Ohhh geeez, this place is a rare gem. Their food is cooked to perfection! Sadly, they only do catering and you can only order each dish for 10 or more, but wait ...wait there's hope here. 1) Their dishes are reasonably priced. Beef that you want to savor every bite and pause to think about how you will feel when your plate is empty will only cost you $50 for 10 servings - that's cheap! The way the food tastes is not. 2) If you have a family of three to five and you select two dishes they will range for 30-50 each. Your left overs will give you two or three very tasty meals per person, so that makes this an excellent special occasion treat for the average family. 3) They have Louisiana Creole food (yeah, where else do they use the word Creole besides Louisiana, I know), and Indonesian food both of which are hard to come by in Illinois or Indiana the two of them together gives this restaurant a special place in a foodies heart. Look you have to try this place. You won't be disappointed. read more

This is only my second Yelp review but I use it extensively. I was visiting Chicago this past weekend to see my best friend from college become a Dutch citizen (his mother's Dutch). In order to help celebrate this very special moment in his life, I made a reservation at Vincent, which I had been to before and really enjoyed. The day of the reservation, one of the staff from Vincent called to let me know that on the first Sunday of the month they hold a rijsttafel and wondered if I would still like to keep my reservation. I said absolutely, always having wanted to try this aspect of Dutch/Indonesian cuisine and I thought my friend would be thrilled. Well, we both were~! I've traveled fairly extensively throughout SE Asia and am a member of the James Beard House in New York City, so I don't mess around when it comes to food. Not only was everything incredibly fresh and well-spiced but also delicious. I had the absolute best rendition of beef satay that I've ever encountered--which to me was thrilling. Better still, one of the owners of The Rice Table really went out of her way to explain each of the myriad dishes and to make sure we understood the tradition behind a rijsttafel, including the all you-can-eat aspect and the expectation that the guests should linger over the food and stay as long as they'd like. She checked in on us a few times and could not have been more hospitable. In short, a really great place and very much worth the price (I believe it was $55 per person). I highly recommend. T read more

In the annals of the Chicago underground/pop up dining scene, The Rice Table has a unique story all its own. So they are a catering company serving the community. Then a prominent feature on Chicago Reader. Then regular pop-ups at Sip. Then a celebrated restauranteur's return with Bia for Mia went 'on hiatus' under mysterious circumstances. And voila... you got The Rice Table @ Bia for Mia. For those unfamiliar, you can compare Indonesian to Thai, but with a whole different level of taste and spicing. Some of my favorite dishes include the Gado Gado. A simple salad of lightly boiled shredded cabbage, fried tofu, green beans, and cucumber tossed in a warm peanut sauce. Ayam Rujak, a stew of chicken in spicy red coconut broth. And then an interesting combination of Pisang Goreng, Spekkoek, and coconut-pandan ice cream. A very decadent crispy fried banana topped with a ton of powdered sugar. Matched by the equally decadent layered cake that is Spekkoek. The coconut pandan ice cream provided a refreshing respite. Just need to look past the mint green coloring. Why 3 stars? The Rice Table is unique in its rarity. It is good home cooking. They are also just starting a monthly Rijsttafel, which could be a good introduction to Indonesian cooking. There is no other option for Indonesian food in the city aside from The Rice Table... So be adventurous, check it out. read more

