Rice N' Spice

flavorful vegan options! upon arrival, rice n' spice is located in a semi-busy strip mall with ample parking spots. we got there about 30 minutes before closing and the staff still accommodated us by treating us kindly as we ordered takeout. since it was our first time trying this restaurant, we decided to share #6 Pol Roti Combo and requested the vegan version. we chose jackfruit curry and daal. the takeout portions were on the smaller side, but it was still sufficient for my partner and i to share as a sample platter. we have had sri lankan food a few times in portland, oregon that also happened to be vegan. i would say rice n' spice compares to the restaurant in portland called mirisata. every bite of roti tasted authentic and paired well with the curry. each dish is full of spices that are enriched with coconut milk. the coconut sambal is exceptional. overall, i highly recommend trying this restaurant as well as sri lankan food in general! this place is a hidden gem in the back corner of an otherwise random strip mall down the street from disneyland. the staff is excited to share their dishes and will address any dietary restrictions or concerns perfectly. it is a casual spot to have a seriously phenomenal meal.

I can't believe there is such amazing Sri Lankan food just right outside of Disneyland for amazing prices. I've had Sri Lankan here in California only a handful of times and this spot is easily the best I've had in my life (so far).Their menu is vast with a lot of different proteins and sides included, and you get to pick how you eat them (think of it like a carb of choice). I was thrilled to see so many vegan, plant-based options here to choose from, so this was a hard decision.We ultimately decided on #6) Pal Roti Combo and #19) String Hoppers, both with veggie curries and spicy coconut sambal. Each was priced at $16 and let me tell you, it came with a lot of food.The coconut roti was delicious and coupled well with the curry, jackfruit, and sambal. The rice noodle patties were such a fun way to enjoy everything as well, almost like a chip or tortilla. Everything tasted great, had an awesome kick, and filling.While the ambiance inside isn't amazing, it's still a comfortable spot to dine in and enjoy some fabulous and unique South Asian island cuisine. I am so ready to come back again and try more of their dishes because everything was just A+.--Funny enough, I had this twice in one day. I was attending a friend's wedding party and he ordered the same food from here for my vegan friendly meal.

First and foremost this place is best! And! I did forgot the name of the food that we ordered, not a great help on it but! Show them the pic! See my pic! You'll drool over it! It's best! Seriously like best!!!! The spices are wild but not too taming on the flavor! And!!!!!Freshly made with awesome plating! That egg stays well in the middle! Oh my! Definite best time here! I skipped the spoon though... used my hands instead! The service is good and fast and the place is clean! Price wise, it suits the best you can get!

I can't remember if I've tried Sri Lankan food before but this was a refreshing, enjoyable experience! As soon as we walked in, someone walked us through all the popular items on the menu and took time to explain what each one was. There are dishes with rice as well as their version of rice noodles. This is more of a self-serve kind of establishment where you order at the front counter, pick up water and utensils, and bus your own trays after.I forgot the exact name of what I ordered (it's number 3 on the menu and apparently one of the most popular) but it had lamb (you can choose your protein), seasoned rice, a boiled egg, and some veggies, all wrapped up in a banana leaf. The meat was tender and seasoned well, and I enjoyed pairing it with the rice. I got to try some of my friend's roti as well and it had a subtle flavor. The parking lot is small and limited (shared with other businesses in the strip mall) so you might struggle to find parking if you come here during busy hour. We came around 7 pm and luckily found a spot quickly. The space is relatively small, with a 4-5 tables that seat about 4 inside, and food comes out quickly. I would come back to try more items!

Fantastic flavorful fiery foods. If you can't take heat definitely ask mild. I do not remember how spell any of the dish names. Everything we had was so delightful. We had three different types of breads, beef curry, lump rice and 2 other entrée. Portions are generous and sharable. Come hungry and enjoy!

I am still in love with the food at Rice N' Spice! This is the only Sri Lankan place that I go to and it continues to serve up delicious food!I always call ahead to place an order for pickup. Wait times vary, but it generally takes them 45 minutes to prepare the food. Occasionally, their phone lines are so busy that I can't get a call in even after several tries. That's frustrating, but I can understand since they only have one person working the front and a few people in the kitchen. I wish they had more people working here to cut down on the wait times. My stars are for the quality and taste of the food and it is phenomenal!My go-to here are the Godamba Roti with Lamb ($17.99), Chicken Lamprais ($15.99), and Chicken Lunch Packet ($15.99). It's a small place that is self-serve only. I personally don't mind since I always get my order to go.

If my research is still current, Rice N Spice, is the only Sri Lankan restaurant in Orange County. It has been on my "to do" list for a very long time. I finally got the opportunity while recently visiting Irvine. So, on my way back to the SFV, I routed via Anaheim, to get a carry out, from this eatery. While there were many attractive choices on the menu, I chose the rice and curry combination (you can choose one meat and four vegetables). For me, it was going to be chicken with beetroot, eggplant, green beans and lentils. All the components were elegantly and colorfully placed on a banana leaf that was at the bottom of a carry out container. It is well known how the banana leaf imparts, preserves and enhances food flavors and this is a plus. Either way, this Sri Lankan rice and curry combination would not have disappointed. I ate it twice for supper that night and for breakfast and lunch the next day. Each item was tasty, with distinct flavors, well balanced spices and blended harmoniously to provide a multitude of textures and gastronomic pleasure. An excellent presentation and a memorable dish. I know it is a long hike from the SFV, but I will have to go back to enjoy more culinary treats from this genuine ethnic restaurant.

