Rice Market

Rice Market is a small, tucked-away market beneath a restaurant that quietly delivers some of the most interesting moments if you time your visit right. I visited twice in one weekend and had two completely different experiences, which is exactly why this place stands out. On Friday night, the space revealed a speakeasy-style experience hidden within the market. It felt intimate and unexpected, not flashy or overproduced. The kind of “you had to be there” moment that elevates a night out. When I returned on Saturday, Rice Market shifted into daytime discovery mode with rotating pop-ups that felt thoughtful and well-curated. One standout was a yuzu ice cream created by a Michelin-starred chef that was bright, citrus-forward, and beautifully balanced. Alongside it was a sando pop-up with sweet and savory options. Clearly a popular one because they sold out early. What makes Rice Market special is its scale and flexibility. It’s not a food hall, and it’s not trying to be. It’s a compact space built for experimentation, pop-ins, and surprise, where the experience changes by the day and even by the hour. If you love discovering places that feel personal, layered, and quietly cool, Rice Market is the kind of spot that rewards curiosity, especially when you catch it on the right day. —————————————— Found the Rice Market recently when needing to kill some time before a Lip Lab appointment. Had no idea that this lovely hidden gem was tucked under the Rice Asian restaurant on 14th St. in the NW section of DC. Rice in addition to the restaurant has a specialty market filled with all of the things including Sake, Asian snacks, cookbooks, sauces, teas and other items. Rice Market also hosts cooking classes and events in this space. It was fun just exploring their curated selections to see what Rice had in store. If you want something special for a home cooked Asian meal, I suggest that you stop by Rice Market. They’re likely to have what you need. You might check out the market before or after you grab a bite at the restaurant upstairs. For a quick snack, I opted for a Kani nigiri from the market. It was tasty & a perfect small bite while on the go.

Super stylish Asian specialty grocery store! The staff are incredibly knowledgeable, and they carry so many unique items you won’t find anywhere else. Since I was traveling from Boston, I couldn’t bring much back, but I was especially impressed by their gorgeous selection of dishware. The market, restaurant, and event space are all beautifully designed and truly a pleasure to experience. Highly recommend stopping by if you’re in the area!

Went on two separate occasions to try both the upper and lower area! Restaurant Area: Went on a random weekday it was empty which was nice. They had a dim ambient and the server was helpful and attentive to whenever I needed him. They had amazing food and sushi though I forgot what I got. Market Area: Pretty small and they do stock asian mainly ingredients so in-case you are coming in looking for chips, sweets, and noodles they don’t have the biggest assortment but they do have popular picks! They also had fresh food but I went with the onigiri which was amazing! The place in general was awesome but is definitely on the higher-end of pricing! They also had wifi (kinda). I was able to connect to the neighboring shop’s wifi lol which I guess counts.

Great market- could find plenty of stuff I wanted to cook with. Great restaurant. Best Asian food I've had in DC so far. Was so so happy with the Thai food! Top tier service and AMAZING, reasonably priced drinks especially during happy hour. Go go go

10/10 item selection especially on the lower level. My only complaint is that they won’t let you eat the food you bought from the lower level in the dining area on the upper level. I guess it makes sense considering the limited space, but still, it would be nice to have an area to sit and eat.

This place is adorable! There’s some outdoor and indoor seating and a cute little marker downstairs. The food is delicious and service is good. Great date spot. The sushi was amaaaazing - loved the shrimp tempura roll (def preferred over the tiger roll for me). The seaweed salad had chili flakes in it, which I would prefer without, personally. The Tom kha was so so so tasty! I’ll definitely be back!

Rice Market is sooooooo good! If you like Asian-inspired ingredients and good food, go! It’s in the basement of a building along 14th Street NW filled with products like sake, fish sauce, pottery, and other items from Asia. The back has a sushi and rice bowl counter. Nearby is a grab-n-go area with pad Thai, curries, and more. The chicken red curry is the best I’ve had in the city

I love wandering around in Rice Market - it feels like entering another world, with an incredibly comprehensive and fun selection of beautifully arranged food and home products. I work nearby and come for the hot prepared grab-and-go food, which tastes more like grandma's cooking than a restaurant. In cold weather, the outside terrace is empty, so you can enjoy delicious hot food in the refreshing cold and people watch for 10-15 minutes.