My husband and I went to one of their dinners at Sip on Grand this week and the food was good, but the service was very spotty. It was basically Indonesian home cooking...tofu with hot peppers, veggie curry, white rice, fried chicken, pork skewers and peanut sauce, prawn crackers and tempeh. We got there very early and they weren't ready for us, which was totally cool. I enjoyed hanging out in the front room of Sip for a few minutes. They seated us in the back room, which is a very cool space (I hadn't been to Sip before). We had brought a bottle of prosecco and we asked for an ice bucket, which they said they would bring but totally forgot about. Oh well. After a few minutes they brought our plates of food, and after comparing the items with the menu, I realized that they had forgotten the tempeh, crackers, peanut sauce for my husband's skewers (I don't eat meat), and tofu on my husband's plate. So, yeah. The kitchen (which was under a tent outside, a pretty challenging situation I realize) and our server didn't realize that major parts of our meals were missing! That being said, I really liked the tempeh a lot. It was supposed to be sprinkled on the food, according to the other plates I saw go by. $15 for the meal was ok, but I felt that it really should have been a few dollars since the quality is on par with a neighborhood ethnic restaurant--good, but nothing remarkable. The servers clearly were not prepared to deal with all the people. There are lots of kinks to work out! We decided to pay an additional $4 and split the dessert and coffee pairing, which was 2 pieces of fried banana (hot and good) and a thousand-layer cake (pretty dense, but delicate since they were very thin slices). The people were friendly, but this operation just needs a lot more work. $34 plus tip was pretty pricey for what it was. I wouldn't mind going back, but I wouldn't make it a destination. read more

Here's the rundown: -shrimp chips - free and addicting, good start -frikadel daging pedis (deep fried beef and potato fritter stuffed in a jalapeno) - tasty but SPICY. we were warned, so definitely can't hold it against them. -rendang daging - SUPPOSED to be tender beef in a coconut curry which sounded so good but the meat was very tough. absolutely dried out. this plate was just very sad looking. dried meat cubes in a barely there curry sauce.... sigh. -babi panggang - bbq pork with garlic black bean sauce. the sauce in this dish was by far the highlight of the meal. it gave me a glimmer, a suggestion of how good this food could be. would love a bowl of rice with green beans, chopped pork, and a lot of that sauce! -sambal goreng buncis - green beans in coconut milk. We both enjoyed this side dish, but it wasn't anything special. would not have been worth the $6.50 price tag a la carte. 2 stars overall, 5 stars if they just brought me a jar of that garlic black bean sauce. read more

This is a review for the pop-up dinner, or Rijsttafel, that they put on at Vincent's restaurant once a month. Prior to Rickshaw Republic opening, this was the only place to eat Indonesian cuisine in Chicago, so my fiancee and I decided to go last year. All I can say is that the experience was terrific. The food is unique, with a heavy emphasis on spice and heat, using flavors that you don't find in other south Asian cuisines. The owner of the Rice Table came around to every table during the meal to explain each of the 15 different items that were served. If you wanted more of something they brought it out for you. Everything was delicious, and I've been wanting to go back ever since. For $45, it's a great value, and since the menu changes every month, it'll always be a different adventure each time. read more

Having lived in the Netherlands for years, we've been seriously craving Indonesian food lately. The Dutch love their former colony's cuisine!! So I began researching, and serendipitously happened upon The Rice Table on Facebook -- announcing a pop-up Rijsttaffel dinner that very Saturday!! Well what a fabulous night it was... A charming location, gracious service, aaaamazing food, and BYOB to boot!! I highly recommend you follow them on FB and jump on the next dinner. Thank you Rice Table for the delicious culinary blast from our past. We'll be back! read more

changed prices for pop up restaurant as follows: $10 to $12 to $15 to $18 to $21 to a la carte. Now they're doing prix fixe dinner and gamelan for... $45! meh. i've experienced better. read more

I had never even heard of The Rice Table until this year's Pitchfork Music Festival, where they were one of the venders. I don't usually expect much from festival food but WOW. It's been a while so I don't remember the exact name of the dish, but I ordered chicken skewers over rice -obviously- with peanut sauce and pickled vegetables. The chicken was cooked PERFECTLY, and the pickled vegetables were surprisingly fabulous. I live in the suburbs so I don't have the luxury of convenience to get to the actual location and full menu, but I can't WAIT until I can get back. read more

The Rice Table - AMAZING chicken skewers with peanut sauce and pickled veggies - Caterers Near Me

I got catering from The Rice Table for an event at the University of Chicago to feed 35-40 people. Chris was really responsive and nice during our communication, and we got really tasty items from the Indonesian menu for our event for a reasonable price. It was a hit; everyone loved it, and I'm very glad The Rice Table could cater to us all the way in Hyde Park. I recommend this place for big and small events! read more

The mackerel was transcendent. The spices strong, the food greatly memorable, and the staff as pleasant as can be.

