Open at the crack of dawn, Rice & Shine is radiating with a mix of Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean flavors as early as 6:30 a.m.
The restaurant’s founders, UF alumni Hung Nguyen and Keeshia Escobar, first started a noodle company called ZEN in 2022. On the Rice & Shine website, they wrote this concept has been a dream of theirs from the start: to put a modern fusion twist on traditional Asian culture they grew up with.
Located at 3117 SW 34th St. in the same plaza as Enson Market, Rice & Shine began its soft opening phase on Feb. 7, which means an expanded menu will come in early March.
When I walked in, I was met by multiple welcoming servers, and the service was quick. Lantern lights and sunlight shining through the large windows created a wonderful atmosphere as pop music played overhead.
Traditional Asian dishes include Vietnamese steak and eggs and silog, a Filipino fried rice. For lunch, they serve bulgogi cheesesteak and ramen carbonara.
More out-of-the-box options include chicken and ube waffles, which consists of ube mochi waffles topped with ube glaze, crispy chicken tenders and powdered sugar.
Asian cuisine is one of my favorites, so I was excited to find this new spot blending inspiration from different regions. Its use of calamansi, a small citrus fruit found in Southeast Asia, and imported chocolate from Vietnam adds an element of authenticity.
I was especially stoked to try the coffee. I’ve only ever tried Vietnamese coffee in a can, which I know is not close to the real thing.
To get a full experience, I tried seven different items on the menu. Let’s take a look at my rankings.
7. Congee
I had heard of congee before, but I hadn’t tried it until now. Although I liked the soup-like porridge texture and salty notes, the flavors of ginger and crunchy onions on top felt a bit overpowering.
The crunchiness of the toppings mixed with the creaminess of the porridge paired nicely together. Overall, it wasn’t bad, but I did enjoy the other dishes much more. The base of the “poor man’s soup” tasted great, though.
There is an option to add egg or sausage on top of the congee, which I would add next time to counteract the strong ginger and garlic flavor.
6. Mixed greens with calamansi vinaigrette
This small side salad consisted of spring greens, cubed tomatoes, cucumber slices and shredded carrots. In Filipino culture, these vegetables are commonly paired together.
With a hint of mint and citrus from the calamansi, the vinaigrette added a sour, tart flavor to balance the bitterness of the greens.
The light vegetables mixed with the tangy vinaigrette was acidic, but I think some salt and garlic would’ve added a better depth of flavor.
I’m not going to lie. These next rankings were difficult, because every dish exceeded my expectations.
5. Japanese fluffy cloud pancake
It’s in the name, but I truly felt as if I were biting into a pillowy cloud dusted with powdered sugar. If this is what a cloud tastes like, somebody please catapult me into the sky.
Personally, I always use syrup on my pancakes, but this pancake had no need for syrup. Its slightly lemony flavor took center stage. The sweetness was well balanced with the right amount of gooeyness in the middle.
As I drank the Vietnamese coffee, I couldn’t help but notice how well the two went together.
4. Filipino silog
The si- part of the name is for garlic fried rice, while the -log represents a fried egg. The dish became a key part of Filipino cuisine in the 1980s, when a canteen owner sought to make an affordable, filling dish for her working-class guests.
My silog dish came with beef tapa, which is a thinly sliced beef marinated with ingredients like calamansi, garlic and soy sauce.
The umami flavor of the beef with the buttery texture of the egg, nuttiness of the garlic fried rice and fresh, crisp side vegetables was an incredible display of culinary mastery. I also topped it with spiced vinegar for an acidic kick.
3. Longanisa stack
When it came out, I could smell the savory, sweet and garlicky flavors. I opened my mouth wide to fit all of the elements in my mouth. The middle was tender, but the outside was crispy, similar to ham.
The sweet, tender pork sausage patty called longanisa was sandwiched between the smooth, chewy brioche bun with its beautiful buttery sheen.
The silky white fried egg and golden-brown crunchy hashbrown complemented the caramelized crust of the meat wonderfully. This is my new breakfast sandwich obsession.
2. Spam musubi benny
I cannot even begin to describe how delicious this dish was. Seriously, I can’t stop talking about it to my friends.
As someone who grew up in the Pacific Northwest, I had Hawaiian friends and traveled to Hawaii, so I was exposed to Spam musubi at an early age.
First of all, the presentation of this plate was a piece of art. A flourish of soy glaze graced the bottom with yellow, red and green colors popping off. The hollandaise and poached egg sat poised on top of a hashbrown patty wrapped in a piece of nori (seaweed).
Again, the balance of flavors was impeccable. The salty, fishy nori and plump, delicate egg complemented the dense, savory, smoky notes of the Spam. Sweet, sticky soy glaze added a syrupy finish.
1. Vietnamese coffee
This bold, nutty coffee with a note of cacao was put on my list of top ten coffees I’ve ever had. If you’ve been with me for a while, you know I am a coffee connoisseur.
Not only was this my favorite item due to the taste, but also because of the personalized experience. Usually, Vietnamese coffee is prepared in advance.
However, at Rice & Shine, they bring out a drip coffee contraption, called a phin filter. You get to watch your coffee drip from the chamber into a glass. The bean strength is equal to about three shots of espresso.
Then, you remove the contraption and have the option of mixing in your desired amount of condensed milk. I loved how I could adjust the sweetness to my personal preference and pour it over ice.
The quality of the coffee was not diminished by the milk but enhanced. The earthy, nutty punch was robust and dark.
I will no doubt be back for this again, and I highly recommend any coffee lover to try it. Heck, if you don’t like coffee, this might just be enough to convert you to the dark side.
Contact Summer Johnston at sjohnston@alligator.org. Follow her on X @summerajohnston.