Mini grocery area - 5 stars! Cafe/restaurant - 4 stars This is an adorable little market and food spot on 14th street. Who knew that you could get Asian specialty items and Japanese kitchenware and gifts in the middle of the city! Why YES, I need another mug in my cabinet - especially one of a panda climbing the rim of a bamboo pole!! In the grocery area, they sell all sorts of spices, rices, teas, salts, jams, drinks and sundries in their tiny basement area. Once you're done shopping, head upstairs and grab a sushi roll if you're hungry. At Happy Hour, they are ~$6 each. I tried the hamachi yellow tail, veggie roll and salmon roll. The rice was a little bit on the wetter side (doesn't have that chewy spring that you look toward to) and the fish freshness was just OK. We chased it all down with a crisp sauvignon blanc! There's also a menu of Thai items, including curry and noodles. I'll have to try that next time. Perhaps that is why their chopsticks are so big and not the delicate Japanese kind. Made it hard to pick up the sushi rolls. The service was quick and the seating area included these wooden seats that had these weird grooves - so not the most comfy to lounge on. You come here for a quick bite and to shop, so you don't need to sit long anyway. But otherwise, love the one-stop-shop idea!

Love this Japanese market on 14th street! It's the perfect place to pick up Japanese spices, groceries, tea, and even made to order sushi (with high quality fish). They have a nice selection of Sake, beer and wine for a date night or dinner party. It's also my go to spot to pick up little dishes for my mom. Their inventory is always changing!

Rice Market was a iInstagram find that as soon as I finished watching the video I headed out the door and it was worth every second of the drive. It's a cute place with very simple decor. It's not huge and it probably hold 30-40 people. Lots of bar seating and table seating so you have plenty of options. The staff are extremely friendly, service with a smile and that's what I like!!! Cocktails are amazing, highly recommend the passion fruit margarita!!! The sushi is the star!!! For what you're paying you are getting extremely good sushi. This pace needs to be on the Michelin guides radar as it's a perfect fit for a bib gourmet award. Easily some of the best spiced tuna I have had in DC. Highly recommended restaurant and when you're done head downstairs to their market for all your Japanese cooking needs. If you're lucky they will still have some onigiri available!!

Great place for sushi thai dishes. I love the khao soi but enjoy all the sushi too. Khao soi is rich and flavorful with some nice crunchy fried noodles on top. It has a great balance. The rolls are great and are all well balanced and flavorful. Service is very good and friendly. Always happy to explain things. You just need to know that they will not seat if you your whole party isn't there. It is a cool looking modern restaurant upstairs and a great asian market downstairs.

Came here with a friend and ordered take out. The location is quite popular and street parking can be hard to find but there is a small Japanese market below the restaurant which was a cute place! The restaurant is very intimate and the ambiance has nice mood lighting. The people working there were friendly and although it did take quite long to get our order they were very polite and kindly let us know of the delay. The food is pricey but it is DC Prices and the food was tasty. I would recommend if you're looking for a place for Thai, Japanese and Chinese cuisine.

Stopped by for a quick early dinner after a long day. It happened to be happy hour! Standard sushi rolls are $6 each, some appetizers are $5 and select beer and wine are also $6-$7. Ambiance is a bit sterile without much decoration. Service was efficient and friendly. The market downstairs is so great to have in the neighborhood!

If you decide to get sushi, I would highly recommend sitting at the bar. The restaurant has that dark ambient lighting so it can set the tone for a sleek evening dinner. Our waitress was informative and walked us through the flavor profile of the dishes on the menu. And I can see why because Rice Market (the market) has a wide inventory that touches on various parts of Asian cuisine and I love to see this diversity reflected on their menu as well. Although we would expect that they would concentrate on Northeast Asian flavors, a lot of the sleeper hits on the menu actually lean Southeast Asian. Rice market is also known for their fresh fish, but the quality of their proteins were on par with their sashimi grade fish. We ordered the Spicy Duck and it was so good. Duck is already such a small protein, its very common to receive bone in duck, but here only the duck breast is cut (on a bias for ample texture) and it was stir-fried with a great sweet soy wok-hei flavor that pairs so well with the fat. The vegetables were still crisp and glossy and they left a string of Thai green peppercorn which is such a great surprise since you rarely see that ingredients in dedicated Thai restaurants in DC. I think it speaks to how specific Rice Market goes to with their ingredients and I want them to be known for capturing rare and hard-to-get ingredients when it comes to that region as well. Of course, we got their Sashimi Combo, which was generously cut against the grain and left a melt-in-your-mouth impression due to the high quality of the fish. The fish draws on the classics you would expect out of a sashimi platter, but it was so well prepared, we savored every bite since you only receive two slices of each fish. Overall, rice market supplies DC with such an array of high-quality Asian ingredients, its expected that their restaurant would carry that same spirit. The execution of each dish in terms of flavor profile and preparation is great and would love to revisit further on their menu.

