Vancouver's best Rice Pudding

[SBonner]

I'm having a childhood craving for good old fashioned rice pudding. Last Autumn I managed to consume way too much at St. John's and the Butler's Wharf Chop House in London and now I want more. Any suggestions on Vancouver restaurants serving this old school dessert. Old school recollections were of warm rice pudding with sultanas and a scoop of ice cream....yummy.

Thank you,

Stephen

[Keith Talent]

and now I want more.

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Rice pudding is what the police call a "gateway custard". Sure it seems like fun to maybe have a bowl on the weekends, maybe a couple bowls with friends before a concert or taking in the Pink Floyd laser show at the Planetarium, but mark my words, you're playing with fire. Many a formerly sucessful street person will tell you how rice leads straight to the hard stuff. Pretty soon you'll be living in a box under the viaduct with only your own urine to warm you with the shakes you crave tapioca so badly. Don't even get me started on the hazards of fresh fruit crumbles. Keep it up, and one day I'll be walking down the street, spy you and turn to whoever I'm with and comment, "there's Stephen, he used to be a good guy, he's a pudding whore now."

And if rice pudding were really so great, your mother wouldn't have insisted you eat all your dinner before getting dessert, unless of course dessert was rice pudding.

So this whole rice pudding on London menus is all part of the whole Cool Brittania culinary resurgence in the UK the English keep going on about? Whatever.

[Daddy-A]

Any suggestions on Vancouver restaurants serving this old school dessert. Old school recollections were of warm rice pudding with sultanas and a scoop of ice cream....yummy.

The only "rice pudding" I've seen on a menu was at an Indian place (or two), and that's not really rice pudding now is it?

Rice pudding is a Norwegian thing, especially around Christmas. You'd leave some for the julenisse (sp?) hoping to bribe for better presents.

A.

[the g-man]

Rice Pudding is due for a resurgence. Flavoured creme brulees peaked in the 90s. I for one would like to see rice pudding replace all green tea brulee, amaretto brulee, or duo of tangerine orange and cappucinno brulee.

I think Wild Rice at one time had a rice pudding on their dessert menu, with shredded coconut? Right now their website says that they have a dessert called autumn four-spiced warmed sticky rice, which may or may not qualify as a rice pudding but doesn't sound very old school or old fashioned.

Looking forward to seeing the responses on this thread.

[Daddy-A]

I think Wild Rice at one time had a rice pudding on their dessert menu, with shredded coconut?  Right now their website says that they have a dessert called autumn four-spiced warmed sticky rice, which may or may not qualify as a rice pudding but doesn't sound very old school or old fashioned. 

Forgot about that one! It was ... okay. Needed more cream, but that's the Norse in me talking

A.

[Zucchini Mama]

Strange, as I too have been obsessing over rice pudding this month. It's because I had some lovely spicy East Indian style rice pudding on Saltspring Island sprinkled with chocolate and fresh fruit. I read up on it, and discovered it's kind of made like risotto, gradually adding milk while constantly stirring until the rice is cooked. (See the EGullet India forum.) I think the Danish, and maybe the Norse version is more like this(?), rather than the baked eggy version I think of when I think of the school dinners British version. What do you think? Do you like it creamy or eggy?

Then there's the Thai version with sticky rice and mango, which I've had at Thai Away Home.

I would like to know who makes a really exciting rice pudding, now that I have seen what it can be. Rebar in Victoria has a good recipe in their cookbook made with coconut milk, so they might have it on their menu.

It's the utimate comfort food. I'm making different versions of it for breakfast these days.

Also, psst Stephen, don't tell anyone I told you this, but look for "Kozy Shack" in the dairy section of supermarket if you're REALLY desperate.

Zuke

Edited August 17, 2005 by Zucchini Mama (log)

[nwyles]

I would grab a "Kozy Shack" from Urban Fare once a week and down in one sitting. I felt like such a glutton but I could not put it down. I just had to stop going to Urban Fare altogether.

[canucklehead]

Rice Pudding - how can something that has rice in it seem so alien to an Asian man as myself? I have some versions - but I have hated them all - sweet wallpaper paste with hard bits of undercooked rice.

Then again I just posted about a dessert with red beans in it.

