Rice Cooker was my go-to lunch spot as it was the first Asian restaurant in Zionsville and was close to my work. They have updated the dining room with a trendy Asian vibe. Adele was playing quietly over the speakers. They have a great lunch menu with lots of $8.99 options. I ordered Szechuan Beef with a touch of spicy heat. The generous portion of vegetables were super fresh and the beef was juicy and tender. Portions were perfect for lunch. My husband had the Kung Pao Chicken. He commented that there was a lot of chicken and his lunch was very good. Our server was friendly, but busy. She acted as hostess and server for the entire restaurant. She kept our water glasses full. Food came out fairly quickly. There is plenty of parking in the strip mall lot. The restroom is clean and spacious. read more

See all

This place was fantastic!! The service was impeccable. They really make you feel at home and welcomed. We tried everything on the menu....Just kidding but so many things 1 Egg Roll 1 Spring Roll 4 crab Rangoons Hot Sour Soup with wonton chips (The BEST) Beef Chow Mei Fun牛肉米粉 Beef Broccoli 芥兰牛 This was enough food to feed a family of 3 but we just had leftovers! All items were delicious. The portions were much generous than I've seen in awhile. Ingredients were fresh and full of flavor. I can't wait to come back and try many more options as their menu is extensive. Happy danced the whole way through!!!! Keep up the fabulous work you all are doing here! read more

See all

It has been a couple of years since we've been here- no particular reason. We could sense a change of leadership/owner. Interior has been spruced up a bit. Bright and clean. Although most people seem to be carrying out their orders, there were a few booths, and we chose to dine in. The charming young woman handling orders at the register was also our server; she managed it all with finesse and grace. Food was as good as ever- the steady stream of takeout customers affirmed my opinion. Not being a fan of msg, I chose the shrimp and black bean dish, which I had never had before, anywhere. The menu did not have descriptions of the food, which would have been helpful. I found something online that said usually the black beans are fermented in this dish, and I'm not sure if these were, but they tasted like normal black beans to me. Shrimp portion was generous, and shrimp were fresh. The size of the portions was reasonable (plenty for us), though might appear less than what you typically get in the Chinese restaurant; I assume this is a reflection of inflation. My companion had chicken teriyaki with fried rice, which he loved. Service was great and overall we were very happy with our meal. read more

See all

Restaurant clean, organized, my waitress was attentive and gave me good tips. My food came quick and tasty. You should try, they are more than worth. ;) read more

Rice Cooker - Crab Rangoons - Chinese Near Me - Zionsville, Indiana

See all

Well, first time and heard rave reviews. So, I had to try it for myself. Went over the holidays and felt a lil lazy. They were swamped but service was quick and food was delicious . My first time having carry out in Indy and they did not disappoint. Would definitely recommend. Oh, I had the monster Crab Rangoon but it's couldn't make the photo session read more

See all

I had lunch here with friends and this is a nice, classic, Chinese-American place. We had lunch specials which are mostly under $10 which is a great deal. The lunch specials come with a lunch portion of an entree and a scoop of white or fried rice. I had the Hunan chicken and fried rice. I ordered the chicken spicy and it did have red pepper flakes in it giving it a little kick. The flavor was good and the vegetables were all fresh and nicely cooked. The chicken was tender and flavorful. The fried rice was classic and tasty. We also shared some fried dumplings and edamame to start which were both good. Service was excellent and they even gave us pretty artificial roses since it was Mother's Day! Parking is easy in the strip mall parking lot. The dining area was full for lunch on a Sunday, but we were able to get the last remaining booth. I'll definitely stop by here again when I'm in the mood for classic Chinese takeout. read more

Rice Cooker - Hunan Chicken lunch with Fried Rice - Chinese Near Me - Zionsville, Indiana

