Rice Cake Master, formerly known as Nam Dae Moon, has been a prominent as rice cake dessert vendor in Metro Vancouver for quite some time. I've been there myself but I acknowledge that the old name did not help all onlookers understand what was being sold inside. Beyond the fluffy rice cakes and mochi desserts though is a limited time pop-up of Luroufan Tasty, which brings savoury Taiwanese dishes to complement your rice cake experience. Last week, I had a try of nearly everything on the menu and have my favourites to share with you today.
Disclosure: I attended a tasting at Rice Cake Master, hosted for food bloggers, to product this blog post.
Food:
Team OG came here for a Thursday evening dinner and I had a great taste of the following:
- Signature Braised Pork on Rice ($6.95)
- Classic Braised Pork on Rice ($13.95)
- Japanese-Style Curry Shrimp Tempura on Rice ($17.50)
- Braised Beef Saucy Noodles ($15.50)
- Braised Pork Belly ($9.50)
- Land & Sea Special Lunchbox ($18.95)
- Mango or Strawberry Snow Skin Cake ($8)
- Mango or Strawberry Mochi ($6)
The signature braised pork on rice is the perfect entryway to Taiwanese food if you're looking for the best calorie per dollar ratio. You get a little savoury (braised pork), a little tang (pickled vegetables), and a bit of tea-infused protein (half-egg) in a neat little package.
For something a little more in-depth with Taiwanese cooking though, the classic braised pork on rice is right up my alley. This is the signature bowl but amped up with a full egg, a spring roll, a little more braised pork, a little more vegetable, and also Taiwanese sausage thrown into the mix.
My favourite item this evening was the Japanese-style curry shrimp tempura on rice. This shrimp tempura was positively crispy, with a strong bread-like finish. The curry sauce was especially homey with a little bit of heat and a ton of root vegetables to hold the thick sauce. I don't think there is a difference between the curries – it's all a choice of protein. That's a good thing then. I don't think think there is a wrong choice of curry here.
The braised beef saucy noodles has a terrible name but this was also really good! If you can imagine a traditional Taiwanese beef noodle soup where the soup is cooked down into a concentrated sauce, that's what this dish offers. I personally love the more intense flavour and the thick sauce was lovely to swirl into with the chewy noodles.
I was a little skeptical of the braised pork belly at first but this is such a substantial serving. Look at the thickness of the pork belly in the photo below! If you want to enhance any dish with a side, the braised pork belly has you covered. So moist and tender.
The land and sea special lunchbox has the coolest name and it's the best way to get a little bit of everything into your bowl. Unfortunately, unlike the braised dishes or saucy noodles, there isn't a lot of sauce to go onto this land and sea special lunchbox which makes it a little bland. I think ordering this with a braised pork sauce or the spicy sauce is a must in order to enjoy this dish in its current state.
Moving onto the desserts, they all come in the cutest little boxes making them easy for gifting to a friend.
The strawberry and mango snow skin cakes are both on the crunchy side and remind me of a traditional mooncake with the lotus swapped out for cream and fruit.
Last but not least, the strawberry and mango mochi are distinct balls of stretchy joy. The fruit inside tastes fresh and the high-quality mochi means that it doesn't get as stuck to your teeth as the starchier variants. Of the two desserts I had, I liked the mochi for and think it would be great for anyone who hasn't really gotten into rice-based desserts yet. I also liked the custom-printed logo on the mochi. I could see that being used to personalize a gift.
To finish, we also got these off-menu "tang hu lu" (糖葫蘆) which were crunchy sugar-crusted fruits. Maybe one day these will move into the regular menu.
Vibes:
Rice Cake Master has set up shop in The George building on Royal Oak Ave, close to Royal Oak Skytrain Station, making it a hotspot for anybody who takes transit regularly. I saw a few people come in for takeout rice cake desserts and head out back towards the SkyTrain.
Inside Rice Cake Master, you'll find a quaint yet efficient space with smooth, marble-like countertops and floral wallpaper that enhances the presentation of any food. There is seating for about 16 guests along the tables and window-facing counters.
Final Thoughts:
One-liner: Rice Cake Master's menu gets amped up with Taiwanese savoury food items from Luroufan Tasty so that you have a little more choice to go with your rice cake desserts
Highlight: Japanese-Style Curry Tempura Shrimp on Rice
Price per person: $20-$45 (assuming you're stopping for both desserts and savoury items)
Would I go back? Yes.