I finally found Sri Lankan food in LA and I am absolutely thrilled - I knew what I wanted and was ready to go when I got to the restaurant.Walking in you see the large TV with the menus displayed and an area for hot food to be served from (but there was no buffet/hot food options when I went on a late Saturday afternoon). You order at the counter and that's the extent of it.The restaurant is more suited for to-go than dine-in as there aren't many seats - maybe three or four? However, that should not deter you, especially as there were plenty of to-go orders being placed when I went there.Warning: Because everything is made fresh, it can take 10-20 minutes for your food to come out, but please know that it is absolutely worth the wait!Pro-tip: If you don't want to wait (because the food is made fresh for every order), order ahead by calling them.Here's what I got - I had been missing Sri Lankan food, so that's why it was a larger-than-usual order:- Sri Lankan Lunch Packet with chicken: Savory rice with four veggies wrapped in a steamed banana leaf: $15.99.This took me back to my childhood eating packette lunches in Southeast Asia that was a lot like this - one meat dish and lots of veggies all wrapped in lotus or banana leaves. Delicious!-- The chicken, fish, or vegeterian, is $15.99-- The beef or pork, is a (1) dollar more; $16.99.-- The lamb or shrimp, is two (2) dollars more; $17.99.- Godamba Roti with lamb: One (1) house-made egg roti and one (1) Godamba roti served with your choice of a meat side, veggie curry, and coconut sambol. $17.99The lamb was not game-y in anyway, deliciously cooked in a tonne of spices and very tender.The Godamba roti is similar to our Malay/Indonesia/Singaporean roti canais (which are similar to Caribbean parathas or Bangladeshi/Nepali/Indian/Pakistani/Burmese parathas - the flaky ones).Delicious, flakey, well cooked, and the egg Godambi is always my favourite.-- The chicken, fish, or vegeterian, is $15.99-- The beef or pork, is a (1) dollar more; $16.99.-- The lamb or shrimp, is two (2) dollars more; $17.99.- Pol Roti combo with beef: Three (3) house-made coconut (pol) rotis with your choice of a meat side, veggie curry, and coconut sambol. $16.99I love pol roti so much and have not been able to make it myself, so finding out that not only is there a Sri Lanka restaurant that I could go to in OC, but that they had pol roti really made my day.The beef was so tender and you can't go wrong with the sambol or daal.The pol roti is slightly thicker than your average roti (or tortilla), but not heavy in any way. It's a perfect roti to eat by itself, with some butter, sambol, or beef!-- The chicken, fish, or vegeterian option, is $15.99-- The beef or pork option, is a (1) dollar more; $16.99.-- The lamb or shrimp option, is two (2) dollars more; $17.99.- Hoppers with fish: One (1) egg hopper (Sri Lankan crepe) and two (2) plain hoppers made with rice flour & coconut milk served with your choice of a meat side, veggie curry, and coconut sambol. $15.99.Hoppers have the crispy edges and a thicker centre, given the shape of thier vessel and how they're cooked, and serve as a perfect breakfast or meal in general with any dish.- Sago: Tapioca pudding mixed with coconut milk, palm sugar, nuts, and spices. $4.69.Yes, yes, yes. Not too sweet, perfectly cooked sago with amazing flavour. It's not at all like boba - if that's what you're thinking when you read "tapioca". While the same ingredient, the chewiness is far less, particularly given the shape and size of the sago.The prices vs. quantity is on-par and while it can be expensive, especially if you order like me, this is absolutely worth it.And, if you've had Southeast Asian food from Cambodian, Indonesian, Malaysian, etc. or even South Asian food from Nepal, Pakistan, etc., Sri Lankan food will taste very familiar, delicious, flavourful, still unique!Fun fact: Sri Lankan (and southern Indian) spices cuisine are what travelled to Southeast Asia, leading to the heavy influence in flavours and dishes you see in the latter region - the coconut-heavy dishes we have in Southeast Asia take their influence from the trade routes from Sri Lanka and southern India.All the dishes have spices, but they are not spicy.The owner was also super nice and helpful! I had such a pleasant experience, I will definitely come back and try other dishes. I am so, so excited to have found this restaurant - cannot wait to have more. The sheer joy and relief I have now is hard to explain, but please know that this is a stellar small business to support, so please, please do!They also do catering, if you're interested.The restaurant was easy to find, plenty of shared parking.

Forewarning: This place offers no service, and food is made to order, so you will likely wait a good while. A compromise may be ordering ahead or to go. However, the food is worth it. Enjoyed my first taste of Sri Lankan food here. I especially liked the spiciness of the Kottu, and the sticky chewiness of the chopped roti, which was almost reminiscent of a wide rice noodle but firmer, is up my alley. (4/5) Also tried the Lamprais, which is apparently the most popular item. This was a more unique flavor that I haven't had before, with sweetness from the curried pineapple and milder stewed chicken that falls apart. The roasted banana leaf preparation is a plus as both a packet of flavor and fun presentation. Definitely worth trying (4/5)

Food was excellent in every way. I was driving back to San Francisco after going to Disneyland and stopped by for lunch. I asked them to make things mild for my daughter who can't handle spicy food. Please note that this is primarily a take out space with around 5 tables for sit down. The food was so good that I even bought a separate take out order. I will be back the next time I am in town.