Rice Box Kitchen is more than an amazing new local restaurant. Rice Box Kitchen is an entire vibe. Right when you walk in the door you know you are in a thing. You are in something. You are transported to cool, urban, local artist mural on the wall aesthetic fabulousness complete with some out of this world amazing food. You feel, in one word, lucky to have stumbled upon this gem in our very own Reno, Nevada.
The motto of Rice Box Kitchen is “Eat, drink, gossip.” And the space calls out for you to do just that. Founder and head cook Perapol makes it feel like a family gathering, but the fun kind where you dish over the main dish and everyone high fives at the end because it was just that awesome. Perapol is a new local icon of style and grace, this I can tell, a self taught cook and in his own words, “the foodie and ‘head-gossip’ behind Gossip Kitchen in San Francisco. Rice Box Kitchen was born from my desire to bring a little SF to Reno.” His energy, along with his passion for food and community, is a vital part of Rice Box Kitchen and Reno is lucky to have him!
Rice Box Kitchen is just what Reno needs after a year or more of living that COVID life. It opened about 7 weeks ago and now that we can all emerge like the butterflies we are, we may as well make the most of it and have this life be all that we want it to be, right? Starting with an amazing meal, with friends yes, or even alone because I am all about that life of show up, enjoy, make friends as you go along if that is where you are at.
From their website, Rice Box Kitchen creates “simple Asian-inspired comfort food that will make you smile. Fresh ingredients are prepared each day and cooked day-of. Our dishes are made with organic chicken, pork, and tofu and we offer gluten free options. Each dish is packed with flavor and amazing fragrance, served in box so you can take it on the go! In an effort to be as eco-friendly as possible, Rice Box Kitchen uses green to-go boxes to help minimize our environmental impact.”
The menu is simple and beautiful. The KHAO MUN GAI was recommended to me and it just about changed my life. It is “poached chicken skinless chicken thigh over coconut, ginger and garlic rice served with soybean chili sauce.’ DAMN, right? It was so beautiful. The word pure just kept coming to my mind because that is what it was. It was clean, it felt like both a treat and a healthy decision, and it made me feel happy. Food is happiness, after all. It is something we need, yes, but it should also be something we enjoy. You can tell at Rice Box Kitchen, and with Parapol, food is a passion.
And, ummm, can we talk about the rice? Because you need to know that the rice at Rice Box Kitchen is not just rice. It is a transcendental experience. I have never had rice like this, and I am sorry other rice, now I may be spoiled. I might be emotionally attached to the rice from Rice Box Kitchen. It is just that good!
I also enjoyed, beyond measure, the refreshing, sweet and again, pure iced tea. Everything on the menu, hands down, looks and sounds amazing and from what I have sampled so far, it just has to be.
I am not exaggerating when I say that the homemade gluten free guava mochi bars are the best things I have ever eaten in all of my days. I wanted to buy them all and give them to people on the street for free like throwing roses or candy in a parade. They were that glorious. They deserve to be praised and shared. I will be back later this week, with my daughter, and we will not hold back on devouring the mochi bars. She will be absolutely wild about them!
Please appreciate the photos, but they do not do the food justice. As time goes on I will hopefully become a better food photographer, or at least learn to photograph before I start eating, but forgive me because I could not wait this time!
For more information on Rice Box Kitchen, check out their website. And if you are hungry right now, head on over - what are you waiting for? All of my stars for Rice Box Kitchen, if I had the power to give stars.