RICE, a sushi restaurant located in the heart of Manhattan Beach, stands out from the hundreds of other sushi restaurants located in Los Angeles. Why? Well, RICE achieves its mission, of “Get Healthy & Be Happy,” by serving unique rolls and dishes that are healthy AND tasty. Everything is gluten free (even the soy sauce), and every roll is made with GF brown rice. This may not seem like a big deal, but for the gluten-intolerant, this is huge! Sushi restaurants can often be difficult for the NOBREAD crowd due to the heavy presence of soy sauce and rice with malted vinegar…
On top of the fact that everything is gluten free, most dishes are dairy free and there are a ton of vegan dishes, too. For those looking for a meat-free night, you’re in luck. RICE has a huge selection of vegetable dishes and delicious salads, seafood dishes, rice pinchos, and vegan ramen. My favorite section of the menu is the organic sushi section due to the unique combinations of ingredients used. On my recent visit to the restaurant, everyone agreed that the “Sunset Pier” was the favorite; the roll was topped with marinated tuna and crispy kale chips which added awesome crunch and flavor. The “Big Wave” roll, made with Scottish salmon and caper and truffle sauce, was out of this world and I also recommend trying a rice “pincho.” A rice pincho is pan-fried crispy rice topped with protein options including jumbo scallops or rock shrimp. If you are ordering a drink, try RICE’s Sake. They have an extensive and tasty selection, and you gotta love the fact that sake is gluten free! The dessert menu blows my mind; everything on it is vegan and gluten free. Yes, that means that the chocolate cake, cheesecake, and ice cream are all NOBREAD approved! For those who are soy-intolerant, be cautions… unfortunately soy is a main ingredient in each dessert.
I can’t think of a sushi establishment that fits the gluten free sushi lover’s needs better than RICE. The restaurant is small, but the atmosphere is sleek, simple, and inviting, making it the perfect restaurant for a date or a girl’s sushi night. RICE’s policy of serving high-quality, organic, and gluten free cuisine is what drew me in initially, but the awesome flavors and unique rolls at this sushi hotspot is what has me coming back time and time again.