[jamiemaw]

I'm having a childhood craving for good old fashioned rice pudding. Last Autumn I managed to consume way too much at St. John's and the Butler's Wharf Chop House in London and now I want more. Any suggestions on Vancouver restaurants serving this old school dessert. Old school recollections were of warm rice pudding with sultanas and a scoop of ice cream....yummy.

Thank you,

Stephen

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We called it frog spawn at ours. You can imagine what we called the raisins.

Edited August 17, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[the g-man]

Link to New York spot that serves nothing but rice pudding:

http://ricetoriches.com/

Edited August 17, 2005 by the g-man (log)

[Redhead]

Lonsdale Quay. Little greek guy who runs the Greek deli place in the food court, the one with the nice, long glass display case. Check the smaller glass display case to the left of the cashier, and you'll find small plastic tubs of the MOST amazing, creamy rice pudding with cinnamon. With or without raisins.

We eat it straight up from the fridge. Addictive.

I can't believe I'm sharing my secret source.

[sanrensho]

Rice Pudding - how can something that has rice in it seem so alien to an Asian man as myself?  I have some versions - but I have hated them all - sweet wallpaper paste with hard bits of undercooked rice.

I can completely sympathize. Never met a rice pudding I liked.

However, I might have been converted via the chocolate risotto I made last night. Think of a warm version of a Crunky bar (the better half of Nestle Crunch). Pretty darn tasty, if I might say so.

[aquaa]

Rice Pudding - how can something that has rice in it seem so alien to an Asian man as myself?  I have some versions - but I have hated them all - sweet wallpaper paste with hard bits of undercooked rice.

I can completely sympathize. Never met a rice pudding I liked.

However, I might have been converted via the chocolate risotto I made last night. Think of a warm version of a Crunky bar (the better half of Nestle Crunch). Pretty darn tasty, if I might say so.

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Could you please share that recipe via pm - I am desperate for a chocolate risotto fix.

Thanks.

[sanrensho]

Could you please share that recipe via pm - I am desperate for a chocolate risotto fix.

Thanks.

No problem. Adapted from a Donna Hay recipe, but there is really nothing to it except stirring.

1 cup Arboria rice

2 tbs butter

3.5-4 cups milk

Vanilla to taste

Semisweet chocolate

Heat milk and vanilla to taste and keep at simmer. Brown arborio rice in butter until rice is clear. I like to brown slightly to get some nuttiness, so 2-3 minutes. Add simmering milk half cup at a time, stirring as often as your patience allows. When rice reaches desired doneness, stir in a handful or two of your favorite chopped semisweet chocolate to desire taste and sweetness. You could also shave some chocolate on top for presentation.

In my opinion, the best thing about this recipe is the absence of eggs to avoid the gumminess that Canucklehead alluded to.

Edited August 18, 2005 by sanrensho (log)

[aquaa]

Could you please share that recipe via pm - I am desperate for a chocolate risotto fix.

Thanks.

No problem. Adapted from a Donna Hay recipe, but there is really nothing to it except stirring.

1 cup Arboria rice

2 tbs butter

3.5-4 cups milk

Vanilla to taste

Semisweet chocolate

Heat milk and vanilla to taste and keep at simmer. Brown arborio rice in butter until rice is clear. I like to brown slightly to get some nuttiness, so 2-3 minutes. Add simmering milk half cup at a time, stirring as often as your patience allows. When rice reaches desired doneness, stir in a handful or two of your favorite chopped semisweet chocolate to desire taste and sweetness. You could also shave some chocolate on top for presentation.

In my opinion, the best thing about this recipe is the absence of eggs to avoid the gumminess that Canucklehead alluded to.

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Thanks for sharing, I will try it out this week.

[DarkDante]

Link to New York spot that serves nothing but rice pudding:

http://ricetoriches.com/

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I don't think a place like this would work in Vancouver, unless it is set up as a front for a sports bookie, like this one in New York.

[canucklehead]

Link to New York spot that serves nothing but rice pudding:

http://ricetoriches.com/

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I don't think a place like this would work in Vancouver, unless it is set up as a front for a sports bookie, like this one in New York.

