Courtesy of Rated Test Kitchen
Tefu Beef (sous vide short rib) with local habanero paste, brown butter, carrot purée, spring onion blossoms
Photo by George Mahe
After building a national following, award-winning chef Juwan Rice recently opened his first brick-and-mortar restaurant in downtown St. Louis: Rated Test Kitchen (313 N. 11th), an experimental kitchen that centers around molecular gastronomy and culinary flair. Here's what to know before you go.
The Menu
Rice describes the cuisine as “experimental fusion,” with a seven-course menu that changes monthly. “You really have to trust us, as chefs and mixologists, to let you explore the palate we've created for you,” says Rice, who works with culinary creatives Bri Delights, Jay Sweets, and Chef Jas to pair the textures, colors, and flavors in a cohesive, memorable way.
The menus will pull from cuisines around the world, often fusing fare from various cultures. “It really helps to balance it out,” he says. “For example, Asian flavors are typically a bit spicier, but then you mix them with the South American Cuban flavors, which are a little bit sweeter and it becomes a well-rounded dish.”
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Each meal begins with a salad prepared with locally grown ingredients. There’s also a transparent flatbread called Clear Aish (named after the Egyptian word for ‘bread’), a sous vide duck breast, and a sorbet made with traditional Southern American spices. Rice's team relies on traditional Asian processes for curing and marinating meats. The flavors of Cuba, West Africa, and soul food are also at the heart of the menu.
To complement the dishes, Rice and mixologist Jorge Vazquez have created specialty beverages for each course. “We want to make sure that everything you’re putting on your palate is constantly building and elevating the flavor,” says Rice.
The Atmosphere
Rice and Vazquez spent months renovating the space, located on the ground floor of the historic Louderman Building. Together, they created a modern, minimalist design, with white- and cream-colored décor, custom-built tables and countertops, and a remodeled kitchen and bathroom. Warm lighting adds to the pleasant ambience.
Courtesy of Rated Test Kitchen
Photo by George Mahe
For Rice, it's important for all guests to feel welcome. At Rated Test Kitchen, he hopes to foster a sense of community, where guests can lean over to nearby tables and talk to each other about the experience. In contrast to a stuffy dining environment, Rice pictures a fine-dining experience filled with laughter and conversation. “Some restaurants, especially fine dining, you walk into it, especially for African-Americans, and we kind of feel like we don't belong,” he says. “I want to make sure this space is somewhere you can feel like you belong.”
Community is at the heart of the concept, from the plateware to the ingredients. “There’s enough room for everyone to shine,” he says. Cherokee Street Ceramics owner Jeremy Segel-Moss designed the custom plateware, which will change as the menu evolves. Rice brought in a local vendor for the restaurant's wine selection. The cuts of meat and fresh produce were secured from local butchers and farmers.
Courtesy of Rated Test Kitchen
And the concept of community extends beyond the kitchen, with Rice inviting guests to provide feedback about their experience. “There’s really a disconnect on how business owners, chefs included, get feedback from guests,” he says. “So I was like, 'Why not make it streamlined, where they can give their feedback right in the setting as they're eating the food?'” The approach helps Rice elevate the dining experience based on customer insights.
“As chefs, we’re always perfectionists, but we always perfect it for ourselves,” he says. “This gives us an opportunity to perfect it for guests.”
The Backstory
Courtesy of Rated Test Kitchen
Juwan Rice
Rice’s appreciation for food and community began at an early age. “My grandma would literally be cooking for hours,” Rice recalls. “But the reaction my family had when she set the food in front of them, that's one of the moments when it was like, OK, I really want to provide this experience for other people.”
He began fine-tuning his culinary gifts at 6 years old. By age 14, Rice opened his catering company, JR’s Gourmet, making him one of the youngest chefs and entrepreneurs in the Midwest. In 2021, Rice appeared on the Food Network show Guy’s Grocery Games, hosted by Guy Fieri. Rice also released his signature spice blend, JRice Spice.
Now, with Rated Test Kitchen, Rice hopes to continue pushing the culinary limits. The restaurant hosts two seatings from 5–7 p.m. and 8–10 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. In the future, Rice also plans to open Rated Test Kitchen as a café on weekdays, and he hopes to continue expanding in new ways downtown.
