Previous SlideNext Slide

Can we give rice a moment? A primary food for more than half the world’s population, there are more than 120,000 varieties of this humble crop, and surely millions of ways to serve it. From biryani to bibimbap, paella to pilaf, jollof to jambalaya, sushi to soup, Mexican red rice to mochi, rice is sustenance, snack or feast waiting to happen.

It’s so ubiquitous in many Asian cultures that a common, caring greeting translates as “have you eaten rice?”

If you’re asked this question at Liyin Rice Roll Master (Jade Delight), a simple but special new city restaurant, the answer is surely yes – or at the very least, “I’m about to”.

Rice is the basis of the namesake cheung fun (rice rolls), the creamy congee (rice porridge) and the excellent, smoky hor fun (rice noodles).

Cheung fun are a specialty of Guangzhou province, the home of Cantonese cuisine. In Melbourne, that mostly means delicate steamed and wokked dishes at neighbourhood restaurants and on dim sum trolleys, where you may well see rice rolls pass by. Tasty? For sure.

They are probably not quite like this though. The Liyin team soaks, grinds and filters raw rice every morning, using a special 250kg stone mill. The resulting rice milk is then brushed onto a cloth and briefly steamed to order, forming a silky, supple, chewy sheet that’s then filled with various combinations of shrimp, beef, pork and egg and served in a soy dressing.

Pure rice flavour shines through in the congee, too. You might think the “seafood boat” version would be stacked with ocean creatures – and there are prawns lurking – but the name refers to vendors who would sell this style of rice porridge from sampans on Guangzhou’s Pearl River.

Scattered with peanuts, omelette strips and wonton crisps, it’s comforting and especially delicious if you add an order of long, crisp Chinese doughnuts.

The hor fun is worth coming for by itself: flat rice noodles are fiercely wokked with beef strips and bean shoots.

Artistry and intention shine through in the food, but Liyin is a low-key place with ordering at the counter and minimal customer service.

Finally, a note on the name. The plan was that this Melbourne restaurant would be the first Australian outpost of Liyin in China, which has 40 branches in Guangzhou. In the end that fell through and local owner Rowling (Ruolin) Wu added the name “Jade Delight” while still honouring the offshore inspiration and heritage of the brand. It’s a mouthful but definitely not the most noteworthy mouthful at this wonderful little eatery.