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Plus the website is overdesigned and over-wrought and super slow (even when I view on the office's super speedy web connection). The first picture of the rice pudding looks vaguely like a pile of oatmeal in an orange toliet. Mmmmmmmm. Plus a whole section on the 'vibe' of the rice pudding shop. Excellent!

For gawd's sake - its rice pudding - only in NYC would they overconceptualize it to such a degree. I am going to get a tub of "Kozy Shack" - sit on my stoop with an oversized soup spoon and see what all the fuss about.

Plus - this will give my WV neighbours another oppurtunity to shake their heads at me and tell me that 'in Canada, we eat rice puddings in proper bowls - inside the house'. You should have seen the fight my mother got into with our neighbour when my mother actually tried to air out the laundry on our back deck. Just wait until Stephen Harper is Prime Minister.

Edited August 18, 2005 by canucklehead (log)

[sanrensho]

For gawd's sake - its rice pudding - only in NYC would they overconceptualize it to such a degree.  I am going to get a tub of "Kozy Shack" - sit on my stoop with an oversized soup spoon and see what all the fuss about.

Be a man and just whip up a batch yourself. I doubt you will be impressed by the Kozy Shack product.

[butter]

Kozy Shack works when a craving hits. Just bought the tapioca one yesterday. It's not very creamy; stiffer leaning towards jello consistency. I thought it would be too sweet, but it's not. Don't know how the rice pudding one compares. At our IGA, it was near the egg section, refrigerated.

[sanrensho]

Kozy Shack works when a craving hits. Just bought the tapioca one yesterday. It's not very creamy; stiffer leaning towards jello consistency. I thought it would be too sweet, but it's not. Don't know how the rice pudding one compares. At our IGA, it was near the egg section, refrigerated.

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Also available at Safeway. To be fair, my comments are based on the tapioca version. The stuff is thick enough to shape into a ball and throw at the closest wall/victim. To be honest, outright fear prevents me from buying sweetened sugar/cream rice that comes in a plastic container and is made in a plant tens of thousands of miles away.

Do people not make rice pudding at home anymore? Is this like the long lost art of toasting bread or baking cookies?

Edited August 18, 2005 by sanrensho (log)

[Daddy-A]

Do people not make rice pudding at home anymore? Is this like the long lost art of toasting bread or baking cookies?

[host]

I was wondering the same thing myself. Of course, the proper place to ask would be over in the Cooking forum.

[/host]

The comments on Kozy Shack here reminded me of a really hot and muggy evening in July when I was playing volleyball at Kits beach. We'd just finished a killer match and were all hot and sweaty when we were approached by a couple of mildly attractive young women wearing "Kozy Shack" t-shirts.

"Great game!" they said. "How'd you like something refreshing after that work-out?" They offered up small tubs of rice & tapioca pudding Warm rice & tapioca pudding.

Good? Yes. Refreshing? Ummm, no.

A.

[Zucchini Mama]

Oh Canucklehead,

You must make yourself Nigella Lawson's online recipe for Muscat Rice Pudding, eat this "muskily ambrosial version" of your favorite diva's comfort food on your front stoop until you're giddy and shout "Nigella! Nigella!" into the muggy West Van dusk.

Zuke

[tarteausucre]

I was just doing some menu cruising in anticipation of future dining escapades when I came across rice pudding on the Raincity Grill menu:

Brown Butter "Rice" Pudding: Apples, walnuts & raisins in brandy tuile, nut & seed vinaigrette

Also Adega has:

ARROZ DOCE

Portuguese style rice pudding

Enjoy!

[Ling]

Rice pudding is super easy to make at home. My secret is half-and-half and the thick cream from a can of coconut milk.

[mzungu]

Also Adega has:

ARROZ DOCE

Portuguese style rice pudding

Enjoy!

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Oh boy, do i ever... It my grandmother's specialty. Go to a big Portuguese wedding and sometimes they'll have a desert table where the wives in each little family unit bring the "house specialty". Rice pudding is minha avo's. She add a little lemon wedge in the big bowls for that extra zing.

It's popular so it shouldn't be too hard to find on the menu of any Portuguese restaurant. Besides the Adega there's Cinco Estrelas on Kingsway west of Nanaimo, La Bodega downtown, and numerous other places mentioned here