribbons. By the time my family and I were seated in the front corner, I couldn’t contain my smile; I’d found a restaurant with superb potential.
And I was impressed. Polished wooden tables were neatly organized around the room with sufficient amounts of spacing and black chairs. It had been a while since I visited such a clean and crisp joint.
The left wall was lined with picture frames and shelves hosting an ensemble of adorable stuffed animals. The opposite wall featured a massive illustration of rice-shaped characters dancing around the shop logo. Beside it, various K-pop music videos were projected to entertain guests and employees alike.
However, my excitement was short-lived. Most of the pictures in the initially charming menu gave me the impression that this Korean cuisine was only for display, like a local art exhibit featuring pretty seafood. Since I had no interest in the overpriced noodles and overwhelming spicy selection, I ordered a beef fried rice in an attempt to contribute to the family meal.
My hope was somewhat restored when a waitress brought over complimentary water, barley tea, appetizers and soup. According to my brother, the spicy, marinated cucumbers were weak in flavor but went down well with tea. A sweet aroma wafting from my bowl of mysterious beansprout soup provoked me into tasting it and I was surprised to find garlic and salt lingering in the soup.
It was nice to know that out of Big Rice’s mainly spicy cuisine, the soup was kind. What really stunned me into silence was the fried rice. As I normally hate onions, I was surprised to find that I could not taste it, but instead smelt a pleasant mix of well-cooked meat, corn, carrots and peas.
This small but appealing dish instigated my drooling. My expectations were suddenly high as a plate of non-spicy kimbap rolls were dropped by. This sushi-like entrée contained marinated cucumbers and radishes topped with orange fish roe and complemented by Thousand Island dressing. I hoarded most of the rolls because the combination of sour veggies, chewy rice and spices was exquisite.
They constantly refilled water and tea which proved helpful as I watched my mom and brother redden from both the spicy ramen and oncoming seafood noodles. Though the rice cakes alongside the ramen were rather fun to gnaw on, it was a bland bowl of crimson gunk. My brother, who is an oyster-lover, learned the hard way that the excessive hot sauce and over-tender meat in the other noodles devastated his taste buds.
Though Big Rice’s food left me unsatisfied, I was in love with the atmosphere and hospitality. For people like me who dislike spicy dishes, this restaurant may not be the wisest choice. I appreciate the effort they made in adding normal entrees, but the smaller portions truly did detract from the worth.
I recommend folks give it a go, but my next visit will only be for the music videos.
TCHS School Newspaper