The food was pretty good (the rice was delicious lol). The people were friendly and the place was clean.

I enjoy coming to this Asian market. Small but packed with quality items perfect for Asian cooking for cooking Asian cuisines of the Far East. I enjoy that there are DIY cooking kits, onigiris, and few other items ready-to-eat. I also come here to get the yuzu sakes. They have also cooking utensils (high-end and pricey - but worth it if you plan to use them often). The environment is cute and warm even though it's in a basement.

WOW! This quiet gem is great. The sushi is fresh and delicious. The service is great and a trip downstairs to the market is a hidden treasure.

Rice Market is sooooooo good! If you like Asian-inspired ingredients and good food, go! It's in the basement of a building along 14th Street NW filled with products like sake, fish sauce, pottery, and other items from Asia. The back has a sushi and rice bowl counter. Nearby is a grab-n-go area with pad Thai, curries, and more. The chicken red curry is the best I've had in the city.

Such a great little market! Theres a wide variety of goods to select from and you'll definitely end up trying and falling in love something new. The sushi here is also really great and fresh. Only critique i have is the service in the restaurant section is slightly cold most times when I come to order food. It feels like im an annoyance to the staff which makes the experience slightly uncomfortable but the quality of the food is what keeps me coming back.

I have only come here for the market itself but this place is such a gem. They have a delicious variety of Asian staples, hot prepared items, and groceries. I have come back several times hoping to catch them when they have Onigiri, but so far I have not been lucky. The sauces and take home kits have been my favorite so far. We really enjoyed the pad Thai kit as well as the green curry and panang curry sauces- all of them elevated our home cooked dinners

Oh my gosh, this beautiful little shop has Everything you could need! So worth going, and the perfect place to stock your pantry. The restaurant upstairs also has really delicious food.

What a great find! I visited this place due to a pop-up with Toimoi and Chiboo bakery. It's located downstairs right next to its restaurant. They have a variety of events with well known chefs from the area who will do private events for patrons. They also have a wide selection of ingredients and drinks. They even have a section to take food on the go. There were even some drinks you could only get in certain places in the U.S. that they had. I plan to come back and to bring some friends - it's definitely a great place to stock up on groceries.

This is one of the treasures of this neighborhood! If you live in this area and you cook or entertain or just want to buy a cute gift--give this place a look. It's downstairs, below rice restaurant. They have all your Asian food needs, a small but thoughtful collection of wines on offer, sushi, useful fresh items like Thai basil and even super cute ceramic dishes and cookbooks. No I don't know anyone who works there, I just love this little shop!

Just walking by and happened to get that magical urge that's something very special was nearby and to my surprise I think I might've found the coolest market in DC. It's filled with an incredible selection of natural wine socket, culinary ingredients, cookware, kitchen supplies, books, and so much more. this is a really exciting time to be a food lover or market shopper because we finally have highly curated unique places to shop and this is at the top of my list. I don't wanna share too much just come in and make sure to bring self restraint I could easily spend $100 here.

Loved exploring this Asian market! Everything is so aesthetic and it's the perfect place to buy gifts for friends whether it's a book, bowls, tea, etc! Check out the interior https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cs6I57JtPzK/

Wow, what a surprise. Lots of cool items. Great selection. Prices were ok too especially for the city. Lots of choices from food to prep ingredients to dishes. Loved the dishes, Miya. I was told they were both microwave and dishwasher safe. Definitely give them a try.

randomly went in to look around and got the to go pad SeeEew - this is easily the BEST pad SeeEew I've ever had. SO amazing, so much flavor, so good