See all

SO nice to have dependably good Chinese food locally. There is a certain amount of "American-Chinese" style, but that's okay if you know what to order -- or maybe that's the style you like. The lunch specials are well-executed. You can enjoy a tasty and filling hot lunch without having a lot of leftovers. We've patronized Rice Cooker a lot more often since new ownership took over. And, the only reason this is not a Five-Star place in our humble opinions is that we reserve that rating for the really ethnically authentic, even diverse, usually big city, genuinely high cuisine restaurants. However, there is just NO risk having a meal at Rice Cooker. As Asian food fans know, it's supposed to be eaten hot and very fresh, right out of a wok, so we like to go to sit & eat, not just to get takeout. They get busy at lunch, so (just like everywhere for us), we try to go at slightly off hours. The food is tasty and fresh ingredients are used. As others have stated, the service is attentive, polite, helpful. The young woman who manages and serves customers is kind, efficient, and smart. The shop is clean, and pleasant. They even have good hot tea one can order, something that is not always to be had at other places. If you want to tweak your order (which we've only done On Site, not for takeout) with subtracting one veg, for instance, and adding in another (like water chestnuts), they accommodate. There might be a small charge, but it's worth it to get the food you want the way you want it. Ask for truly spicy if that's your thing -- speak up IF you want hot sauce or hot chili oil on the side. One thing that keeps us coming back is that Rice Cooker does NOT over-sodium their dishes. At least, we have noticed that we don't have to keep remembering to order "low soy sauce" or "Low salt, please". One can always add soy sauce or salt, after all. It is a pleasure to take first bites of one's meal and not be overwhelmed by salt. read more

The lady that runs, the restaurant is always greeting. Everyone with a smile, and it really creates a great atmosphere. For me personally it's definitely not my favorite spot to go to only because I believe that a lot of their flavors are a little bit more tomato based. Even the orange chicken doesn't really taste like orange chicken it kind of taste like tomato soup mixed with orange chicken. And I'm just not a huge fan of that, but I am a huge fan of their beautiful magnificent crab Rangoon's!!!!! and of course they're wonderful customer service as well. The crab Rangoon's are as big in person as they are in pictures and I have to say they may look like a lot but when you unwrap it a little bit and break it off into three sections, which is what I personally do. You kind of fold it into the crunchy part and it is amazing. Most of the time when you would order for crab Rangoon's you're probably thinking oh I'll just eat all four but if you don't have other people with you, never buy four. It is way too much. I'm a big back. I've tried to eat for and it is hard. At a certain point, you're just force feeding yourself. They're very rich and creamy and overall just amazing. Because I love this restaurant and the way the staff is, I would like to make a critique that I think it helped them a lot. Obviously not that they need any help because they are literally one of the only restaurants that I regularly pick up from with DoorDash, but I think it would help if they cooked the vegetables a little bit longer and stirfry them more, especially with the dishes, like the orange chicken and dishes like that because the vegetables are very hard. They do not taste cooked whatsoever other than the broccoli. The broccoli does taste a little bit cooked, but it's just like flash fried from what it seems like. But I would like it to be just a little bit more cooked not that this review will ever be seen by any of my wonderful friends working there, but I really hope you guys consider cooking the vegetables just a little bit longer. I've not had your fried rice. There's a lot of pork in most of the items you guys have so that's something I don't eat, which makes it a little bit difficult to talk about the rest of the menu about from what I have had I will say that the flavor is OK. It's just not amazing when it comes to the main courses that I've tried but the crab Rangoon's are number one in the country. read more

******Kid's meal review only ****** Will never purchase a kids meal again. $7 for the SMALLEST portions ever. The rice was barely a serving. My son was so disappointed when we got home. Rice Cooker is our go-to family meal place per week though we have never gotten a kids meal before Incredibly disappointing. Please do better Rice Cooker, especially for the price. read more

Rice Cooker - Chicken puffs - Chinese Near Me - Zionsville, Indiana

Had 16 in for a birthday party. Everyone enjoyed every dish - all were different - even the littles. Hot & sour soup was the best I've ever had. Egg Rolls were only so-so. Only complaint was the crab rangoon - great value for the money, but misidentified as an appetizer and as crab. It was stuffed with overly sweet cream cheese and nothing else that I could see/taste. It should be listed as a dessert. The service was wonderful, especially considering the huge party that descended on them unexpectedly. Definitely worth a return visit. read more

