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Kenny Truong’s mother owns Vinh Chop Suey on North Broadway. His uncle owns Vinh Ho Chop Suey in Granite City, Ill. So it was no surprise when Kenny, who owns the Rice House and the Rice House II chop suey joints in Florissant, went into the family business.
What is surprising is what Kenny has done to the menus at his incarnations of the fast-paced, churn-and-burn, hole-in-the-wall chop suey eatery.
Probably his most noteworthy mash-up is Philly Cheesesteak Wontons (below left). Truong joins ground ribeye, pepper jack cheese, onions, green peppers, Cajun spices, and garlic into a filling for the wontons, and serves the deep-fried pockets with Cheez Whiz dipping sauce.
Similarly, his Pizza Wontons (above right) are an immediate improvement on the defrosted pizza rolls so familiar to the babysat.
The “Cheeseburger Eggroll” (below left) is not for the Prilosec set.
Green Gumbo (above right) is a soul food/Cajun mash-up made with turkey, sausage, and collared greens. It’s super-hearty, spicy, and frankly, tastes way better than you’d expect coming from a kitchen that would seem to have little ethnic overlap with either of those cuisines.
The Rice House, as you might figure, is mighty proud of its fried rice (see lead photo), which comes in unusual combinations, too. “Breakfast Fried Rice” (below) contains generous pieces of applewood smoked bacon, ham, and bits of scrambled eggs. Truong has also devised a “Jambalaya Fried Rice.” In the summertime, he offers a “Barbecue Rib-Tip Fried Rice” made with soy sauce infused with barbecue sauce.
If fried rice used to be the signature dish of the chop suey joint, in 2014 that title arguably goes to the St. Paul sandwich. The Rice House’s unique take on the local delicacy doubles the size of the typical egg foo yung patty and serves it on Texas toast, making for a massive, jaw-dislocating sandwich. The “Angry Bird” version of the St. Paul sandwich (below) features jalapenos and Cajun spices cooked into the egg foo yung, Muenster cheese sits atop the patty, with mayo and pickle beneath it. It’s one of the less greasy St. Paul’s around town, IMHO.
For dessert, Truong created the “Strawberry Cheesecake Rangoon” (right), a blend of strawberries, strawberry syrup, strawberry cream cheese, and vanilla wafers within the fried pocket, which is finished with a dusting of powdered sugar. “Chocolate Rangoons” are available as well.
For all Truong’s innovations and Asian-fusion experiments, it’s possible that the most revolutionary change he’s introduced to the traditional chop suey joint is seating. The Rice House II has a dining room, which is virtually unheard-of for an StL urban chop suey shack.
It’s a good template for what might be his next move: a third Rice House, for Maryland Heights, Bridgeton, or thereabouts, said Truong (below, with two employees), contemplating his next conquest.\
In the meantime, diners at the Rice House can not only enjoy fast Chinese food with a modern twist, they can witness where Truong gets his inspiration – the restaurateur loves the Food Network, and leaves the flat-screen TVs in the dining area permanently tuned to Giada, Alton, Guy & Co.
“I’m a foodie,” he said, “and I’m having fun.”
Rice House Carry-out 8438 N. Lindbergh Florissant 314-837-0711 Rice House II Carry-out & Dine-in 2725 N. Hwy. 67 314-921-0711