Top items at Rice Market that just make sense: *They have a pad see ew kit and other kits to make a very easy dinner. -They also sell homemade curry sauces! *The Thai Lay's chips that have double flavors - like shrimp and chili oil. *Sichuan pepper oil - adds pizazz to any meal! *Matcha beer! Often sells out, though. *MAKKU - Korean makgeolli rice wine that comes in different flavors like mango and blueberry This market is a godsend! They have commonly-used Asian pantry items, mostly Thai of course, but also some Japanese and South Asian, and brands/things that are usually hard to find in D.C. The liquor selection is great as well - plenty of variety and I always like to pick up something I've never tried before. Rice Market also has an assortment of gift and houseware items in the back. I love coming here, and it helps the owners/staff are super sweet people too. :)

Popped in for lunch on a whim and was happy I did! Quick service, very friendly staff and the food was excellent! I got the caterpillar roll and it was very fresh, as well as the spring rolls. My favorite part was the gingery sauce to dip the spring rolls in! Will definitely be back!

Rice Market is one of my favorite places in DC. The main floor is a delicious, reasonably priced Thai restaurant with friendly staff. The basement is a cute, well-stocked grocery / liquor store with key Asian cooking ingredients, books, dishes, cookware, tea, pre-made meals, candles, and so much more. I come here if I need soju, chili crisp, Thai chili peppers, makku (makgeolli), curry paste, and so much more. I could spend hours here :'). At the restaurant, my absolute favorite dish is the crispy red snapper - the sauce is so tangy and lightly spicy! I always save the sauce and take it to go afterwards

Their restaurant upstairs serves the best pad thai in the city. The market is full of gems and even has a sushi counter. They also have an upstairs event space that is gorgeous!! Love having this place in my neighborhood. And the owner Sak is so lovely!

This is a very good restaurant. Food for a great price. The dishes were all fresh and light.

Had a really great meal at Rice Market! I have shopped downstairs in the market a few times, but wanted to try dining in! They don't take reservations and it was busy on an early weeknight, but we snuck in at a bar top and were served quickly! Food was delicious. I was nervous about spice level (things were labeled S for spicy) but our waitress confirmed the spice is not too bad and I agreed. My favorites were the drunken noodles and the pad Thai, but everything we are was good! I'd love to come back and try one of the soups and the ribs which they were sold out of!

Rice Market is such a welcome addition to the neighborhood. They have prepared meals from their restaurant which are perfect to grab if you're in a hurry. They also have some obscure ingredients that are hard to find in DC since we don't have a proper Asian market. They also have some great gifts for friends (or yourself)!

This is my favorite place in DC to buy home goods and groceries. I love the restaurant upstairs, but this review focuses on the market. As we go into the holiday season, this place is perfect for picking up beautiful and charming home goods -- from ramen bowls to cast iron pots. Some items are quirky, all are elegant. Every time I come, I like to bring home at least one small treasure. (The mugs from the Rice Market allow me to enjoy my morning coffee even more.) This time of year, it's the best spot for curated gifts. The food, spices, teas, treats, wines, and booze will also bring joy -- in your kitchen or as gifts. And, being able to grab delicious take out on the way home -- total bonus.

I had a last minute need for an ingredient -- sticky rice -- and they had a bag at a very fair price. Nice collection of ingredients and cooking implements, as well as a range of cookbooks from various cuisines around the world

Good quality sushi without the wait! I live around the corner and like to come by to grab a roll for lunch or dinner. I've also bought sake here :) Haven't actually eaten at the restaurant upstairs

great selection of asian sauces/spices/sake/ceramics/cookware/etc. they also have some hot prepared foods and some produce/herbs, as well as a made to order sushi counter. great spot to find stuff that is harder to get elsewhere

YALL... this place was LOVELY AH! I went during lunch order and had sushi and a seaweed salad. The restaurant is VERY reasonably priced for their excellent quality food, beverages, and goods. Before my meal, I wandered around the market on the basement level and explored all of the beautiful Asian trinkets and prepared foods. I was super hungry so I spent most of my time upstairs receiving the best service. I had my water refilled so many times during my meal and didn't have to wait around long for my food to the check. The next time I go back, I want to spend more time in the market and get some food items to take home with me and kitchen items to cook with. Thank you so much for the lovely experience, Rice Market. You are awesome!

