Nestled within the Hotel San Carlos, my roommate and I were welcomed by Rice Paper’s clean, open dining patio and Vietnamese cuisine on the corner of Monroe Street and Central Avenue.
In owner Lan Tran’s second Rice Paper location, the sleek mirrors add a modern vibe inside the small space that serves a variety of spring rolls, salads and sandwiches.
The service was fantastic, and the waiter was very patient with me as I asked numerous questions about the menu, most of which was foreign to me. My diet rarely deviates from hamburgers and french fries, and if I do indulge in Asian cuisine, I normally play it safe with an order of fried rice. If you’re like me, your first glance at the menu may leave you wondering what you will find to satisfy your hunger. But rest assured, with the variety of Vietnamese sandwiches, soups, salads and starters, you will have more than enough choices.
The restaurant offers more than fifteen different spring rolls ($4.25-$5.95), and to start off our meal, we shared an order of Chicken Crispy Spring Rolls ($5.50). I’m pretty particular when it comes to spring and egg rolls, and most don’t live up to my expectations. However, I was surprised by how flavorful these were. I’ve found that the spring rolls at other restaurants can be disappointingly bland, but that is not the case with these. The combination of minced chicken, carrots, onions, saifun noodles, and shiitake mushrooms dipped in a fish sauce vinaigrette pleased my taste buds, and the three-serving size was ideal for an appetizer.
For our main meal, we tried the Grilled Chicken sandwich ($9). The toppings on the sandwich were plentiful, with the right mix of spice (jalapeño and cilantro), sweet and tangy (the homemade mayo was especially delicious). I am not a huge fan of grilled chicken to begin with, but this meal changed my mind. It was spicy enough that I needed to take a gulp of Coke after each bite, but it was so flavorful that I didn’t care.
My roommate and I asked for no jalapeños on our sandwich, but to our surprise, the green peppers were still hiding between the chicken and vegetables. She doesn’t prefer spicy food, but the sudden kick wasn’t so bad for me.
I was left feeling way too full to attempt to try anything else, but the menu is full of options. The entrees, including braised pork and caramelized salmon, are served after 4 p.m., and they range in prices from $15-$20. Tofu and seafood lovers will find a few selections for appetizers under $10.
Overall, I was very impressed. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the food as much as I did, and I look forward to stopping by again. The outdoor dining patio provided a pleasant dining atmosphere but, for the majority of our meal, we were the only ones in the restaurant.
Rice Paper is open from 11 a.m. to midnight, and everyday happy hour bar specials are offered from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Food specials are offered everyday from 3-6:30 p.m., and on Fridays and Saturdays, there is Reverse Happy Hour from 10 p.m. to midnight.
Location: 202 N. Central Ave.
Star Rating (0 – 5): ★★★★½
Contact the reporter at rbouley@asu.edu