So they had another tasting tonight, similar to the one last May, for $10 per person. It was very tasty and I'm very glad we went. My fav was the yellow curry, mild but lots of flavor. :-) read more

They do their pop-up at Vincent now and it's very good. Lots of food, well-spiced, and authentic.

The pork sandwich is the best thing at the Pitchfork fest! It was from that experience that I decided to check out a pop up dinner at sip. The food was great and the prices very reasonable. I can't wait to check out the new pop up dinners at Vincent in Andersonville. Don't sleep on this place! read more

Used The Rice Table for catering a home dinner for family, friends, and out of town guest yesterday. I was looking for something tasty, novel, and fun and the Rice Table delivered. A full Indonesian meal sounded good, so I called expecting something like takeout, but decided to have the Chef on site option for a dinner for 11. Working with Chris was quite easy. He emailed several menu options, used Paypal for downpayment and final payment, was prompt and friendly. He brought classy dishes, cloth napkins, silverware. He did some cooking onsite, introduced dishes, and did all the clean up. Everyone enjoyed the food--We had about 10 different dishes. I enjoyed the Sate Ayam (soy marinated chicken skews in peanut sauce) and the Rendang Daging (tender beef in red coconut curry). Everything was very flavorful, not too spicy, and the meat was quite tender (not at all tough like another reviewer found). Overall, a wonderful dinner party enjoyed by all. Thank you, Rice Table. read more

My husband and I went to an underground dinner hosted by a Rice Table tonight. What an amazing meal! It was the first time we'd eaten Indonesian food and we fell in love with it. Our meal was delicious: interesting and layered with spicy, savory and sweet elements. Jane, who owns the business with her son Chris (the chef), was a very gracious host. She chatted with guests throughout the evening, and made the menu very accessible to us. We look forward to dining with them again soon! read more

We went to this "popup" with modest expectations. It was awful! Service was atrocious and the food was served cold. Portions were minuscule. The soup was the best, but barely tepid even after asking for it to be warmed. As we walked out before dessert we heard people at other tables complaining as well. Save your time and money and avoid this. read more

The Rice Table Via Pitchfork, is by far the best thing to eat there! I have yet to go to the byob pop up dinners at Sip Coffee House, but I'm dying to go after devouring deliciousness at Pitchfork this year!!! read more

I have now been to several tastings for the Rice Table and can honestly say that it is some of the best food I've ever had!!! I first sampled the Rice Table at a summer festival in Chicago 2 years ago and have been actively searching them out since then. The red curry beef and chicken stay w/ peanut sauce are out of this world and are complimented nicely by the rotating menu at the Rice Table's biweekly tastings at the Sip Cafe. If you are looking for something new to try on a Friday nights and like Asian cuisine I definitely recommend the Rice Table as a new dinning experience for you and your friends. It's BYOB so be sure not to show up empty handed :) read more

The Rice Table is NOT closed, they are a catering service with regular popup services and always have been. Visit their website for more details. read more

DEFINITELY WORTH TASTING!!!!! I have enjoyed Indonesian food sampled on several occasions at area events and so was drawn to the tasting held recently at Sip Coffee. The food prepared by The Rice Table was some of the most delicious Indonesian cuisine I have encountered. I'm not a fan of spicy foods as a rule, but the green bean dish was so tasty I wanted to go back for more. The chicken satay, which had more of a sweet flavor than the traditional pork one, was very good. My favorites, however, were the Tempeh (a vegetarian dish which has a crunchy texture, a little nutty taste & was very satisfying), the gado-gado (cucumber salad with a peanut sauce), and the noodle and vegetable stir fry that was the best I've ever tasted. I plan on using The Rice Table in the future especially because they include wonderfull vegetarian dishes which are becoming more in demand at our family and social gatherings. I recommend looking at their website (it was on the caterer's card) as it not only describes the food but is a fascinating look at the background of The Rice Table owners and chefs. (thericetable.com) It also has the schedule of events where their food can be sampled. read more

