New year’s resolutions revolving around food typically come in the form of going on a diet or eating out less. However, as a brand new resident of Ann Arbor, mine is to try new restaurants as often as I can. Taking advantage of the food scene on and off campus is something that attracted me here when I was choosing a school, but somehow during my first semester I couldn’t get around to it very often. That is why I’m going on a food discovery journey this year. I will be exploring everything from Ann Arbor’s famous Korean barbecue to the commonly discussed cuban street food restaurant, Frita Batidos. This article will focus on the Asian/Southern combo dish I had never previously dreamed of: Ricewood.
What is Ricewood?
Ricewood started as a popular food truck that attracted many local fans. Today, they have a location just down Packard street, tucked away inside York Food and Drink. Don’t let the appearance fool you, though. Ricewood is cooking up top notch barbecue/rice bowls that are to die for. Although this foodie had never considered such a combination of flavors and cuisines, the creators of Ricewood thought outside the box to make something beautiful.
The signature dish of Ricewood is obviously its barbecue rice bowls, which come in a large enough serving for plenty of leftovers. Each bowl comes with freshly steamed white rice topped with your barbecue meat of choice, drizzled with a soy/vinegar sauce, and finished with scallions and tomatoes. The meat options are: brisket, ribs, szechuan chicken, pulled pork, and pork belly. Foodies looking for a little something extra can also opt to add sesame cucumbers, red cabbage slaw, or house kimchi. And for anyone concerned about the spice level of these dishes, you can select for your sauce to be made mild, medium, or very spicy. Ricewood also offers pulled pork and brisket sandwiches, which I am sure are top notch when it comes to flavor.
My experience
After much deliberation, I settled on trying the pulled pork and ribs bowls. I would have opted for the brisket, but they ran out before I got there (I will be back at some point to try it, of course). I also decided on medium spice, but when I go back I will probably choose mild, considering the spice level is no joke at Ricewood. If you are ordering a bowl, beware that the medium is pretty hot.
Taking my first bite, I wondered why I had never seen this combination done before. The vinegar soy sauce perfectly complemented the smokiness of the meat, and the steamed rice worked perfectly as a vehicle. As someone who loves barbecue (and grew up going to statewide barbecue competitions with her dad), this was like tasting it for the first time all over again.
My thoughts
Overall, lovers of asian classics and barbecue fanatics alike will adore Ricewood. It plays to the strengths of both types of cuisines without losing any of the signature flavors we all know and love. If you’re a foodie (or just someone who enjoys great meals) looking for something completely different and new, head down to Ricewood and try a signature bowl.
Grade: A- (I’ll be back for the brisket:))