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  • (upbeat jazz music)

  • - [Sydney] This is RiceBox.

  • It's a hit spot in Downtown LA for Cantonese style barbecue.

  • (upbeat jazz music)

  • I hope you came hungry.

  • - Well, I like everything, the chicken,

  • the rice, everything, and he loves it too.

  • I do think that it's a unique experience.

  • Especially where it's located.

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  • - [Sydney] The restaurant sits inside

  • of the Spring Arcade Lobby in Downtown LA.

  • Although it's on the smaller side,

  • the bright red tables out front make it easy to find.

  • We are here in Downtown Los Angeles at RiceBox LA.

  • They do Cantonese style barbecue.

  • I'm really excited to eat some delicious,

  • slow roasted pork, let's go!

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  • - [Sydney] Meet Lydia, she owns RiceBox

  • along with her husband Leo.

  • So we serve traditional barbecue,

  • Cantonese barbecue dishes here in RiceBox.

  • But we chose to use higher quality ingredients.

  • Cantonese barbecue is, the dishes that we serve here

  • kinda embodies what traditional

  • Cantonese barbecue will serve.

  • But we also play a little bit on what

  • we feel is a little more elevated

  • than what traditional is, yeah.

  • - [Sydney] Today, we're focusing

  • on three of my favorite menu items.

  • First up, we have the Porchetta Crackling.

  • It's marinated for one day, air-dried for two to three,

  • and then slow roasted for about two hours

  • in a 600 degree oven, until unbelievably crispy.

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  • (cleaver chops)

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  • - RiceBox, in literal meaning

  • in Cantonese, is called lunchbox.

  • So we adopted the name and also the concept here

  • in RiceBox. Because Hong Kong is such a fast pace city.

  • That's why we also chose to be in Downtown LA.

  • To kinda mimic the fast paced lifestyle.

  • - It's super crispy and crunchy.

  • - It's super crispy and crunchy.

  • Every bite is a little acidic, a little garlicy.

  • The Chinese five spice that they added

  • adds like a nice punch.

  • It's one of my favorite all-time flavors.

  • I wish they made, like a Chinese five spice candle.

  • I would burn it at home all day.

  • It's like Cantonese chicharon.

  • - Well I'm Chinese, so I've eaten it before.

  • This is like the best, it's good!

  • - [Sydney] Now, it's time for the OG Char Siu.

  • Just like the porchetta, the pork is marinated

  • for an entire day.

  • Only this time, it skips the air-drying process

  • and goes into the same 600 degree oven,

  • where it's roasted for just 30 minutes.

  • Chef Leo explained how a balance of lean meat and fat

  • is what makes this pork so addictive.

  • So much so, that I couldn't help stealing a little

  • taste for the crew and myself.

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  • Wow!

  • Char Siu, the star of the show, some might say.

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  • Earlier, Chef Leo was explaining

  • like when you get Char Siu pork,

  • what you wanna do is like, fatty piece, lean piece,

  • fatty piece, lean piece throughout the slice.

  • And that kind of really helps you have different textures,

  • gives you different eating experience.

  • And I mean, I've had Char Siu many, many times.

  • But I never thought about it that way, I guess.

  • And it's absolutely outstanding.

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  • and last, but certainly not least,

  • the iconic Roasted Duck!

  • - It's also long labor intensive.

  • It takes four days total to make.

  • - [Sydney] Four days to make,

  • and only available on Saturdays

  • for this gem of a duck?

  • I'll take it!

  • First, the duck is stuffed with hoisin,

  • soy sauce, and dry spices.

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  • it's then basted in hot oil to help

  • the skin crisp up during cooking,

  • followed by layers of honey glaze.

  • It's hung to air-dry for for three to five days.

  • And then slowly roasted for an hour and a half.

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  • (cleaver chops)

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  • Speaking of being a lucky girl today.

  • They usually only make the duck on Saturday.

  • So get here early.

  • They use really, really high quality meat here.

  • This is Mary's Free-range Duck.

  • It's not cheap, but it's worth the price.

  • I'm gonna try it on its own first.

  • Got a little duck sauce here.

  • Mm, yes!

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  • Mm!

  • Look how shiny that is, uh, it's beautiful!

  • This is my next tattoo, there's room for it right here.

  • - That's what really makes us happy,

  • is when people who come in here,

  • they never had Cantonese barbecue,

  • and ate it, like oh my God, it was like

  • the best thing I ever ate!

  • Or people who have been to Hong Kong,

  • or lived in Hong Kong, and they'll come in

  • and say it actually tastes exactly like

  • what they tasted in Hong Kong.

  • That also makes us very, very happy.

  • - Tastes like stuff that we use to eat growing up.

  • Exactly the same!

  • - Do you like it?

  • (mom laughs)

  • - They use much higher quality ingredients,

  • and they prep it just right.

  • You're not gonna get dry flavored meats

  • or anything like that, so I do think

  • it's a unique experience, especially where it's located.

  • - Being able to get like, really high quality

  • Cantonese barbecue in Downtown LA is so

  • special and so rare.

  • Usually, you have to go to the San Gabriel Valley

  • to get something like this.

  • But having the Cantonese Barbecue in the mix

  • is so exciting!

  • If you've never had Cantonese Barbecue before,

  • like remedy that immediately, and come check this out!

  • My chopstick skills are wanting.

  • (upbeat jazz music)

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