At California's Stanford University, the fall menu will feature more rice options, including toppings for rice. He also plans to offer rice side dishes as main meals, like basmati rice with green beans and tomato concass . Rice is ideal for meatless meals, which are popular among students, including Chelsea Clinton, he says. It's not surprising that the increasing number of health-conscious diners is helping push rice to the fore. Brown rice, with its high-fiber bran coating, is more nutritious than white and is available at an increasing number of Chinese restaurants that once only served white rice.
Operators say customers are asking for it.
Bob Stephenson, executive chef at the Cool River Cafe in Dallas, began offering rice to meet the health-conscious demand. His solution is the restaurant's signature Texas rice, which calls for cooking basmati with tomato, peppers and spices. If rice is utilized well, it's an incredible price-value for the restaurant. But in return, you can't take it out of context and overcharge the customer. Leftover rice can be used for another dish, says Taherian.