Rice, Apr. 3, 2005

Rice
115 Lexington Ave.

So, we welcomed the new neighbors tonight and ordered take out, the only thing they are offering at the moment.

Here's what we got:
Warm Lentil Stew
Indian Chicken Curry
Thai Beef Salad
Jerk Chicken Wings

I'll just come out and say it. The Indian Chicken Curry was the best of the four. Minus the chicken of course, the taste was very similar to a dish that my Hindu/Hare Krsna devotee friends often make. Which is as big of a compliment as I can give (they are great cooks with even better supplies of organic produce).

The lentil stew was pretty good. It was very "Mexican black-bean"-like in taste and texture. Good, but not necessary to try again until we've gotten through the other dishes they have to offer.

The Thai Beef Salad is not warm (the beef, that is) and had a nice pickled veg/greens flavor to the salad. A decent dish but have a hard time eating plain ol' iceberg lettuce - especially after being awakened to Windfall Farms (Union Sq. Greenmarket).

The jerk chicken wings were remarkably tender. Fell right off the bone. Yum. Very little heat. But tasty. The small order of these only came with 4 pieces. 2 drumsticks and 2 wings. I'll have to order the large next time (will they sell these by the dozen? Please say yes!).

Japanese rice
Basmati rice
Brown rice
Sticky rice

I honestly can't remember which rice went with what entree but they were all good except for the japanese/sushi rice. It was a little overcooked. I like the mixing and matching though of the rice/entree (your choice). I'll have to keep track of the matches from here on out.

Drinks

Warm Pear Cider
Ginger Lemonade

Both were excellent. My wife thought that the cider would be better when not eating. I have to agree. This would be just fine by itself on a late September Sunday...or today for that matter. The ginger lemonade was very good but made me want more...or more water. Good blend of ginger - not too too much of a bite.

Sides

Edamame

The only time edamame has ever traveled well (well, okay, I live across the street - so it wasn't far) but I personally have lost my love of this vegetable.

Extras

Cranberry Rice Crispy Treats in a canister

Yummmmmmmmmm!

Final Words

This does not bode well for Kelley & Ping which opened up a few months ago in the extended neighborhood. Clearly, they are different types of restaurants, but, location aside, there is nothing on the menu at Kelley & Ping that will drive me back to it - unlike the ginger lemonade, jerk wings, chicken curry and pear cider at Rice.

Very courteous/informative folks. FYI - The delivery service will extend in the near future.