Unique tastes abound at Rice Box
By ADRIENNE FRANK
Get Out

Wait: We arrived shortly after 6 p.m. on a Tuesday and were given our choice of tables in the empty Thai eatery.

Service: Our young server was polite, attentive and efficient. My iced tea tasted a little off, and as soon as I handed it to my husband to try, she rushed over to make sure everything was OK. It was, but we appreciated her concern.

What we liked: We enjoyed everything we sampled at this mom-n- pop eatery. The Thai spring rolls — stuffed with a mixture of chicken and cabbage and served with a sweet and spicy plum sauce — were light and not too greasy. My husband’s orange chicken, served with a heaping mound of sticky rice, was only lightly fried and smothered in an unusual, marmalade- like sauce with chile flecks; a nice change from your standard orange chicken. We also liked my entrée, Rad Nar — stir-fried noodles with chicken and broccoli in a yellow bean sauce. Though the dish was a little heavy, the broccoli florets were crisp and the sauce was bursting with a sweet flavor.

Scene: Rice Box’s owners have made the best of a less-than-stellar space. The shoe box-shaped dining room is jazzed up with red accents and votive candles and flowers on every table.

Bathroom break: The spotless single unit features a few framed photos of Thailand, a tiny bowl of potpourri and a potted plant. The restroom must be situated next to the kitchen because delicious, spicy scents were wafting into the small space, making for an odd bathroom break, indeed.

Tab for two: $27.50 with tip and tax for Thai spring rolls ($4.95), Rad Nar ($7.95), orange chicken ($6.95) and an iced tea ($1.50).

If work weren’t buying: Rice Box’s cuisine — while good — isn’t dramatically different from other East Valley Thai restaurants I’ve tried. What sets the place apart from the pack is the top notch service. It makes Rice Box an Ahwatukee eatery worth checking out.

By CRYSTAL PETROCELLI
Get Out

Wait: We arrived at the nearly empty Thai restaurant at 8 p.m. on a Friday.

Service: At one point, we were the only people in Rice Box and we were treated as such — our drink order was taken instantly and delivered moments later, there was no waiting for plates to be cleared or the check to arrive. Our server was polite, soft spoken and somehow managed to avoid hovering around looking bored.

What we liked: We sampled the Tom Kha soup, Pad Kaprow and Pad Thai, each of which I'd order again in a heartbeat. The traditional Thai soup — chicken and mushrooms in a coconut broth with galanga (Thai ginger), lemon grass, chili peppers and a generous cilantro garnish — was enough for four and stayed hot in its flame-heated bowl. The Pad Kaprow (beef with chile, loads of garlic and crispy basil) was small in size but big in flavor and the pad Thai had a unique sweetness to it, both plates were eat-’til-your-belly-hurts good.

Scene: The “scene” suffers from the double-whammy of no booze and a bad location. Although there are several Asian artworks scattered about, I couldn't stop thinking it looked a little pizza parlor-ish with its red, white and green tiled lower walls.

Bathroom break: Clean with a handful of tiny, Thai-inspired wall hangings.

Tab for two: $37 with tip and tax for Tom Kha soup ($7.95), Pad Kaprow ($7.95), pad Thai ($7.95), guava juice ($1.95) and Thai iced tea ($1.95).

If work weren’t buying: With an 8:30 p.m. closing time on Fridays and Saturdays, it'll be tough to make it from northeast Mesa for dinner but I'll definitely try.

Next week: Our reviewers check out Los Olivos Mexican Patio in Scottsdale.