Rice Box & Boba

Wonderful place with kind and friendly staff serving Laotian food! Being from Southeast Asia, I had been wanting to stop by Rice Box & Boba ever since it opened back in Nov 2024. One day, I got things all done ahead of time and had an hour or wk to kill before heading somewhere, so I finally had a chance to grab something from Rice Box & Boba as I had always wanted.I got some grilled marinated chicken and Laotian sausages, along with papay salad and mango sticky rice and I had to say thir food hit the spot for me. While I wouldn't call the food 100% authentic as I think their spices (especially in Papaya salad, sausages and chicken) had been toned down a bit to accommodate American custmer base,, their food still resembled some aroma and spices that I recognized back home in SEA!Overall, I'm glad ABQ had another more authentic and less American styled Thai dishes (like your regular green/red curry spots) that had opened up and will b sure to stop by this place again whe I'm in the uptown/Coronado mall area!

TLDR; Lao street food that is refreshing and light, but would prefer it more pungent. Customer service is on point and haven't tried their boba yet.I've been wanting to have Lao food for awhile, and finally stumbled upon Rice Box N Boba! They open 12-8pm and is near the T-Mobile store near the mall. They have 3 designated parking for pick up, which is convenient bc that parking lot gets crowded easily. I was the first to arrive as soon as they opened. I was greeted right away and it was very inviting. The owners talked to me the whole time, and it felt like home. I'm Lao, so I have some knowledge on how I like the food to taste. This is a critique on mostly the food bc it's in the details. I ordered only food to-go since I was really hungry. I ordered: Lao Sausage Rice Box ($12.99), Spicy Papaya Salad ($10.99), Spicy Chicken Salad ($10.99), and Mango Sticky Rice ($7.99) for about $46 after tax. They told me it would take about 10 min bc they were also filming for social media. They handed me the food as soon as it was ready, so I got to try them while fresh before leaving. I will note that Lao flavor profile can be subjective, so this is my personal preference from past experiences. They did note they this is "street style" which I'm guessing means the visual isn't very refined, which Lao food isn't. My first impression, the visual lacked the colors that I'm used to seeing. The papaya salad looked "light" meaning it didn't have the brown color I'm used to from having fish sauce and padek (pungent fermented fish sauce). The taste was refreshing and light. It had the right elements of green papaya, chilis, lime juice, fish sauce, and tomatoes, but wished it had more tomatoes. The same sentiment with the Chicken Salad, the texture and spices were authentic, but it needed more flavors and fresh herbs like cilantro and scallions mixed in. I think I would've preferred more pungent flavors with more lime juice and fish sauce. And I wished they garnished everything with tomatoes, cucumbers, and cabbage to get the full experience. The iceberg lettuce that it was wrapped in was wilty, so I would've have preferred it to be fresh and crisp, so I can eat it as well. Both were about medium spicy. The chicken salad did come with sticky rice and a fried dumpling, which I would've enjoyed better if it was flashed fried and with a sauce. But again, this is still a great introduction to Lao food street style. I think as a suggestion, but I know fish sauce can be expensive in ABQ, so if they're able, have a fish sauce mixed in fresh chili, and other spicy sauces like garlic chili, dry chili and Sriracha in a rack that ppl can use to add on as an option. I've used these at some restaurants. The Lao sausage was hot, very flavorful and came with sticky rice, a fried spring roll, jeow (chili dipping paste), and spring mix salad garnish. Personally, I would've liked a sweet/sour/chili sauce with the spring roll, and also be flashed fried before serving bc it was kind of cold. The spices on the sausage tasted authentic. The sausage pairs well with papaya salad and sticky rice. I think instead of a salad garnish, it would be great to have cucumbers, tomatoes, and/or cabbage as a nice paired texture element for the full experience. But I also understand that it may not be part of their business plan. The Mango Sticky Rice was hot and ready. The sticky rice texture was great, but I'd liked if the sauce was just a tad sweeter, and this is coming from someone who doesn't like too sweet. It felt a little sweet/savory, which it's supposed to have a touch of salt. But the Mango was a bit tart, so that probably didn't help. They may have adjusted the sauce to be slightly sweet to pair with sweet Mango. Overall, customer service service is on point and the owner and his crew make you feel welcomed. They spoke Lao and English to me, so it felt like home. They also let me sample their fried chicken and sausage with sticky rice while I waited. Sam, the owner is from Fresno, CA and moved to ABQ is really cool and an inspiration. I want to support his business. As for the food, I would say it's on the light, refreshing, and savory authentic side. But I would've preferred flavors to be more pungent, with a little more sweetness, limey, and with lots of herbs. I still love the concept and will support, but I will take the food home to eat it the way I like it. I'll also have to try their boba later.

