【Foodholic Naoko @ Taipei】

"The Rice Kitchen" is located near the Science and Technology Building station, about a 5-minute walk, hidden in a narrow alley that could truly be called a secret lane. Luckily, there is a small sign at the entrance; otherwise, one would definitely not venture in there. It can be considered a hidden gem!

The shop is quite small, with just a long table that can seat 12 and a row of wall seats that can accommodate 4 more. The daily ingredients are also limited, so it is recommended to add the shop's line to reserve a seat in advance if you want to dine there. (I saw customers who showed up unannounced that day were turned away, and those who called to make a reservation also had to wait.)

"The Rice Kitchen" describes their meals as a tour of Taiwan, utilizing local high-quality rice and specialty ingredients, blending creativity and exquisite cooking methods, hoping to provide customers with a delightful dining experience.

All dishes are served as set meals, including a drink before the meal, rice, two side dishes, a type of pickled dish, a main course, soup, and dessert. There is only one type of main course available each day, so there are no options to choose from. On the day we visited, the main course was stir-fried chicken leg with dried anchovies for $400.

Pre-meal drink:
The shop refers to it as "clear rice soup on white porridge," which is a small cup of beverage made from fermented white rice and rice koji, diluted with a bit of water for those who may not be used to the fermented taste. I personally enjoyed it quite a bit; it had a sweet rice fragrance, reminiscent of drinking millet porridge!

Rice:
The shop specifically mentioned that the rice is their specialty and asked if I needed to reduce the portion. A regular bowl is quite filling, and the rice is distinctively separated, cooked to the perfect softness, making it delicious.

Side dishes:
One of the side dishes today seemed to be chrysanthemum greens (apologies, I really struggle to recognize greens), and the other was braised cabbage with tofu. The chrysanthemum greens tasted quite standard; they weren't bad, but they didn't stand out. I quite liked the seasoning of the cabbage, while I found the tofu to have a strong bean taste; I personally prefer tofu with a richer braising flavor.

Pickled dish:
This was something similar to a candied fruit, a small piece that seemed like a plum (the kind Japanese people often put in rice balls), tangy and good to eat alongside the meal to cut richness.

Main course:
The stir-fried chicken leg with dried anchovies was fragrant and very tasty, possibly because it was seasoned with basil and tiny fish. The chicken leg was tender, and the portion was alright. After finishing everything, I felt quite satisfied and full. The chef prepared each meal individually, so the main dish was served hot, which I was very pleased with.

Soup:
Unfortunately, the soup today was tomato-based, which I dare not eat. It was a clear broth made from tomatoes and beets. I only drank the soup portion; the tomato flavor wasn't too intimidating, but I didn’t eat the ingredients, so I can't really comment on them.

Dessert:
We had tofu pudding for dessert, and the shop intentionally didn’t add too much syrup, hoping customers could appreciate the bean flavor. While the bean taste was prominent, I found it delicious and not overly sweet! The shop also treated us to black sugar jelly, which was chewy and tasty, with just the right sweetness. Eating it together with the tofu pudding made for a rich texture that was oddly satisfying.

Overall, I feel that the preparation of the meals is thoughtful, highlighting the use of local ingredients, and the flavors are generally quite good, probably around an 80 out of 100. However, I personally think the prices are on the high side, making it difficult to dine here frequently. If the price were around $300-350, I would gladly give it 4.5 stars!