Does rice make a difference? I would argue yes, when it comes to the rice bowls and sizzling pots at Nampo.
Here at this Chinese restaurant in Burnaby, by Metrotown, they have a special 50:50 blend of rice. This combines their advertised specialty WuChang Rice with the more common jasmine. Truthfully there really isn’t much of a taste difference, you really have to search for it. However, you do get a different texture and some additional health benefits from eating this rice, making this a unique offering on to them.
WuChang rice is grown in a specific area of China, known for cultivating premium rice. This is due to its good water sources and very fertile black soil. This results in one of the highest qualities of rice, with a higher nutritional value and a distinctive aroma.
NamPo‘s jasmine and WuChang blend is a mix of shorter and longer grains, offering a gummier mouthfeel all together. It was similar to sticky rice, but less tacky. I did like it against the crisp of our veggies and fried chicken below, and found it did very well to absorb additional sauces more readily.
So I was happy to learn that if you are dining in you can get unlimited refills of said rice. And this is always at the ready, at anytime, via their rice dispenser. With a push of a button, an evenly portioned out scoop gets dumped into a bowl. The display is not self serve and does require assistance from the staff.
With the rice we ordered one of their signature stir frys. The sautéed meat with cauliflower had us choosing our own protein from options like braised pork intestines, tiger prawn, chicken, shredded pork, and beef slices. Our server dissuaded us away from the pork belly, warning us that it would be thin and smaller slices, and not what was pictured on the menu. We thanked her for her input, and instead got the beef slices. This did came with a generous amount of meat. There was just as much of it as there were crisp cauliflower florets. This ended up being my favourite dish of our meal. Everything was well tossed and seasoned in a gentle spice, similar to mala with peppercorn, but well tempered. Overall, a simple, comforting, and familiar dish, that was perfect over the rice for balance.
We also tried one of their signature rice bowls. This reminded me of Korean style bibimbap. This too was a rice dish that came to the table sizzling on a hot plate, and you stir up to mix all the ingredients together before eating. In hind sight the rice was really lost in this, even despite me finding the dish on the bland side.
Here you get to choose if your bowl comes with one or two proteins, the type of protein, the sauce, and any add ons. I was uncertain what their Signature Spicy Sauce, Signature Sauce, and Shacha Sauce was; so went with a curry sauce, that I did know. And I love curry over braised brisket so paid additional $2 for that upgrade.
What came was not what I know curry to be. This was not saucy or thick, but a thin glaze over the meat and rice, leaving both more like a dry rub/season. The vegetables added some texture and mouth interest, but in hindsight aren’t all ones I would pair with curry. Overall still tasty, but if I could do it again would and make it their signature sauce.
You also had the option of making it a combo for $9.95 more, which includes a side and a drink from a list of options. Here we went with an Osmanthus Oolong that I found far too floral and like drinking perfume, plus Taiwanese chicken.
The latter was deep fried nuggets of boneless, dark chicken meat. It came with a packet of chilli pepper spice that you get to shake over the breaded chunks. Surprisingly it’s crunch was maintained from first to last bite. Best with plenty of the spice that gave it depth. This was tasty as is and alongside our starring rice.
Our sets also included complimentary bowls of soup for each of us and dessert. The soup was a neutral seaweed and egg drop soup, great as a palate cleanser in between more flavourful bites.
And for dessert, a Melona bar in either honey dew or ube. This too offered a break in taste and a sweet note to end on.
Overall I really enjoyed this meal and would visit them again when craving Asian food that is uncomplicated and reminds me of my childhood. Everything wasn’t necessarily complimentary to one another, although it all match, and made for a lovely family style shared meal.
NamPo Rice Bowl
5021 Kingsway #109, Burnaby, BC
V5H 2E5
(778) 654-8666
