"You know, I was worried about riding halfway across town from Mesa to go to this restaurant. I am always a bit anxious when it comes to food I haven't tried before - and no one in our group had been to the Rice Paper either.\n\nWhat we found was a restaurant off 7th St, in an older part of Phoenix, inside a repurposed old house. The decor was charming - the patio was inviting, but we chose to sit inside.\n\nFive of us - we walked in & were immediately greeted & seated. Greg was our server. These folks took the time to explain the menu, how things worked, that they had a full bar & more.\n\nWe did the family style routine, which they seem to accommodate rather well. Three siblings, plus my sister's husband & my daughter... needless to say, we have no worry about sharing food.\n\nWe ordered most of the huge selection of spring rolls - I just learned tonight that I love spring rolls. Three different kinds of shrimp, pork, veggie, you name it, I think we had it. Greens that looked like they came straight from the garden - the presentation was beautiful. Sauces that were so good, I wanted to take some home. Ordered some bowls of pho - Vietnamese soup, for the uninitiated, but that's okay - they tell you what everything is. The combination, with meatballs, tripe, beef and more was worth the trip all by itself.\n\nFor dessert, we had their ginger cr\u00E8me br\u00FBl\u00E9e. Talk about decadent... and perfectly prepared.\n\nSeveral bottles of wine and a sampled some of their nice selection of beers in their rack - when we asked if something was good, they brought us a sample, a very nice touch. They have a light cream ale that has me making room in the fridge for another favorite.\n\nBut with as delectable as the food was, the service was out of this world. I've eaten at some of the nicer establishments and I was wowed. My brother, who works in some of the nicer restaurants in SoCal, was amazed. Exceptionally attentive without being overbearing - not once were we asked how is everything, timed for when we have mouths full of food.\n\nBe prepared for a surprise is you need to use the facilities - left side is men. Right side is women. Sliding doors into the private areas - but the sinks are in an open, shared area.\n\nWe felt welcomed, had a great time and I would not hesitate to go again. And again. And again.\n\nTo Greg and the rest of the good people at the Rice Paper, I thank you and cannot recommend you enough.\n\nMy only complaint is that it is a drive from the East Valley - but more than worth every mile. Parking is tight, so carpool & bring lots of friends, family - even your enemies... if you bring them here, they can't stay your enemy."^^ . "1"^^ . "5"^^ . "3"^^ . "2013-05-14T00:00:00"^^ . . "0"^^ . . .