ottawa foodies

I love this place and was sad to discover over the holidays that it's changed owners and there is a new chef. While the food was still good, a few favourite dishes were lacking the perfect balance to which I've grown accustomed. The spicy green beans were far, far too salty and the steamed chili noodle dish was missing its usually deft note of acidity. Oh well. Based on the one visit, I'd still say it's one of the better places in town.

Just can't get enough of those spicy-salty-umami noodles! E01 - Steamed Noodle in Chili Sauce (top right in pic) $5.95 for a delicious bowl.

They were out of green beans, so we opted for the B06 - Beef and Eggplant with Sweet and Sour Sauce (top left in pic) which was pretty tasty. We also had the A05 - Pork Dumpling in Hot Peanut Sauce (bottom in pic). These were okay but unfortunately they weren't the A06 - Pork Dumpling in Soya Chili Sauce that we had ordered, and we realized this far too late to ask that the problem be corrected. lol

We tried the N02 Hot Oil Topped Handmade Noodle (bottom right in pic) for the first time and it was super tasty, although I found the garlic to be over the top for my taste. The star dish for me here continues to be the cold E01 Steamed Noodle in Chili Sauce (top left). Incredibly delightful stuff!

F05 Pork Bone Stewed with Nappa Cabbage (top right) was interesting and quite light tasting. However, it was really hard to get any meat off the bone, so it was more of a broth with cabbage (and glass noodles) than a stew.

The D09 Deep Fried Basa with Pepper Salt (bottom left) was massive and tasty, but it had a high batter-to-fish ratio and seemed to be loaded with MSG. Best eaten in small doses rather than wolfed down like I did. ;-)

Salt and Pepper Squid, Deep Fried Dumplings with Peanut sauce and Hot Home-Made Noodles.

All goo .... especially the noodles.

Here's a fascinating read on Xi'an food, from one of my favourite food blogs: seriouseats.com

We are truly fortunate in Ottawa to have a gem like Rice Pea!

I finally checked out Rice Pea earlier this week and was very impressed. We had looked at other reviews before going to get some tips on what to order, and we were not steered wrong. The "hot oil topped on handmade noodle" was my favorite dish. It wasn't as spicy as I thought it might be but had a really nice balanced flavour. We also really enjoyed the fried napa cabbage and fungus with dark vinegar. My husband tried the pork dumplings in hot peanut sauce and said the sauce was delicious.

The service was mostly fine, with a few minor issues. Our rice didn't arrive until we were more than halfway through the meal. Our server seemed friendly but didn't say a single word to us the entire visit, so I suspect she didn't speak English. It wasn't a problem, but it did preclude the possibility of asking questions about some of the more unfamiliar dishes.

Dinner for two with tax and tip came to about $32. I'm looking forward to going back and trying some more dishes!

I forgot to attach the picture for the previous review.

This is my second visit to a Rice Pea. We arrived at 1pm to find the place packed. Luckily, there was one table in the corner waiting for us.

With a bigger group, we got to try several dishes and we were not disappointed. We were not sure what to order because while I am of Chinese descent, this is a very different type of Chinese cuisine. We looked around at other tables and asked what those were. I also read the previous reviews to get some pointers.

We ordered:

- the Chinese pork burger which was essentially pulled pork served in a flattened bao
- a pork belly and nappa soup/stew which came in a rich broth. It was a favourite of everyone.
- fish filets and tofu casserole with nappa and black fungus (the blandest of I'll the dishes still well done)
- Fern root noodles in vinegar and chili oil was simply amazing. It was not very "hot" but the flavours were just perfect. This was the second favourite dish of the party.
- the lamb skewers in chili flakes which were ok. I didn't think it stood out.
- the hot oil topped handmade noodles which became everyone's new favourite dish.
- the Ribs handmade noodle soup which tasted very homemade all around with more of the great handmade noodles.

Overall, everyone (these are my family from Montreal) was wowed by their lunch and asked to come back again at their next visit. I really don't know why I waited so long to come back! I love the fact the food has that homemade feel and taste (not too salty or fried), the service is prompt and unpretentious and the prices are reasonable.

Awesome! We had the noodles in chili sauce, the lamb skewers, shredded potatoes, chicken wings with cumin, and the monthly special, which we were told was spicy with pork - ok enough of a description, bring it on. Also had the dumplings in chili/soy sauce. The pork and the chicken dishes ended up being similar, but with more cumin in the chicken dish. Both dishes were made with small pieces of meat with lots of small bones. No problem for me, but some people used to Canadian boneless stuff may not be ready to spit out bone bits during supper (which is fine - leave it to the rest of us). Dumplings were really good, sitting in a swimming pool of chili oil and soya sauce. There does seem to be a lot of oil, or at least I chose a lot of dishes with oil. Again, I had no issue with that, it was all tasty. Can't wait to go again.

This is the curd sticks and black fungus dish. A fresh veggie dish. One of the favourite at the table.

I don't normally enjoy hot and sour soup much as I find it overly sweet, bamboo-y, and vinegary, but without much depth. However, I trust Rice Pea and really wanted to give theirs a shot. $3.50 for a generous small bowl.

Super tasty! Not sweet at all, nicely balanced, and all the parts I like. This is the best hot and sour soup I've had.

The braised pork ribs noodle soup comes with the same amazing handmade noodles. The pork was fall off the bones and the broth was nice. Definitely recommend. The ribs reminded me of my mom's.

I did try the beef brisket version of this dish and prefer the pork ribs. They are sweater and actually more meaty.

Here is a picture of the "Hot oil topped on handmade noodles". It is delicious. The waitress told us to mix it first and there was an oily sauce (mix of chili oil and soy sauce?) at the bottom. The red powder seems to be chili powder. Everyone really liked this dish! It tasted like dumpling dough.

Here is a nice daytime photo of these delicious noodles. Soooo good!

We opted for the Steamed Noodle in Chili Sauce from the "Chef's Specials" menu at the recommendation of our server (we were also considering the "Hot oil topped on handmade noodle" dish).

This dish is not hot in temperature! It's a little spicy, but not overwhelmingly so. If you like Thai noodle salads then you will love this dish! The succulent, wide, flat, tender-chewy noodles are swimming in a tasty chili oil concoction, and they sit between a base of bean sprouts and a garnish of julienned cucumber. This is an addictive food!!