I was promptly greeted and asked if dining in or carrying put. I decided to dine in. Mostly carryout restaurant but has a nice small dining area. It was a little busy at the time so it took a few minutes to place my order because there was only one waitress. I ordered hot tea, crab ragoon and Kung Pao Shrimp with white rice. The crab ragoons were huge the filling was not good at all and had no crab and were flavorless. I received my order with fried rice and it took two attempts to get the white rice. My meal was just okay. The entrée was bland. There was no Pao to my dish. I asked for spicy and definitely was not. Didn't taste authentic, more cooked from frozen. I had plenty of food leftover but left unfulfilled. Although I was the only one in the restaurant at the time, I didn't see her again during my meal. At the end she appeared and asked for a to go box. Once she gave it to me I started writing and finished this review and decided she wasn't coming back. I stood up and she was behind me watching something on her phone and eating! She was surprised to see me! Although lousy service I still tipped, less than normal!! Although I have a new place for mani/pedi, that's my first and last time at Rice Cooker! read more

See all

Yum! We had a lovely dinner here. They have it set up to do carry out and dine in. Not quite a "dive" but just a casual open dinner space. On the menu, they have regular meals and for a few $$s more you can make it a "complete" meal. The complete meal comes with soup and an egg roll. The portions are generous, and everything was good. They have a mix of a few diff Asian items. kimchi -Korean dishes, spring rolls- Viet dishes, variety of Chinese and I think I even saw some Thai dishes and curry? Good place to try different foods. I'll def be back, need to take a closer look at the menu next time. For this time the Honey Chicken was similar to sweet and sour. The Mei fun noodles were light. Lots of chicken. read more

See all

I've been eating Rice Cooker for a few decades as Zionsville is my hometown, and my husband has been eating here for about six years. We. Love. It. It's been around for so long for good reason: reliability, value, consistency, and kindness. My absolute favorite is the vegetarian Gang Tofu (Gang Gai has chicken). If you like any Thai curries, you'll love this dish. I always request white rice as sometimes it's served with fried rice. Edamame is also tasty. I recognize my dishes aren't typical American Chinese, but trust me on this! My husband loves plenty of dishes on the menu, but his #1 is Szechuan Chicken. It's not too heavy on the sauce and has plenty of bright vegetables. BBQ Pork Boneless Ribs are a fun change of pace for an appetizer and Viet Summer Rolls are super fresh. Of course, Rice Cooker's giant Crab Rangoons are their signature item. One is plenty for me, but they reheat great in the air fryer which is not the case for most. They're a must try, even if they don't become your go-to. You can order with an app called "Beyond Menu" and ours is typically ready within 15-20 minutes. Remember to tip well to appreciate good and easy service!! read more

See all

Went to Rice Cooker for lunch for the first time. Ordered General Tsao, and it was great. The chicken was actually hand breaded chicken (other restaurants use generic McNuggets). Everything was first class, and fresh. This continues to be one of my favorite restaurants in the area for quality, and freshness. It is a real gem, try it you will like it. read more

Did take out. I ordered the Moo Goo Gai Pan and I'm not a fan, it's kinda gelatinous and not the best flavor. The chicken seems like very cheap meat and the fried rice and vegetable egg roll were both too plain. read more

General Tsos- sauce tasted like it was a ketchup base, no spice Crab Rangoon- all cream cheese or some gelatinous material impersonating cream cheese Shrimp lo mein- bland but edible Veggie egg roll- only thing that was actually decent Would not recommend. read more

Absolutely terrible. Yogurt-like filling in the crab ragoons, they were very runny. We ordered lo mein and instead we got spaghetti. Very disappointing. read more

I grew up coming to the rice cooker in zionsville alot of after school days were spent at the rice cooker I don't know what changed but the food tastes way different then it did 20 years ago I noticed no soup noodles were on the table and the rice cooker had a make over inside I did enjoy the crab ragoons there still my favorite read more

