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Welcome to The Rice

The Rice in Foothill Ranch, CA, offers a unique dining experience with its authentic Japanese cuisine. Specializing in bowls like chirashi and donburi, the restaurant prides itself on fresh, quality fish and perfectly cooked rice. Customers rave about the salmon and hamachi bowls, as well as the unagi donburi with its smoky flavor. The place may be small, but the flavors are big and unforgettable. While some find the prices a bit high for the portion sizes, the quality of the food and the attentive service make it worth the splurge. Don't miss out on the opportunity to savor a taste of Japan at The Rice.

LOCATIONS

Welcome to The Rice, a Japanese restaurant located in Foothill Ranch, California. This hidden gem offers a unique dining experience with a focus on authenticity and quality. With a cozy seating area and outdoor seating options, The Rice provides a casual and welcoming atmosphere for customers.

Known for its fresh and flavorful dishes, The Rice offers a diverse menu that includes favorites such as beef sukiyaki, salmon aburi, chirashi bowls, and donburi bowls. Customers rave about the high-quality fish and well-made rice that accompany each dish.

One standout dish that receives high praise is the deluxe donburi, featuring premium sashimi, fatty tuna, smelt, salmon eggs, sweet shrimp, and scallop pieces. The chicken and egg donburi is also a crowd pleaser, with its tasty blend of flavors.

While prices at The Rice may be on the higher side, customers agree that the quality of the food justifies the cost. From the carefully sourced ingredients to the authentic Japanese preparation techniques, each dish reflects a commitment to excellence.

Whether you're craving traditional Japanese curry, fresh sushi, or a comforting bowl of noodles, The Rice has something for everyone. With friendly service and a focus on customer satisfaction, this restaurant has quickly become a favorite among locals and visitors alike.

So, if you're looking for an authentic Japanese dining experience in Foothill Ranch, be sure to check out The Rice. With its flavorful dishes, welcoming atmosphere, and top-notch service, this restaurant is sure to leave a lasting impression on your taste buds.

START YOUR REVIEW OF The Rice
Katherine N.
Katherine N.

Food was unique. Very interesting tasting curry. Not sure if I liked it but I can definitely say I have never had any curry like this before, super herbal tasting. Also lamb chops were good but SO SMALL!!! For the price, I was not expecting the portion to be so tiny. The chirashi bowl was good though! Good quality fish and the rice was very well made! Super super small seating area. The owner does not allow big parties. 3.5/5 Overall decent uniquely flavored food, but definitely pricey for the portion sizes. If I returned, will stick to the chirashi bowls!

Jen H.
Jen H.

Best japanese restaurant in foothill ranch,their beef sukiyaki & salmon aburi is so gooddservice always good and authentic japanese food

Long Z.
Long Z.

Do: - Get the Donburi and bluefin toro bowl! - Enjoy the miso soup that comes fresh tofu Don't: get the curry lamb chop it was too small and not a traditional curry taste The service was amazing even though they had constant flow of customers walking in. We got their speciality teas and mochi dessert to end the meal. Would definitely come back again for the bowls.

Marcia C.
Marcia C.

I really wanted poke but couldn't find parking there so I decided on going to The Rice for take out. I have to say the customer service was excellent. I'd never been there and the young lady behind the counter actually showed me pictures and explained the menu to me. I decided on the Prime Beef Steak Bento Box. The beef and rice were SO good. There were miscellaneous sides which I understand change per day maybe? I think we had mushrooms, a tiny bit of macaroni and something pickled. The sides were just okay but the meat and rice were delicious, as was the miso soup that came with it. The other order was Udon noodle soup with shrimp and scallops. I don't remember the name but it was really tasty and the portion was huge. It is a little pricey to go back to all the time but when we have extra money I wouldn't mind returning.

Katrina D.
Katrina D.

This entire meal was so amazing!! Came here with family and we ordered a bunch of stuff to share. First off the miso soup was pretty good, just your standard soup. But oh my gosh the salmon and hamachi, and unagi donburi was sooo good!! I came here like 2 months ago and I'm still thinking about it today. The salmon and hamachi bowl had some really fresh fish. The pieces of fish are so thick and I think this is really good value for $18. There was too much rice in the bowl though so the ratio wasn't the best, but the amount of fish was still a lot. My favorite was the unagi donburi bowl and the eel was so delicious!! I love the smoky flavor and the sauce paired with the eel. Again though there was way too much rice in the bowl. The kitsune udon was super light and refreshing as well! Service was super quick and food came out fast too :)

Frances G.
Frances G.

This is located in the Foothill Ranch Marketplace at the corner of Portola Parkway and Bake Parkway. Chase Mortgage is on the actual corner, but Ralphs is probably more visible or serves more as a landmark for this plaza. It's one of the rare Japanese owned and operated Japanese restaurants (there are more Korean and Chinese owned Japanese restaurants nowadays - nothing wrong with that, just an observation). The interior is small, with couple of tables and chairs that may roughly fit up to 15 people or so. There are outdoor seating as well. Personally, I think that their food is okay...tasty, but not out of this world. With that being said, I gave 4 stars for reasons below. My kid likes it, so thus, I've been here a few times. I recently came here with my kid on a Thursday around 2:30pm for a late lunch to go. Prices definitely have gone up since our last visit, as have every other restaurants'. We ordered the salisbury steak bento box ($20), the salisbury steak curry ($21), and the 8pc gyoza ($9). They do charge a 3% or 3.5% fee (sorry, don't remember) if paying with credit card. The salisbury steak burgers were tender and juicy, and went very well with the onion sauce. In fact, the burgers actually needed the sauce as they lacked a bit of seasoning for my taste. The sides change, and this time I got pickled cucumbers (tsukemono) and mac salad (came with a dressing rather than mayo). Both sides were good. The curry sauce was different from what I'm used to though. They make it from scratch using 21 different spices from India, so there's a strong flavor of those with a slight kick. Kind of like a mesh between Japanese and Indian curry. I think one reviewer said that it tasted medicinal...yeah, I see what you mean (medicinal spices: tumeric, saffron, nutmeg, ginger, etc.). I haven't tried any of their sashimi/raw stuff, but I've had a few of their other menu items like the jidori chicken and grilled salmon. A lot of their proteins are gently seasoned, and the whole menu reminds me of home cooked meals ("katei ryouri"). Everything is carefully sourced, from protein selection to using organic produce and butter, and they make a lot of their stuff from scratch like dressings and sauces. Definitely a great option if looking for something clean and healthier.

Martin M.
Martin M.

The Rice is amazing and pretty authentic! Definitely a hidden gym that is not easy to spot. Their fish bowls were so good and helped me to relive the fond memories I had of Japan! The place is super authentic, fish is super fresh. The sushi rice that comes with the meal is super good. I normally never finish the rice but I was tempted to eat all the rice here. The texture and quality of rice is A+. The name doesn't stand out, and I would have overlooked this place if not for the compliments from my friends. Give this place a try even though it's just called "The Rice" Cons: Pricey, but the quality of fish and prep is worth it! Pro-tip: They charge a 3% fee for using credit cards or gift cards. So either bring cash to pay or use a debit card to avoid the 3% fee.

Kelly C.
Kelly C.

Pricey but the quality is there. The deluxe donburi is the best. They put premium sashimi in the bowl. The tuna is like the fatty tuna. They put smelt and salmon eggs. The sweet shrimp and scallop pieces are good. No complaints here. Every time that I got this deluxe bowl, I have been happy. The chicken and egg donburi was good. Very tasty. Seating is limited but we never had to wait too long for a table. Don't forget to try the soy sauce spray! HAPPY SASHIMIING!!

Timmy S.
Timmy S.

There's no reason to travel to Japan or even Little Tokyo when you can get authentic Japanese food right here in Foothill Ranch. This small shop makes various dishes that taste authentically Japanese...because they ARE. Aside from the food the cooks and staff are Japanese and offer uniquely friendly Japanese hospitality. Even though most of their business looks to be takeout it's a popular place with limited seating. The interior only has four tables with a couple outside. It's a good idea to call and make a reservation on a weekend night if you plan to come with the family otherwise you may find yourself waiting. I ordered the curry pork dish and my wife got a beef bowl that came with miso soup. The curry was incredible. They create it using a secret mix of spices. The pork pieces were tender and delicious and a small salad was fresh with a vibrant dressing on the side. You'd expect a place named The Rice would have some good rice on the plate and they most certainly deliver. You're not going to find better prepared rice anywhere outside of Japan. A couple bites of my wife's beef bowl allow me to say that one is a winner too. The beef is so tender and flavorful. The Rice is located in a Ralphs shopping plaza that I go to multiple times each week and have overlooked until now. Big mistake on my part. This is going to be a spot I frequent often from now on.