4/05/2006

Variety of dishes pack Mr. B’s menu
By Don Klein
 
His name is Kenneth Cheng, but everyone who knows him at his cozy West Ocean City restaurant, the Rice House, calls him Mr. B. “I don’t know why,” he insists, “but I’ve been called that all my life. Even when I was a kid.”
 
But whether you call him Mr. B or Mr. Cheng, once you have tried a range of hot dishes from the traditional American-style chow mein, to Chinese Hunan chicken or Indian curry beef or Japanese steak tempura or just plain sushi you are likely to call him “Mr. Magic.”
 
The Honk Kong born restaurateur seems to be a natural for his job. When he was only 22 years old in 1986 he opened the Rice House in Ocean Plaza Mall at 94th Street. His only experience at the time was jobs at fast food outlets in Chevy Chase and Rockville, MD.
 
“The first two years was a nightmare,” he recalled, “I worked the restaurant all day, then after closing I drove to Philadelphia to pick up food supplies and was ready for the next day’s work at opening time.” He only offered carryout at the time but something clicked and his popularity grew.
 
Mr. B moved the Rice House to the Teal Marsh Shopping Center on Route 611 off Route 50 in West Ocean City four years ago just in time for the current population boom in the Ocean Pines, Berlin and West Ocean City. In addition lots of his old Ocean City customers followed after him when they wanted to eat the best in Oriental food.
 
“Summer Ocean City vacationers say they follow me here,” he reported proudly. The Rice House is not only one of the best Oriental restaurants in the area but also cordial and a quiet destination for those who enjoy good food and comfort while dining out.
 
There was a time when going to a place like the Rice House you would order chow mein (either chicken, shrimp, beef or pork) and your sister or brother would ask for fried rice (either chicken, beef, shrimp or pork) and your mom and dad would be more sophisticated and order shrimp in lobster sauce or moo shu chicken.
 
They are all still on the menu, but there is lots more. The menu now includes such exotic delicacies as seafood Malaysia, a concoction of jumbo shrimp, lump crabmeat, scallops, New Zealand mussels, with an assortment of vegetables over noodles served with a spicy barbecue sauce.
 
Or roast duck specially baked in a smoke oven, or if you plan far enough in advance, you can order the most delightful of all Chinese dishes, Peking duck served with crepes and a tangy sauce.  The latter needs at least 24 hours notice to be properly prepared.
 
Then there is the dish your parents never heard of:  phoenix chicken, a combination of chicken and shrimp with mushrooms, celery, carrots, cashew nuts in a barbecue sauce.
 
Like most Oriental eateries, the Rice House rings the bell with its assortment of special Chinese appetizers. There are egg or spring rolls, barbecued spare ribs, steamed or fried dumplings,  shrimp toast and the exotic “poo poo” platter for two.
 
“I try to have weekly specials,” Mr. B said. “I have flounder or shrimp and offer a variety of Cantonese, Szechuan and sushi dishes. His personal favorites are fish: rock, sea bass, red snapper, flounder, salmon, all of which he serves at different times in his own Chinese style. The desserts he likes are tropical berries and crispy bananas.
 
The Rice House has an intimate appearance. When you enter there is a sushi bar to your right but as you pass around the bend into the main dining you are greeted with muted red, black and green decor. A water fountain gently flows at one end of the dining room.
 
The Western waitresses wear garb with Chinese designs to add to the ambience. “I love to create new dishes and provide variety for my patrons,” Mr. B said.
 
He admits his cooking worked out well for him. “Fifteen years ago, one of my customers fell in love with my chicken chow mein. She is now my wife,” he revealed. They now have two children; his daughter Natalie (12) helps out as a cashier when not at school and his son, Daniel (11), wants to be a chef.
 
Business is on the uptake, he said. “Last summer for the first time ever I took a day off every week,” he said with a big smile.                                                                    

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