Rice Paddies Grill In Bethesda, MD

So, I don’t really have a good excuse for not commenting on this place until now. We have been going here since about a month after they opened and cannot find enough nice things to say about the restaurant.

Rice Paddies is a Vietnamese restaurant located at 4706 Bethesda Avenue, just off Wisconsin Avenue. About a year ago, I noticed a new sign appear above the old ice cream store that formerly occupied this location. The build-out seemed to take forever, a fact confirmed by the owner on our first visit. When you enter the restaurant, the decor is neat, but simple. The first thing we noticed was how small the menu is; maybe 7 items total. Since our first visit, the menu has expanded a bit, but is still very brief. For those of us who spend more time at Chinese take-out places than at high-quality Asian restaurants, this comes as a surprise. Not to worry. As one of the owners, PT, was quick to explain, he started with a small menu to simplify the experience for customers and as a way to focus his energy in putting out the best food possible.

We decided on a rice-noodle bowl with chicken and the Flaming Beef. Our first surprise was the sheer quantity of food. Both entrees came with steamed rice and a small salad. The rice bowl seemed to hold at least a quart of noodles and chicken, while the Flaming Beef overflowed from the simple plastic plate. As it was a slow night, PT stopped by our table to discuss his restaurant and deliver a sample of the most amazing marinaded, grilled chicken I have ever tasted. Served on a skewer, the chicken was tender, moist, and full of flavor. The light sauce was caramelized on the chicken and added a great deal of flavor, without overpowering the chicken. The Flaming Beef was incredible. Very tender chunks of high quality beef, seared off and finished with butter and garlic sauce. The beef is sauteed with onion and very fresh bell peppers. I asked for the chef, PT’s other role, to go heavy on the spices, so my beef was heavy on the pepper. I have read a few reviews and have to agree that, at times, they are a little heavy with the oil. This, however, does not detract from the flavor, but is, nonetheless, a place for improvement.

I wish I could recommend other dishes, but I have not been able to pull myself away from the beef on each of my successive visits. Having gone for both lunch and dinner, with my wife and with co-workers, I can say that no one has ever had even the slightest complaint about any of the dishes. PT has fresh veggies and meat delivered at least three times a week. This, combined with his experience and understanding of this cuisine, ensure a great dining experience. I highly recommend a visit. Between the amazing food and the top notch staff/owners, you simply cannot go wrong.

Reviews from Yelp.com
Reviews from DowntownBethesda.com

Tagged as: asian restaurants, Bethesda, garlic sauce, quality beef, restaurants, rice noodle, rice paddies, vietnamese restaurant, wisconsin avenue