Ohhh…that bowl of good rice!

Just a bowl of good rice.

The name cannot be more in your face. It says it all. This chain called “Just a Bowl of Good Rice” serves really good rice. And that’s coming from someone who is trying to wean himself off rice.

We stumbled upon this outlet by chance while shopping in Wanda Mall in Suzhou. Located in Basement 1, it doesn’t really stand out from the many other food and beverage establishments.

What drew us to the restaurant was — hold your breath — the fact that there were empty tables. It was dinner time and many of the others were crowded. We were hungry and wanted something warm for our stomachs in the wintry cold.

With a fast food style ordering counter at the front, we were able to take a look at the menu, which is limited, but finding a place to eat was our top criteria.

I went for a braised pork belly set while my family members opted for beef and chicken sets. As I did not want to over-eat, I shared the rice with my daughter.

The dishes are not spectacular or to-die-for. After all, most pork belly I’ve tasted in China were great — even the ones in the local shops.

What stood out was the rice. Cooked in a claypot, it came piping hot. Even after eating for several minutes, steam still emitted with each scoop.

The white, fluffy rice has a nice soft bite and tasted great. It goes really well with the pork and other dishes.

Rice at the side and bottom of the bowl was a little burnt, not blackened but browned and crispy, adding any dimension to the bite feel.

Personally, I think the portion is good enough for two persons but a quick glance at the other tables revealed that every diner had a pot in front of them.

Such was the pleasant memory of the rice that we ate it again at other Just a Bowl of Good Rice outlets in Hangzhou and Shanghai.

Thankfully, this is not available in Singapore yet. Otherwise, my diet plan will go haywire. The rice is irresistible.