Rice to Riches
Samples: The Edge of Run Raisin, Almond Shmalmond, Man-Made Mascarpone with Cherries, Take Me To Tiramisu, Fluent in French Toast
Omni – Oreogasm, Butterscotch Boulevard, Play it Again Butter Pecan
Open in Nolita since 2003, probably before the area was actually called that as opposed to simply a run-on from Chinatown and Little Italy into SOHO, it may seem surprising that it took nearly fourteen years for a frequent New York visitor with such a pronounced sweet tooth to make a stop at Rice to Riches, the main justification being that the enormous portion sizes were seen as too filling for an already packed dining agenda.
Owned by Peter Moceo Jr, his highly publicized multi-million dollar gambling ring case in 2005 seeing many speculate that the stylized Rice Pudding shop had been used for money laundering, the passing of more than a decade has done little to slow down the oval-glass fronted space that continues to amuse tourists with clever names and funny signage, the novel idea now even spawning a competitor on Bleecker Street called Rice Cream Shoppe.
Stopping in after lunch at Joe’s Shanghai, the waiter there actively deterring an order of Sweet Congee that immediately spurred a decision to finally visit Rice to Riches with two others along for the ride, it was just minutes past three o’clock on Saturday that the group stood chuckling at signs reading “eating three sensible, balanced meals a day will only spoil your appetite for Rice Pudding” and “sleep til you’re hungry, eat til you’re sleepy,” a few samples of the creamy rice enough to prompt the purchase of a three-flavor “Omni.”
Offering both take away and dine-in options, the booths elevated above floor level in a brightly lit alcove perfect for photos and being out of the way as a continuous trickle of traffic circles the room eating and reading, Rice to Riches shows an unexpected appeal amongst Chinese, Indians and Latin Americans where more subtle styles of Rice Pudding are actually quite popular, the Cheesecake and Vanilla said to be the shop’s best sellers though neither were tasted in the face of items like Man-Made Mascarpone with Cherries, bitter-sweet Take Me To Tiramisu or the Cinnamon-flooded Fluent in French Toast.
Offering approximately 20-to-24 flavors daily, many of them consistent with others rotating in and out seasonally, it was after making a few tough decisions that curved ‘spoons’ were inserted into choices from a divided plastic bowl, the “Play it Again Butter Pecan” identical to the classic Ice Cream flavor while Butterscotch Boulevard bettered many Mozza-inspired Budinos thanks to sweetness tempered by a faint bitterness, the “Oreogasm” saved for last exactly as it should be, complete with bits of granulated sugar filling occasionally encountered amidst the otherwise creamy texture.
https://www.ricetoriches.com