A fantastic, authentic Thai place. I wish more people knew about it so people could support them! They definitely deserve it. Super affordable, especially with the quality, being in DC, and the lack of good Asian food around. The people, ambiance, and service are always great. food is always good too, and I lived in Thailand for a few years. Below the restaurant is an Asian store where they have Asian snacks, Asian wine/ beer, matcha, spices, oils, rices, candles, fresh rice noodles (!!!), and even pad Thai, pad see ew, or drunken noodle kits where they out the vegetable, sauce, noodles, and protein into a box for you to make at home. They also have fresh sashimi you can buy.

i love this little spot. i ve only tried their sushi from the fresh sushi counter and the sticky rice with mango. all delicious and the staff are super friendly. its my go-to lunch spot

I have passed by this spot multiple times but only patronized the really cute market downstairs which is fully stocked with Asian groceries. Came here with a girlfriend for dinner and the portions are really big. I ordered the drunken noodles with beef which filled me up whilst she had the shrimp tempura with panang curry and had leftovers for takeout. Not the most authentic Thai spot but the ambience is great and you do not need a reservation for dine in.

A unique hidden gem on 14th Street with friendly customer service. You can find almost anything you need here to cook Thai / Asian inspired dishes as well as pre-portioned and pre-cooked meals if you are on the go (....my only issue is the price for some of the items). There is a wide variety of beers and sake. They have reasonably priced sush rolls, sashimi and chirashi bowls which are SOLID.

This is a wonderful store located below Rice Restaurant. They have a wonderful supplies of Asian ingredient including some amazing high quality products. They also carry some prepared foods and produce. Definitely worth checking them out.

Surprising variety of Asian food products (ranging from Indonesian to Chinese, from ingredients to fully prepared) in a small but uncrowded space. Very good sashimi-grade fish (call at least 24 h ahead). Love the prepared curry sauces. Good snacking items. Small but good selection of Asian beers and Sake. Also have nice dinner- and kitchenware and other food-related household items.

Walked in hoping to grab a quick bite to eat and Rice Market did just that and more! We ordered rice bowls, which had a 30 minute wait because it was a busy night. The store is so cute and everyone was so nice! Beautiful store and delicious bowls.

This was such a great find as I was randomly walking around 14th st. Hidden away in the basement of the bar on top, this is a cute little asian market where you can find your essentials if you're looking to jazz up your kitchen pantry with easy asian staples. You can find a variety of sauces, hot sauces, spices and noodles to help you with your thai, chinese and japanese cooking. The product sizes are smaller than what you would find at the suburban asian markets, but these are perfect for apartment kitchen living tbh, especially for the absolute basics that you need to stock up on. They also have a great selection of soju and sake and sell a small but absolutely delicious selection of thai lunches to go. The curries are delicious and a medium spicy, there's only so much they offer so you get what's on the table and it's honestly some of the healthiest and delicious thai food on the strip and for $10 bucks it's a great option for a quick lunch.

Garden rolls with shrimp were very fresh and the coconut sticky rice and seaweed salad all from the grab and go section were amazing. Definitely returning to check out the restaurant and more of the store!

Really excellent small market and friendly owners. Highly recommended for Asian ingredients in a convenient location.

The Gluten free sautéed ginger chicken $9.95 was my favorite. The tofu curry chicken was delicious as well. The staff is very nice and helpful. The grocery store has so many options that I could not go through them. I will keep going back for more!

Super cute little store! Great sake selection and super friendly shop keepers. Bought a few pantry staples and a little treat for myself and left very happy.

Getting out to H Mart and other East Asian supermarkets in the burbs can be inconvenient. For years it's just been Hana Market if I've needed to grab some Asian groceries in DC proper. Rice Market is another small but well-curated one-stop-shop on 14th with everything from fresh produce, ready-made food, and spices to sake, houseware and cookbooks. They've expanded their selection since opening and the staff is super warm and welcoming.

Amazing little store! Love they have all my essential asian spices. Best part is their wine and beer selection and we loved the to-go food! We will be back!!

Great market with high quality hard to find items from all across Asia. The market also has some good Thai takeout options too - I tried a veggie green curry that was great. Highly recommended!

Just walked in with my bike and the manager started yelling very load and rude. He could have asked nicely. I don't know about you but manners is more important to me than anything else. Won't be going there and won't suggest the place.

Such a cute store in the basement of Rice on 14th! My boyfriend and I picked up some Rishi tea to gift to his mother, and the salespeople were so helpful and friendly. As far as consumables go, they have lots of reasonably-priced Asian cooking ingredients, along with a large selection of wine as well. They also have a bunch of pretty table linens, bowls, candles, and serving utensils. I will 100% be back when I need a nice hostess gift!