I am half Indonesian so I consider myself a pretty educated expert. I learned my cooking from my mom and accept that Jane Reed is not my mom.... I have visited thericetable.com several times and each time it was different and fabulous! I am also involved in the Netherlands Club of Chicago and Jane Reed organized a rijsttafel for us, which was nothing short of excellent. We will be back. MUCH RECOMMENDED! read more

I gotta say, I was less than impressed with this The Rice Table dinner. For starters, it was really, really warm outside the day I went and the room had no AC. Also, the room was so loud, I could not hear anyone at my table, making conversation really difficult. Additionally, we all sat (sweating) for 45 minutes until any food came out. There was no welcome or introduction or explanation of any of the courses. And the food itself was just not great. But the worst part: the final course was mussels, and there were at least two closed mussels on the platter that was passed to me - and eating those could make you ill. They should never have been served. I skipped that course entirely. Was glad when it finally ended. read more

It was my good fortune to be invited to the tasting for The Rice Table. My family will attest that I am not an adventurous eater. I rarely eat Asian food but I am now a fan of Indonesian food or as it is presented by the Rice Table. The noodles with vegetables were amazing. I went back for seconds (and I would have gone back for thirds). The pork satay with the peanut sauce is amazing -- so tasty and well-done. The caterer was very friendly -- explaining the dishes and encouraging me to try everything -- and she was absolutely right. I am looking forward to employing them for my next office party. Also, I plan to bring friends to the next festival where they will appear. It will certainly be a great option to the usual fast food/pizza/junk food. I suggest that everyone in Chicago belly-up to the Rice Table. It's healthy and scrumptious. Mary Evanston read more

It's hard to find good Indonesian in Chicago, much less at a music festival, so every year I look forward to stopping by The Rice Table booth at Pitchfork. I'm ashamed to admit I haven't been to one of their pop up dinners, but I plan on changing that very soon. read more

The Rice Table has now become my favorite restaurant. Dined there again last night with friends who had never been there. The food is authentic and delicious. The spices are perfect. It was served piping hot and the friendly wait staff was very attentive, often asking if everything was to our liking. And it certainly was, what an awesome meal and plenty of it, too. We all went away stuffed (our own faults, not mandatory). Having lived in the Netherlands where the Indonesian rice table is very popular, I can say that this was on the same par as any rice table I've enjoyed in the Netherlands (and for a lot less cost). For a real treat in Indonesian dining, try it out. We all left and can't want to get together again and come back. Easy street parking on W. Grand. read more

I absolutely loved the intimacy of this communal dining in a private home like an underground dinner. BYOB. Wished I had brought beer instead of wine as the food is rather spicy. It was a different style from the rijstaffel that I had in Amsterdam years ago but it was an absolutely lovely experience. My daughter and I sat with another girl whose father was Dutch, and she raved about the authentic cuisine. I would definitely recommend it if you are adventuresome and like hot spicy food. Enjoy w cold beer! read more

My coworkers and I ordered take out from the bia for mia pop up situation...everything arrived cold. Veggies were grayish..canned most likely. Meat dishes were greasy and chewy. The potato fritters tasted like banana soap. Oh man the food was sooooo bad. On the bright side, the guy who I ordered from on the phone was very nice. read more