Came in with my wife. The restaurant is very nice inside and very clean. We both ordered the Fried Chicken with Jasmin Rice. The salad the comes with it was very tasty and the egg roll was great. The fried chicken was very good as well.I suggest pealing the chicken and coating it in the small sauce to give it an extra pop of flavor. Service was great, I only wish they had diet soda.

My recent culinary adventure began with a pleasant surprise from my sister, who delighted me at work with a mango sticky rice box that left a lasting impression. Intrigued by its unique flavors, I was eager to revisit the same place to indulge in the sticky rice with mango once again. With high expectations, I set out to experience this treat, only to encounter a few unexpected hurdles during my visit.Upon arriving at the restaurant, I was greeted by a clean and inviting atmosphere, complemented by friendly staff members. However, my excitement was soon tempered by the unfortunate news that they did not have any ripe mango available. This was a significant letdown, as the mango is a crucial element of the dish. Despite the absence of this key ingredient, I decided to go ahead and order the sticky rice. To my surprise, I was charged the full price for the dish, even though it was served without the mango. I later realized that I had also tipped the staff, which added to my disappointment. In hindsight, it would have been the right thing to do for the establishment to offer a discount in light of the missing mango.To elevate the experience, my son and I opted to try two boba drinks: a mango shake and a Thai milk tea. The Thai milk tea was decent, but it didn't stand out as a remarkable offering, and I wouldn't recommend it as a must-try. On the other hand, the mango shake was a delightful surprise, it was refreshing and absolutely delicious, earning a solid 10/10 rating from me. In conclusion, while my visit had its ups and downs, I truly appreciated the clean environment and friendly service. I left with a bittersweet taste in my mouth, but I remain hopeful for a return visit in the future. Next time, I will be on the lookout for ripe mangoes, as I am eager to experience the full delight of sticky rice with mango.

My son and I wanted to get a drink. We found Rice box & boba at uptown. It's a cute little place across from Bravo. I had a Thai green milk tea and he had a Hazelnut latte with boba. He also wanted to try the can boba milk tea. He loved the coffee, I'm not a fan of coffee at all so I will take his word for it. I liked the Thai green tea. It had the Thai flavor with jasmine from the green tea. Nice change. The service was good and friendly. The bathroom was clean as well. Give them a try.

Stopped by on a cold evening, tried out the saussage bowl, was delicious. The pot stickers were bubbly.and great. And the dragon fruit drink with boba was great. They also have some rare flavor chips and other snacks.

Convenient location, tasty menu options, and fabulous customer service! Tasty Boba options.

The spring rolls tasted like dish soap.Waited 10minutes for someone just to come out to front.

Staff is very friendly! Chicken is very delicious & tender. I can't describe the taste but it is a hint of sweet & pairs well with sticky rice. No seasoning or seasoning on the rice but I took the little salad & the dressing & makes the rice tasty!!! Food is made to order. The sausage seems homemade & is very juicy!!! I enjoyed it!!! I also got a Vietnamese coffee & very good but strong.

Sunday lunch ! Been craving and gotta be back toEnjoy this amazing rice combo box ! Taro milk tea & lays Asian chips are so good