The Rice Den
The Rice Den in St Leonards is North Sydney’s newest hotspot for lunch and dinner, where authentic Cantonese flavours and traditional techniques are given an accessible and modern twist. The Rice Den team has evolved the restaurant from its previous incarnation in Chatswood to create a relaxed yet refined atmosphere around a menu of contemporary yet composed dishes. The focus is on farm-to-table food, classic cocktails and unique craft beers and wine which we recently had a chance to sample.
On our visit, we decided to try some of the ‘House Made Small Eats’. First was the interestingly titled Drunken Queensland King Prawn with chilli, Sichuan pepper and peanut – a mouth-watering must-try. The Rice Wine Cured Ocean Trout followed and came with pickled fennel, ginger and soy sauce – another must-try!
The ‘Bigger Eats’ menu came with an even more mouth-watering selection ranging from Lightly Fried Calamari to Crispy Soft Shell Crab. We tried two dishes: the Tea Smoked Chicken Salad (rice sheets, peanut sesame, soy dressing, and Chinkiang vinegar) and the Steamed Cone Bay Barramundi Fillet (ginger, shallot, soy sauce). We found the meal to be greatly filling and highly satisfying.
The Rice Den brings a cool new vibe to the St Leonards community. One thing you’ll notice if you ever visit the restaurant is the open kitchen and bar which allows you to watch the preparation and execution of each menu item. The Rice Den is perfect for a tasty takeaway lunch bowl, a date night spot, or sitting down to a lively dinner with friends.
The Rice Den
30-32 Chandos St, St Leonards