Rice Workshop

A taste of Japan has arrived in Chinatown, but it’s strictly a sushi-​free zone.
Rice WorkShop is a Japanese rice bar, which specializes in fuss-​free, quick, affordable donburi (Rice Bowls). Choose from a wide array of toppings, ingredients and sauces for your quick rice fix in this hip, compact, hygienic eatery. The whole Japanese experience is complete at Rice WorkShop, from the initial step in to the store with a kawaii (Cute) looking waitstaff chirpily greeting you with a Konnichiwa (Hello), to the unique details such as the imported rice vending machine that dispenses your donburi’s rice portion and the translated food menu upon request for that authentic feel, your taste buds and sensory senses will be overloaded with glee as the only Japanese rice bar in town continues to impress you.
Being Asian, I am doubtful of ethnic cuisines that claim to be authentic and original when the first bite, tastes absolutely nothing like the real deal. However, Rice WorkShop left an incredible first impression, and all I could say was Oishi (Delicious)! The toppings, ingredients and sauces transported me straight to a Tokyo roadside food stall, and it felt just like the real deal. Must-​tries includes the original beef bowl ($ 6.90) for the oddly familiar taste of Yoshinoya (Japan’s leading beef rice bowl store) and the nicely balanced Green Tea Matcha flavoured Soft Serve ($ 2) after your donburi to complete your authentic Japanese experience. Rice WorkShop serves in regular and large portions, and for those that are just looking for a quick bite, head over to the grab and go bar that serves finger food in both sweet and savory flavors. Spanning two floors, Rice WorkShop’s décor closely resembles Japan’s famous Shibuya district, with its futuristic mix of street elements and origami sprinkled with a hint of Street Fighter. The next time you check in at Chinatown and are clueless as to what you want to eat, before you UrbanSpoon, check out the not to be missed Rice WorkShop. The next thing you know, you’re in Japan enjoying another meal.
Itadakimasu (Let’s eat)!

Their curry is one of the best curries in Melbourne. Rice is always perfect. It’s reasonably-​priced. Cheap on the go food is their thing. However, I think they should put more rice in their rice bowls.

This place provides average bowls of rice. Not bad. I ordered a curry chicken rice bowl. The chicken was a little dry and the curry sauce was standard. At least the ginger provided a bit of tang. Not a bad food court place however it was $ 10 and just not quite good enough for me sorry!

I love this place for what it is. Reasonable pricing, fast service and Japanese flavours. Great for a quick mid week lunch or a bite to eat after afew brews on a Friday night.

Un petit arrêt rafraîchissant non pas pour leur nourriture mais pour tester un parfum de glacé qui m’attire depuis un moment… La glacé au thé vert.
Alors moi j’ai beaucoup aimé même si je pense que le goût va en arrêter plus d’un. Il né faut pas s’attendre à quelque chose de sucré ^^
Il faut tester !! ;)

I love this place! Cheap, delicious and quick. Try katsu chicken curry or the otama teriyaki chicken with a soft boiled egg with a mist soup on the side. The drinks are a bit gross and sweet but the matcha green tea soft serve for 2 dollars is yummy!

Not so special chicken and tempura prawn udon. Quite plain.
Beef rice bowl seems to be more popular.
Taste of green tea in soft serve is not as strong as other place on the same street. Don’t recommend to have soft serve here
BBQ tofu steak is just a joke. It looks good for your eyes but not for your taste. It’s just plain.
Overall, affordable price.

Having visited this place multiple times, the food is consistently good, a quick and tasty way to experience quality Japanese food. The prices are reasonable and the dining experience provided comfort and slick design to their multiple pros.
Highly recommend trying this one on your daily lunch search.

This place isn’t anything to write home about. If you’re after cheap, quick curry and rice then come here. Don’t expect flavor explosions though.
What I loved the most from this place was their $ 2 matcha soft serve. Definitely swing by here if you have a craving for that.
I must also add that we weren’t a fan of their takoyaki stick, it was mega fishy.

Rice workshop is a nice little pick me up cheap eats spot on the fringes of China town.
Wetsernised taste, but clean and applealing. Choose from the menu, then after your selection is served, pay at the counter and sit down to eat. Small place and quite often busy. Cash Only here, but most things are under $ 10 and you’ll find a good range of meals. Pretty decent and relieable for a quick feed.

A brand new Japanese place in Chinatown. I dropped by for lunch today and ordered the ontama chicken. All meals come in regular or large and are served in disposable buckets. I’m not sure, but I think the only difference between the two is the amount of rice you are given, but the prices here are very reasonable so it doesn’t bother me. One thing I quite liked was just how fast your food comes out. A lot of the beef, chicken, and tempura items are prepared in advance so there was absolutely no waiting time. This doesn’t seem to have affected the quality of the food that much, although I would have preferred my chicken to be fresh off the stove. I must say though, I was slightly disappointed that my food didn’t look nearly as appealing as it looked on the menu. But it tasted just fine. I shouldn’t have ordered the large because it came with a lot of rice. I think the cheap prices combined with the speedy service will make this place quite popular with city workers and students with limited lunch breaks. Well worth a visit.