With his first brick-and-mortar restaurant, Juwan Rice wants to bring diners into an intimate space — one that has the feel of a private dinner party. Rated Test Kitchen’s seven-course menu will change on a monthly basis, and guests are invited to share their feedback on each course.
“You get to rate each course as if you're a food critic,” the 21-year-old award-winning St. Louis chef said. “We want them to be invited in — to be a part of the restaurant as if it's their friend’s or family's house. We want to know what they are expecting, what they want, or what they want to change in the menu.”
Rated Test Kitchen opens in two weeks for reservation-only dinner service Thursday through Sunday. It’s located in downtown St. Louis at North 11th Street and Olive Boulevard, in the former home of Shift.
Rice said the cuisine will be experimental, fusing many cultures, flavors, textures and presentations with ingredients from mostly local sources. He plans to bring in chefs from other states and cities to highlight their work for a month or season at a time.
“If you come in August and you come in October, the menu, the vibe, the ambiance is going to be totally different. We want to stretch the palate and allow guests to experience new things that they're unfamiliar with,” he said.
One of the courses for an upcoming menu will feature a molecular dish that is completely clear, visually similar to jello. “You're eating a clear piece of bread that tastes like chargrilled flatbread,” Rice said, adding that, “Some of our drinks … may be what you're used to eating as food, but you're drinking it in a beverage. … We're really pushing the boundaries.”
His hope is that Rated Test Kitchen will help revitalize St. Louis’ downtown — to provide a space that pulls in both locals and tourists.
“People will travel for an experience, and that's what we're providing to downtown St. Louis,” he said. “We want this to be a staple, and we want this to be one of many projects that we decide to launch in St. Louis.”
Learn more about Rated Test Kitchen and how Juwan Rice aims to elevate the St. Louis culinary scene by listening to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcast, Spotify or Google Podcast by clicking the play button below.
Related Event
What: Rated Test Kitchen’s grand opening
When: Starting at the end of August, Rated Test Kitchen will be open for dinner from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. (The exact opening date is to be determined. Check the website for updates and details.)
Where: 315 N. 11th St., St. Louis, MO 63101
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Ulaa Kuziez is our production intern. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.
