The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement

Just Open: Rice Den, St Leonards

Loren Smith

Inside the Rice Den, St Leonards.
Inside the Rice Den, St Leonards.Supplied

Our appetite for mod-Asian dining seems insatiable with the opening of new Cantonese-inspired joint the Rice Den.

It has evolved from its modest Chatswood origins to a new, casually sophisticated space in St Leonards.

Head chefs Nelson Cheng and Roy Chan have crafted a menu full of playful tweaks on traditional Chinese dishes. Think pickled olives, soft-shell crab with mung bean noodle hotpot ($24), roast duck breast, savoy cabbage, chilli and leek plum sauce ($25), or, for something sugary, Hong Kong-style French toast with dulce de leche, peanut crumble and mascarpone ($14).

Hong Kong-style French toast with dulce de leche, peanut crumble and mascarpone.
Hong Kong-style French toast with dulce de leche, peanut crumble and mascarpone.Supplied
Advertisement

The thirsty among us are rewarded with piquant cocktails, such as The Rice Den, a mix of spiced rum, orgeat syrup, honey, ginger, pineapple and lime ($17), the king of Chinese beers, Tsingtao, served in bowls, and a bespoke beer, Rice Den lager, brewed at The Rocks Brewery ($15).

The stylised interior features ornamental ceramics displayed on distressed timber cabinets, graphic Chinoiserie wallpaper, bamboo stepladders and lush ferns.

In keeping with au courant dining design, patrons can glimpse into the open kitchen.

Soft-shell crab and mung bean noodles.
Soft-shell crab and mung bean noodles.Supplied

Open for lunch and dinner, the owners hope to cater for the after-work crowd as well as buzzy-eatery deprived locals, who've previously had to amble over to Crows Nest for their fusion fix. We say long live the pan-Asian delicacy dispersal.

Advertisement

Open Tue-Thu 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-9.30pm; Fri 11.30am-3pm, 5.30pm-11pm; Sat 5.30pm-11pm; Sun 11.30am-3pm, 5pm-9pm.

The Rice Den, 30-32 Chandos Street, St Leonards, thericeden.com.au

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.

Sign up

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement