Rice on the Menu
BIBIMBAP
Bap Bistro, Sunrise
Bap Bistro
THE DISH: The fast-casual Bap Bistro centers around Korean bibimbap. A choice of white, sushi, brown or cauliflower rice crisps up in a hot stone bowl, along with customizable meats and veggies. Bap Bistro boasts a whopping 17 sauce options (Katsu mayo! Wasabi aïoli! Spicy garlic soy!), but you can’t go wrong with the classic gochujang, bursting with fermented flavor.
FISH WITH COCONUT RICE
Cafe La Trova, Little Havana
Cafe La Trova
THE DISH: Local fish of the day and sofrito get stuffed into a plantain leaf, then grilled. The rice is cooked in coconut milk and lemongrass, then mixed with shredded coconut. The dish is finished with a browned butter, pineapple, mint and lemon sauce. “This dish is the perfect example of savory with a little bit of fresh sweetness from the pineapple and coconut,” says chef-owner Michelle Bernstein. “It feels very Caribbean and has a beautifully rich yet light mouthfeel.” They also serve the Cuban classic arroz con pollo.
ARROZ CON POLLO FRITTERS
Finka Table & Tap, Kendall
Finka Table and Tap
THE DISH: Among the bar bites, arroz con pollo fritters are a play on arancini and a Latin staple. Arborio rice, chicken, peppers and mozzarella are fried into a crispy bite topped with pico de gallo. Ají amarillo, a flavorful Peruvian sauce, gets turned into a mayo to help cut the fried crust.
BHEL
Ghee, Kendall
Ghee Miami
THE DISH: Bhel, a puffed rice snack, is one of chef Niven Patel’s favorite Indian street foods. He tosses basmati rice with crispy lentils, tamarind date chutney, cilantro chutney, charred corn, charred broccoli and lots of lime juice. Smashed avocado and yellowfin tuna on top are nods to South Florida. “This dish is really a flavor explosion,” Patel says. “It’s sour, a little spicy, crunchy, a little sweet. There’s a lot of things going on in your mouth.”
CONGEE
Gold Marquess, Pembroke Pines
Gold Marquess
THE DISH: Congee, a rice porridge, is made fresh every morning, by simmering rice in water and house chicken stock. That sticky porridge is the base for several of the restaurant’s dishes, the most common being with minced pork, egg and scallions. Some guests just want to enjoy the comfort food plain with sweet, fried youtiao sticks on the side.
ARROZ CON MARISCOS
Leku, Miami
Leku Miami
THE DISH: Not to be confused with paella, arroz con mariscos varies by Spanish region. Chef Mikel Goikolea says the secret is the quality of the seafood and the seafood broth used to cook the rice. (His uses 20 Maine lobster heads.) Then he makes a squid sofrito and adds bomba de calasparra rice to fully absorb the flavors. A turn in the wood-burning oven gives it a crunch, and Goikolea finishes with prawns, squid rings and dots of garlic aïoli.
DJONDJON RICE
Manjay, The Citadel and Wynwood
Manjay Restaurant
THE DISH: The djondjon wild mushroom is native to northern Haiti. Owner Christian Dominique compares it to a truffle for its rareness and quality, and he has to buy them up from multiple Haitian stores around town. The mushrooms are dried, then boiled with garlic and Dominique’s secret spice blend. Basmati rice soaks up the flavor and color, turning the djondjon rice dish a rich black.
SEAFOOD NOODLE SOUP
Souperhappy Noodle & Sake Bar, Key West
Souperhappy
THE DISH: Opening during the pandemic, the noodle bar is rooted in housemade broths and rice noodles. The Souperhappy seafood noodle soup supercharges a Thai coconut tom yum soup by adding shrimp, squid, soft-shell crab, egg and spring onion. The whole thing is topped with a fried lobster wonton and pairs perfectly with the noodle bar’s many sakes, another of rice’s top uses.
RISOTTO AI FUNGHI
Toscana Divino, Miami
Toscana Divino
THE DISH: Acquerello rice forms the base of chef Andrea Marchesin’s risottos at Toscana Divino. Translating to “watercolor” in Italian, acquerello grows in water and is then aged, resulting in a similar taste to brown rice. Forest mushrooms and black truffle lend earthiness to the risotto ai funghi. Lunch guests might prefer a take on two Italian favorites, risotto cacio e pepe, fortified with Grana Padano.
LO MAI GAI
Minty Z, Coconut Grove
Minty Z
THE DISH: In this traditional dim sum dish, a sticky rice dumpling, usually filled with chicken or mushroom, is steamed in a lotus leaf. For their vegan take, Minty Z uses pulled jackfruit filling and also offers a fried version. “The filling has a sweet and smoky flavor, and the lotus leaf imparts an herbal aroma to the sticky rice,” says co-founder Alex Falco.
