I'm picky when it comes to sushi. Until last week, I had discovered only two local restaurants where it is prepared the way I like it. Now there are three.
Rice Boxx, a new restaurant in Rivermont, offers fresh Asian cuisine, including a wide selection of raw and cooked sushi. If sushi is not your dish, the menu has dozens of other selections. Unless you have an idea of what you want to order ahead of time, perusing the lengthy menu can be time-consuming. I suggest getting a takeout menu to study before your visit.
THE MENU
The menu offers Japanese, Chinese and Thai dishes, something for everyone who likes Asian food.
There are soups, hot and cold appetizers, sushi, salads, Chinese wok entrees, hibachi grill entrees, noodles and rice, dessert and a "Healthy Food" category that includes steamed items. The sushi listings include the obligatory note that "consuming undercooked fish or shellfish may pose a health risk."
Unlike some fast-food restaurants, the kids menu at Rice Boxx offers truly healthy choices such as chicken with broccoli, steamed shrimp and teriyaki chicken. You won't find chicken nuggets here. The entrees are served with rice and sweet carrots.
I was impressed by the number of appetizers. The menu's 18 selections ranged from a spring roll ($1.10) to eight chicken wings ($4.50) to a bowl of edamame, my favorite, ($3.25).
The order (for two): Edamame (soybeans), seaweed salad and sushi for me; hibachi chicken and steak for my dining partner.
The thing I like about appetizers is that it gives you time to munch lightly on something while engaging in conversation with your lunch friends. Unfortunately, this time, the appetizer was brought out after my salad. It was nonetheless tasty -- not too much salt as is often the case at other restaurants. The seaweed salad ($3.98), served over iceberg lettuce, was delicious.
The sushi was good. I ordered the Maki lunch special that consists of three rolls for $9.95. According to the menu, it's served with Miso soup, though none was brought to me. I ordered a Philadelphia roll, a cucumber roll and, new to me, a mango shrimp roll, which is now one of my favorites. The mango adds an incredible amount of flavor to the roll.
My lunch partner let me sample her Hibachi chicken and steak ($7.99), served with rice and mixed vegetables, and it was delicious. Hibachi is made with soy sauce. The additional choice, teriyaki, is prepared with teriyaki sauce. It was served with a tasty sweet mustard-base sauce.
IF YOU GO* Where: Rice Boxx, 3600 Hixson Pike, Suite 104 (Rivermont Shopping Center).* Phone: 305-0855.* Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.* Price range: $1.10 (spring roll)-$12.50 (fusion roll).* Alcohol: Beer, wine and sake.
THE SERVICE
The staff was friendly and helpful but not very organized, which led to some minor issues. In addition to the appetizer being served after the salad, I was brought the wrong order of sushi. That mistake was not corrected until 10 minutes after my lunch partner's entree was served. It took three requests to get my iced tea. I'm letting these annoyances slide, though, since the restaurant had just opened and the employees are still likely working out the kinks.
THE SPACE
Rice Boxx is in a strip mall that also houses a grocery store, drugstore, smoke shop, pool hall, discount store and pizza restaurant. There's nothing fancy about its storefront. Once you walk in, however, you'll be pleasantly surprised. The restaurant is much bigger than it appears from the front. It's not crowded and has comfortable booths, tables and good lighting. And there's a sushi bar. The restrooms were clean.
THE VERDICT
I give the food a thumbs up, but I do think they need to pay closer attention that orders go to the right tables. A co-worker ate at Rice Boxx recently, and his party experienced much the same service I did (his brother was served someone else's order).
Will I go back? Yes. I'll give it a few weeks for the staff to settle in and fix the kinks. The food is worth it. We were in and out in an hour, which is a plus when you're on your lunch hour.