Rice and Miso Everyday
In an effort to balance out my heavy dinners, I’ve been trying to eat lighter for lunch. My colleague Peter suggested that we try out the onigiri and miso soup at Rice And Miso Everyday, open on Mon/Wed/Fri at All Good Things, an indoor market in Tribeca.
RAM focuses on serving two things only: a delicious miso soup with seaweed, tofu, and mushroom and their specialty: onigiri (riceballs) made from organic brown rice, and wrapped in nori (seaweed) with a variety of toppings for your selection.
Each order takes about 10 minutes as there is only one employee going through multiple steps that can’t be rushed. When I arrived last Monday, there were already two fashionably dressed Japanese patrons in front of me so the wait was about 20 minutes.
After placing my order, I looked around the market.
A butcher station was behind me as well as a display case full of high-quality meats.
Le Cafe was gearing up for the fashionable and good looking lunch crowd.
I returned back to RAM and observed him scoop three mounds of brown rice into a mold.
He then added miso garlic paste into the middle as a filling and then put more rice on top and formed into a triangular ball.
Next, a little salt and some black sesame seeds are sprinkled.
Lastly, a dollop of the topping is added on top. I ordered two rice balls, one with miso garlic paste and one with tuna fish.
Skeptical at first, I was worried that the dish would be too simple and not filling enough. I was thinking about where to eat for L2 when I took a bite and was pleasantly surprised. The rice was cooked perfectly, not too al dente and not too mushy. The sesame seeds enhanced the taste of the rice and the amount of topping was a good amount. The last thing you taste is the seaweed strip that has a gummy texture.
On the way out, I passed by a dessert display and decided to try the Sicilian cheesecake made in-house. Fluffy ricotta and light in texture (similar to Japanese cheesecake) with a great homemade crust. I think I like it more than the traditional cheesecake.
Recipe: Rice Ball
- 1 cup short grain brown rice
- Miso paste
- Black sesame seeds
- Sheets of seaweed
Directions
Soak rice in water overnight and drain. In a pressure cooker or rice cooker, add rice and 1¼ cups of water and cook for 40 minutes or until rice is soft and sticky. Or, as a shortcut, simply boil some brown rice.
Grab a healthy amount of rice in the palm of your hand, top with a tablespoon of miso paste. Top with more rice. Pack into a ball, but don't smash too hard. Roll in sesame seeds and place rice ball in a sheet of seaweed and wrap. Eat alone or serve with miso soup.
NOTES:
Get the rice ball and miso combo for $8. The miso soup is not like the typical flavorless bowl of water you get at most Japanese joints. RAM’s miso soup was complex and complemented the rice ball perfectly. Only get a second rice ball if you’re really hungry.
What to Get: I’ve tried a few toppings and my favorite is still the tuna fish.
RAM is everywhere. Besides this Tribeca location, they are also at Smorgasburg and other markets. For a list of their locations and times of operation, visit: http://www.riceandmisoeveryday.com/location
Definitely check out the Silician cheesecake if you have a chance. They also have homemade pistachio tarts.