If classy Cantonese is on your event planning menu, look no further than The Rice Den in St Leonards, Sydney.
Head chefs Nelson Cheng and Roy Chan are serving up fun treats like pickled olives, soft shell crab with mung bean noodle hotpot, steamed chicken wrapped in lotus leaf, Hong Kong style French toast with maple mascarpone, and handmade cheong fun are all must-tries.
The open kitchen and bar concept invites patrons to snoop around and the drinks list includes things like Tsingtao served in bowls, exclusive ‘The Rice Den’ lager, created at The Rocks Brewery and cocktails with Asian flavours like cucumber, lychee and coriander. The site also includes a Cantonese deli selling The Rice Den’s branded sauces, teas, vinegars and more.
The interior, a collaboration between Rita Cheung, Roy Chan and Morris Selvatico, is inspired by old Canton fused with modern elements, seen in a mix of aged timbers and industrial furniture. Decoration and greenery soften the polished concrete floor, and open shelves display Asian pottery and bamboo steamers. The feature wall next to the kitchen has Chinoiserie wallpaper over the concrete-look panels that envelop the rest of the interior, giving a warm contemporary rawness with an essence of old Canton.
The venue is available for private hire or group bookings, seats 80 and can fit 100 standing.
The Rice Den is located at 30-32 Chandos Street, Saint Leonards NSW.
