Rule of Thumb: Don't call the name of your restaurant by the dish you make the worst.\n\nI've watched how the number of this restaurant's clients has dwindled since the opening a couple of months ago. In fact, a few red flags were raised in my mind when I realized I was the only one in the restaurant at a peak lunch hour one weekday. \n\nWhen I break it down, the problem here is three-fold.\n\nTo begin with, it probably has the most uninviting entrance I've seen in a long while. In both instances that I've visited, I felt as if I was going into an illegal establishment where illicit substances are manufactured and sold to the masses. The stairs leading up to the restaurant are creaky and narrow, with antiquated walls and run-down surroundings. The only identifier of where the restaurant is, is by the banal sign that stands outside the door, which from time to time, gets blown down by the mighty gusts of Charlotte's southern winds!\n\nSecondly, its conveniently (or not-so conveniently) set up right next to a place that also produces Asian delights 7 times faster, cheaper, and arguably more delicious (Tin Tin Box Noodles). Additionally, they've been around for far longer than Rice Inc. has. To any outsider, it's almost like you've created that barrier to entry for yourself. \n\nLastly, the food here needs an entire revamp. At no point will any client walk in and say, \"wow that was really good! I'll be sure to come here again\" because it tastes and looks like a watered down version of the same Asian food that \"Simply Asia\" sells in your local supermarket. There's no differentiating factor, save for the portion size.... which is actually tiny (so that negates the attempt at cost leadership). To top it all off, the RICE does not do justice to Asian Culture!!!!! My ancestors lived off of that stuff for centuries! I'm certain they would scoff at the dry, clumped up grains called rice here. \n\nIn short, every menu item here is a standard and generic form of short-cut Asian (Chinese? Thai?) food and it shows from whatever viewpoint you're looking at it. What a shame!\n\n2/5
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