Ab SchNoodle Nation was awesome, so we’re bringing it back because who doesn’t like noodles?
Grain of Rice
1312 Webber Greens Drive at Market Lewis Estates
(Hint: Use Google Maps and search “Grain of Rice” when you’re going there the first time — sometimes just typing in the address can send you to the Lewis Estates Sobeys area, which is the wrong location.)
Hours: Mon-Thur (11am-10pm); Fri-Sat (11am-11pm); Sun (11am-9pm)
Price: $$
https://grainofriceyeg.com/
Atmosphere
I’ve been to Grain of Rice three or four times. The restaurant’s currently going through its soft opening, so there’s been some tweaking going on — price changes, kitchen operation adjustments, the like — but one thing that’s been consistent is the vibrant atmosphere. Beautifully done up in modern accents with an open kitchen, it’s definitely one of the prettiest Asian food restaurants I’ve been to, probably because it’s so new and run by younger management. Also, the employees are really nice. The second time I went to eat there I wore a hoodie, stuffed my phone into the front pocket, forgot that I put it there like an idiot, and then frantically searched around my table to see where I lost it when I finished eating. Management helped me without judgement (as far as I can tell). Another time my dining companion and I misjudged the amount of time we had before jetting off to another engagement, and we must have gotten up to ask for a take-out container, like, five times in just as many minutes. Again, we were just met with smiles. These people are gems.
The Noodles
I’ve had two noodle-based dishes here so far: the classic beef and rice noodles (it’s basically gon chow ngau ho, but that’s not how it’s listed on the menu) and the pho. I don’t know if I should beat around the bush here or just cut to the chase, but damn both were good. Good as in the people I go to eat with take one look at my classic beef and rice noodles when my plate is the first to arrive at the table and start eagerly poking around in my dish with their own utensils and asking if they can “try some” — which in this case meant “eat a quarter of the plate, because this sauce on these noodles is so damn delicious.” Don’t believe me? Try it yourself.
The pho is also fantastic: fresh and filling, as it should be. At $15 a bowl (though the price is subject to change during the remainder of the soft opening), it’s a little more of an investment-level pho, but the quality of the traditionally brewed, preservative, canned spice, and MSG-free broth and the freshness of the add-ins and meat make it well worth it. The star of Grain of Rice’s pho is made from Alberta beef knuckle bones and slow-boiled for over ten hours with an infusion of fresh herbs and spices to create a delightfully rich and tasty broth equivalent to nutritional liquid gold. I’ve always found that the strength of a bowl of pho rides heavily on the quality of its broth, and Grain of Rice excels in this respect. The helping is also enormous. Unlike a lot of other pho-serving restaurants, there’s only one serving size, and that’s extra-large. There’s so much broth in the bowl that I can basically guarantee you’ll leave satisfied after drinking it all — if you still have room after the noodles, meat, bean sprouts, basil leaves, chili peppers, and hoi sin sauce. Drop a Macdonald and a half on a steaming bowl on a cold winter evening after contemplating your career prospects after graduation and dig in without regrets.
Overall
Hell yeah I’d recommend this place. I went on their Facebook page after I ate there the first time and popped a five-star rating pretty much instantaneously. It might be a little out of the way for people who don’t live on Ye Olde West End, but it’s a good reason to visit that side of town. They accept cash, debit, credit, and eVeRyThInG iN bEtWeEn so don’t worry about having to carry a wad of bills or, if you’re like me, an unholy amount of change all the time to grab a quick bite. Oh, and if you’re in a hurry, they do take-out, too. See? Told you it’s awesome.
