Nice Rice Relocates 2nd Time In 2 Years, Hawker “Not Concerned About Losing Customers” As His Food Is “Above Average”

Business was “quite good” at AMK Hub

Mandel, who was a chef de partie (line chef) at the now-defunct one-Michelin-starred French fine-diner Vianney Massot Restaurant, says it was a shame that Nice Rice had to leave AMK Hub. “Business was picking up, it was quite good. Our customer base was quite strong and everything was smooth,” he explains. 

But he had always wanted to set up shop in the CBD

Reopening at China Square’s food court was a decision driven by both fate and aspiration. Following a suggestion by a regular customer who happened to be a property agent, Mandel settled on the CBD location for Nice Rice’s new home. “I considered staying in Ang Mo Kio and explored a few spots, but there were none to my liking. I always get the chills (a good vibe) when I find a new place [for Nice Rice] and this is where I found the chills. It’s a gut feeling and I went for it,” he says. 

Fulfilling his long-standing desire to open a stall in the CBD, Mandel feels that this relocation is “a blessing in disguise”. “I’ve always wanted to open [a stall] in the CBD. When I first started out [as a hawker], I didn’t know that the CBD rent would be so scary. But now that I’ve improved my food over the years, I’m more confident of running a stall here,” he shares. 

“Not concerned about losing customers”  

“I believe our food is above average, so I’m not concerned about losing customers [due to the move]. It may sound cocky, but I strongly believe in my food,” says the hawker. Mandel is also unfazed by increased competition from other grain bowl concepts in the area. “My rice bowls are different from other [similar] concepts as the rice is what makes Nice Rice unique,” he asserts. 

Nice Rice’s modern rice pilaf bowls are made with Taiwanese pearl rice cooked in veggie stock, infused with aromatics and seasoned with Japanese flavours like togarashi (a chilli blend), while toppings include torched salmon, steak and dry-aged duck. Mandel is confident that his food will attract a more receptive audience among office folks in the CBD, compared to a predominant “auntie and uncle” crowd at AMK. He says business has been “ok” since the stall reopened last week. Indeed, our colleague who was in the area spotted a queue at Nice Rice during lunchtime.

Forked out $7K for relocation and 10% rental hike

The estimated cost for Nice Rice's move to its new CBD location was “around $7K” and primarily comprised moving expenses, which put a strain on the hawker’s budget. He took over a unit that used to be a prawn mee stall and is “about 30% smaller than AMK”, while the rent increased by “about 10%” compared to the previous location.

Only serves lunch now

Unlike the previous AMK location, Nice Rice only serves lunch at China Square to cater to the CBD crowd, which peters out after lunch hours. This means Mandel must work “twice as fast” to achieve comparable earnings. That said, the self-proclaimed “nonchalant guy” takes these hurdles in stride. For instance, he plans to continue helming the kitchen alone. “That’s my style, I like to be in control. I’ve got certain standards to meet and if those are not met, it’s hard for me to rest easy,” he shares.

Hopes to stay put at China Square for at least two years

Having experienced two relocations in a short span of time, Mandel is eager for some stability at his current location. “We promised our customers that we wouldn’t move again,” he says. “We signed a two-year lease and hopefully we can extend it when the time comes.” 

The hawker adds that he is incredibly grateful for the support from his customers. “Over the past week, we’ve had over ten regular customers who frequented our AMK outlet showing up [at our new location],” he says.

One-time price increase to offset rising costs

Due to the rental hike, the hawker had to adjust the menu prices accordingly at his new location. Additionally, Mandel decided to implement a one-time price increase here to account for inflation of food costs. He explains: “After the [current] increase, I don’t plan to change the prices for the next two to three years. [By doing this] people can get used to the prices without any sudden changes.”

Prices for a bowl now range from $7.90 to $18 (previously from $6.50 a bowl at AMK), while sides are available at $6 (compared to $4.50 before).

Expect same signature dishes and a new crème brûlée dessert

Nice Rice’s menu remains largely the same as what was offered at AMK. His most popular dishes include Cow Bowl ($12.90), featuring sliced steak, and Super Bowl ($11.90), which comes with aburi salmon. “I rather improve on the same dishes than come up with new ones,” explains the hawker. The exception is a new dessert item – Crème Brûlée, priced at $6. “It’s my take [on the classic French dessert]. All I can say is I love butter, so there’s a lot of it in this,” he teases.