Neil S.
Yelp
Rice Culture's Asian-influenced soft serve flavors served in taiyaki cones seem ubiquitous on social media. My wife and I usually disregard "viral" food places since they tend to offer style over substance, but Rice Culture's appealing menu and new location just a stone's throw from our go to Costco in Chantilly led us to take a chance.
We, fortunately, found that the desserts here lived up to the hype. My wife ordered a regular sized taiyaki soft serve with a seasonal ube/sakura milk swirl and I ordered a mini sized with a blueberry lavender flavor. The texture of the soft serve itself was deliciously creamy and had a strong, rich milk backbone. Unlike many ice cream places, the flavors actually tasted discernible without being overpowering. The taiyaki themselves arrived warm and possessed a buttery flavor and pleasant, slightly crisp exterior with a fluffy crumb.
I ordered my taiyaki cone with a red bean paste filling, and would actually pass on any cone fillings next time as they compete with the soft serve flavor and run too sweet. I also advise ordering the "mini" size since I find the standard portion of ice cream a little too large relative to the taiyaki.
While the treats here aren't cheap ($7+ for the mini and $9+ for the standard), the portions are decent and the quality of the product is evident. Parking is a cinch in the shopping center. The place is brand new and has a cute, clean, and spacious interior with plenty of seating. If you've viewed a TikTok or reel about this place, know that while a little pricey the offerings here meet the hype and are worth checking out for any fans of Asian desserts.