We love this restaurant... we eat here a few times a week. This is the best Chinese food in our area. The food is always fresh and delicious. We usually order the chicken and broccoli and the sesame chicken with the combo fried rice. The food is even excellent re-steamed the next day! The service here is as exceptional as the food. The people here go out of their way to make sure the customer is happy. The restaurant is always very clean and bright. Love this restaurant read more

We have been there several times. Very good quality food and good service. A little pricey compared to other Chinese carry out places, but worth it. read more

The servings are large enough to share. We drive 40 mins to this restaurant for the great food. This is the first time we dined in. It was clean and the atmosphere was relaxing. read more

Rice Cooker - Sweet and sour chicken. Shrimp fried rice, crab Rangoon fried biscuits - Chinese Near Me - Zionsville, Indiana

Food was quick turn around. No issue with service or ordering. Food had 0 flavor. Just nothing, a frozen dinner would have more depth and flavor. read more

Our noodle dishes were cooked well. We asked for medium spice and one was considerably more spicy than the other. The menu has soo many different noodle dishes I think I'll try another one next time. The beef is the best in the area for Chinese food in my opinion. And the crab Rangoons are phenomenal. They're huge, have sweet filling and are super crunchy. So, so good. All in all a good visit read more

Rice Cooker - Beef Chow Mee Fun - Chinese Near Me - Zionsville, Indiana

See all

We've been coming here years. But somehow it was lost their family feel with the transition of the new owners. The old owners would always welcome us, remember our names, and say hi with a smile. New front desk has no customer service and somehow... I feel judged when I made our order. My family has always ordered kimchi fried rice (house style) but since the new takeover of the new owners... the order is non existent or we'd have to pay more. This is understandable, I get it... however the way the two ladies in the front approached the situation was disappointing. I love the way they remodeled the area. Looks clean and modernized. Thankfully with the service and staff change, the quality of their food has stayed constant. Which is the reason why I give it a three. I do miss the old owners and hope they are doing well. read more

Why did it take me this long to discover this place?! Excellent food that spans across Taiwanese, Thai & Korean cuisine. Everything ordered was hot, fresh and made from scratch! The woman running the pickup/checkout counter is so sweet. She's also quick, thoughtful and on top of it! We had the General Tso's chicken, plain lo mein noodles, fried rice and the chicken wings. * General Tso's had a lighter, more flavorful sauce than the typical sugary-sweet sauce you find on it at other places. Very impressed! It was cooked with onions, carrots & broccoli. * The lo mein was some of the best I've had. So tender and light, just added a little soy sauce and a couple of dashes of hot sauce. * Fried rice was lightly sticky and tender, which is perfect in my opinion! * Chicken wings were fried to perfection. Golden and crispy on the outside, hot and tender on the inside. I will definitely be coming back to Rice Cooker to explore the menu! read more

Rice Cooker - General Tso's (top left), lo mein noodles, Chicken Wings -- takeout - Chinese Near Me - Zionsville, Indiana

Closest to New England pork fried rice that I've found. I order it with extra bean sprouts. Yum. Always hot and fresh.

My husband and I went here because it was one of the only places open on Christmas Eve. We got out of our church service and were craving Chinese so this hit the spot (kind of). Was is the best Chinese? No. However, I really enjoyed their wonton soup. I got the chicken fried rice and the chicken was super bland. I enjoyed the rice and veggies but couldn't get past the bland chicken so I only ate about a third of it. My husband got the sesame chicken and he said it was pretty good. We're still on the hunt for a good Chinese place in our area. We might be back next Christmas Eve but I don't plan on going back before then. read more

Always quick and always good! One meal gets me thru 3 days easily too. Love their crab rangoon.