I have been interested in the Rice table (Rijstaffel) for a while now and when some of my friends wanted to go out for Indonesian food, we agreed the pop up Rice Table was the place to try. Being Dutch Indonesian, I want the food to be authentic and to taste like the food I grew up on. The Rice Table was absolutely yummy. We all loved the well prepared dishes that were perfectly spiced and hot but not packing too much heat. The serving amounts were just right (you could always ask for more, if needed) and the variety of dishes were very well balanced. The terong balado, basically eggplant, tomato in a sambal base was killer. Rendang beef and braised chicken in a spicy coconut sauce, curried vegetables and tempe, etc all delicious. And to top off the meal, they served Spekkoek or multi layered spiced cake with a scope of vanilla ice cream kissed with cinnamon. I was in food heaven. Oh sambal, how I love thee. read more

We're just leaving their pop-up event and it was a fantastic time. Delicious food that I've never had before, and a great time meeting new people (communal tables). We'll be back! read more

The Rice Table is a great weekend addition to our West Town neighborhood. The authentic Indonesian dishes are delicious. I had the Mackerel wrapped in banana leaves and it was amazing! The spice mix was like nothing I've had before, but absolutely tasty. And what really made my experience great was my fabulous Lychee fruit martini and outstanding service. read more

Friends and I went to the Rijsttafel at Vincent last night prepared by The Rice Table, and it was awesome. Better than my previous experience with rijsttafel in Amsterdam, this meal was uniquely flavorful, appropriately spicy, and plentiful. I would go back for their monthly feast at Vincent in a heartbeat. read more

Tonight was my first experience with The Rice Table, a pop-up restaurant and catering company. It was delicious and the service was warm and lovely. Chef Chris' mom was our server and she is a really interesting and charming person. The food... oh the food... Sooo good. I especially loved the spicy eggplant, the yellow curry chicken, the stir fried noodles and the pork skewers but there was nothing I didn't like. We were there about 2.5 hours. They asked several times if we wanted seconds on things. Very generous. BYOB. We brought a pinot noir but I'd recommend either a cold crisp white or, if you like it, beer. We will be back! read more

I first sampled the Rice Table at the Pitchfork Music festival and was hooked for life. I have since gone to a number of their pop-up nights and have never been disappointed. I was unfamiliar with Indonesian food before this, but if you are a fan of any Pan Asian type dishes, this is the food for you. Definitely get the red coconut beef (my personal favorite) and chicken satay is always an easy choice. I have gone with a number of friends who are vegetarian and they love it. Being a big time meat eater and having the entire group pleased was quite an accomplishment. I will certainly be back! read more

Delicious dinner last night--plenty of food, gracious service by all and so many interesting and varied flavors. We will be back!

Eventually found a Indonesian "rijstafel" In Chicago, there have been some before but never lasted because they weren't that goo. This pop up is well worth a visit. Every first Sunday of the month. Wonderful Javanese authentic dishes, perfectly spiced, nothing was too hot and flavors came through beautifully. Although the $50 seems a little pricey, second helpings were there for the asking. Too many dishes to pick out a fave. However, dessert does need to be mentioned baked by chef Chris, 13-15 (?) layers spice cake, delicious served with vanilla icecream. We were a table of six friends and enjoyed the atmosphere (A/C could've been on and fold-up chairs were not very comfortable, but then this is a "pop up"). It''s been a long time since I had a good rijstafel not since Amsterdam years ago! It was so nice to meet and chat to owner Jane. We will definitely be back! Oh yes and BYOB a nice ice-cold white chardonnay from Kumeu River, New Zealand was perfect (a very lite, crisp Chardonnay). Thanks Jane and Chris for a lovely evening. read more

A wonderful evening of Rijstaffel and making new friends. The food was well prepared, with fresh delicious flavors and ingredients. Chef Chris' mother, our host and server, was gracious and engaging. I will be back - and must say, this rivaled the Rijstaffel I had in Amsterdam back in March. read more

The food made me so happy because it's rare to find rijsttafel outside of Holland. The Atmosphere, hospitality, and the flavors were delicious. A gem in an underexplored world cuisine. Amazing spices. I spent a very special evening at Vincent while Rice Table was there, and it was a fantastic way to celebrate. read more