Josh and I had a date night at Rice Cooker this week. If you had told me that I would love Chinese food as I kid, I would have laughed at you. Even more if you had said it would be where I had my unofficial first date with my to-be husband, and that it would become one of our favorite places. The food always comes out steaming, and you can tell everything is made fresh. The chicken doesn't taste like rubber, and the rice is perfect! The staff is always very cheerful and attentive. My go-to dish with having food sensitivities is the "Honey Chicken" with no soy and no breading. Basically chicken and veggies with a sweet sauce that's delicious. If I want to mix it up like earlier this week, I'll order "Gang Gai", which is what you see pictured. It's chicken and veggies in a coconut milk curry soup that really opens up your sinuses! It's delicious and bursting with flavor. If you can handle spicy foods really well, you might be okay with the hot, but I usually get the mild and still find it hot at times. Guess I need to toughen up! For those without allergies, Josh really likes the Cashew Chicken. They are also known for their Crab Rangoon, which I've heard is divine. read more

Rice Cooker - Gang Gai with steamed rice, and Spicy Chicken with steamed rice. - Chinese Near Me - Zionsville, Indiana

Very disappointing. The chicken tasted and looked like it was out of a can. Spring roll was good. read more

This is one of the better Chinese takeout places around - and they have a pleasant dine-in area too. I usually go at lunch time. The hot and sour soup is to die for. I could just make a meal out of that. Ive literally eaten here over 20 times and have ordered the same dish every time - Kung Pao Chicken - which they serve with lots of fresh vegetables. Its so good i cant bring myself to try anything else. Top it off with excellent service and a super friendly staff and its hard to walk away unhappy. This place is a solid anchor in the neighborhood. read more

Great service and well priced. Kung po chicken was great, and the crab ragoons are the size of baseballs! Since they did a renovation, the food seems to be much better! Great lunch for under $10.00. read more

The food was very delicious. The customer service follow my instructions very well. My food was not too salty. I will definitely be back! Keep up the good work! read more

I gave them a chance via delivery, but the food is simply not quality. I am really actually surprised by the positive reviews given the cheap quality of food and average flavor. For the price range, there are plenty of other restaurants in the area that can give you a better meal. I was dissatisfied and won't be ordering again. Definitely do not recommend for foodies or those with a more sophisticated palate. On a positive note, I did like their biscuit donuts. read more

The food, quality and service is no longer there since the original owners sold. The current people who own it are lacking everything to run a food business. read more

For some reason, each time I've been there since ownership changed, their rice has been undercooked and hard.

We've been going to Rice Cooker for a long time, this last visit was not up to expectations. Food was good but not as good as in the past. Has the Beef, onion, mushrooms and the beef tasted like it was floured? Onions and mushrooms were excellent. Egg drop soup was good but not hot. Service was ok but not like in the past. It's been redecorated and was very nice. read more

This place is good spot for lunch. I went there with some co workers and I was excited to try a new place. I ordered the crab ragoons and the general chicken. I was confused because they only had 2 or 4 pieces so I just got the 2 piece and these were the BIGGEST crab ragoons that I have ever had. I will say that they were the best that I have had in a long time. Lunch was good. It was typical general chicken but I did like that it had vegetables in it. We did get one meal to go and there was a ton more food in that so I suggest getting it to go because you get more food! read more

Yes, they have the standard American Chinese stuff like everyone else. They also have many other Asian dishes than just Chinese. They also have some Chinese dishes that many other restaurants don't serve. Their food is outstanding. Always consistent. Great service. If you bring in something you find at an Asian market and don't know how to cook it, they will cook it for you. I could not believe three people were allowed inside without masks. They then sat at a booth directly behind a lady. No 6 foot separation. I guess their sign on the front door does not mean anything. read more

I moved back to the Indy area after being away for four years and my first meal back was Rice Cooker. I used to grab take out here pretty often, and now I'm excited to be living just a few miles away. I was also pleasantly surprised to see them on DoorDash. Their crab rangoons are infamously large, so don't balk when you see the price for a two piece order of them. I ate them before my entree and barely touched my entree because they are so stuffed. General's chicken is always a great choice and made for tasty leftovers. I remember their Hot and Sour Soup being top-notch, too. Perfect for the chilly weather as we head into fall! read more