This place is hidden in the neighborhood. There are plenty of street parking spaces. I believe I saw EV charging station nearby (please check). The crab was fresh but flavor was a bit overpowering with oil and sugar, making it a little hard to enjoy the taste of crab. Blue crab was normal blue crab size filled with either soy or spicy sauce. While this was fun, it does require some work to get little meats out of the shells. Definitely recommend to eat with rice as flavor is strong. The place was a bit small with cramped seating. The small table can barely handle two dishes at a time. Atmosphere was loud. However the service was great and helpful. My only wish is if the servers knew korean name of dishes. As korean, it was a bit confusing with translated names, but this is okay.. Hope people can try this out! Flavoring can be very personal. I can see some people would love this!

This was our first time trying Korean raw marinated crab, and it was amazing! Rice Thief could easily be one of the best restaurants in LIC. The dining experience felt special from start to finish -- we honestly have no cons to share. We ordered the Half + Half Combo Platter, which is perfect for two people who want to try both marinades. Both flavors were sweet yet well-balanced, and equally delicious. Eating the crab with our hands was messy but added to the fun and authenticity of the experience. We also tried the Spicy Pork Belly, which was one of the best we've ever had. With such excellent dishes, it's safe to assume the rest of their Korean menu is just as impressive. When choosing between the two desserts -- the Shikye Rice Punch and the Pumpkin Rice Punch -- we couldn't decide. So, our waiter kindly brought out half portions of each drink so we could enjoy both without committing to full servings. It was such a thoughtful gesture that made the experience even more memorable. We are definitely coming back to explore more of their menu. If you're looking for a unique and memorable dining experience, this spot is a must-try!

Pretty good soy-marinated and spicy-marinated crab place in the LIC/Astoria area. I usually go to New Jersey when I have my craving, but, I wouldn't mind dropping by here. I think the price is fair for the half & half we got (2 soy and 2 spicy marinated). The meat was sweet and creamy, the marinate sauce was sweet, not too salty, and well-balanced. I think the spicy marinated version is a bit too sweet for my liking (and definitely sweeter than other spots). But, still mixed well with rice. I would not get the gamja tang again - lowkey bland. It was a tad bit too pepper-y and I could tell that it was not cooked for an extended period of time (did not have the bone broth flavor). I would come again for the crab & would want to try the marinated shrimp next.

the best raw marinated crab i have had thus far. so happy they finally opened a storefront as i was ordering through delivery when they had their ghost kitchen! everyone was super nice and attentive as it is a small place and reservations are pretty much required! super intimate! wish is wasnt so far from me or i'd be here way more often

Food and service here were on point--staff were quick to seat us, quick to get our order, and ensure that we had everything we needed. Abalone congee was fantastic. Warm, hearty, plenty of roasted sesame oil flavor and umami. This was our favorite part of the meal. The soy platter was substantial, refreshing, and had plenty of variety (and portion) for two. We were pleasantly satisfied from a flavor standpoint and we were comfortably stuffed when we left the restaurant. Looking forward to trying more of the menu, especially their hot dishes which many tables around us ordered. The seafood pancake, fried shrimp, and stews look amazing. The ambiance if you must ask--is lovely, hip, elegant and homey at the same time. I love the fishermen and farmer murals, nice touch. Can't wait to be back!

I've been trying to order from Rice Thief since before they opened up the storefront but unfortunately it never worked out because they couldn't deliver to Jersey City so I was happy to finally try the marinated crabs I've been craving for so long. There aren't many options for quality marinated crabs in NYC so I'd gladly make the trip out here to LIC for some good seafood. My friend group and I made a reservation same day. We arrived and waited for about 15 minutes before we were seated. The service was attentive and friendly. We ordered quite a lot of food. The highlight had to be the Gunsan Premium Crabs that are shipped fresh from Korea. They were juicy and full of meat. It went so well with the rice and seaweed. We also got the Spicy Platter that included the spicy crabs, white shrimps, red shrimps and abalone. Everything was very fresh. I enjoyed the shrimps but felt that the blue crabs were underwhelming. We also ordered Spicy Pork Belly but it honestly really wasn't worth it for us. All in all, it was a great experience and I'm excited to come back and get more of the premium crabs!

I remember learning about the hype of Rice Thief even before they opened their first brick-and-mortar storefront, so I definitely had high expectations coming in. And happy to say, it was well worth the anticipation. For folks who might not like raw marinated crabs/seafood, they do have a lot of cooked food options. For the 6 of us, we ordered the Gunsan Platter, Half and Half Platter, jokbal + memil, beef brisket doenjang jjigae, and their bbq ribeye. The seafood was fresh and marinated well. I personally enjoy spicy raw crabs over the soy marinated version, but both were so good! I also like that the soy marinated crabs weren't too salty. Highly recommend Rice Thief for raw marinated crab lovers!

Food: The raw marinated seafood, especially the crabs and shrimp, is absolutely delicious. The quality of the ingredients is top-notch, and the flavors are bold and refreshing. Cost: The prices are on the higher side, but the quality of the food justifies the cost. Environment: The restaurant has a beautiful interior, creating a sophisticated and elegant ambiance. While there's ample seating, it's recommended to make a reservation ahead of time to avoid disappointment. Service: The service is generally good, with attentive and knowledgeable staff. Uniqueness: The focus on high-quality, raw seafood sets this restaurant apart from others. The unique dining experience, combined with the delicious food, makes it a special occasion spot. Knew I had to come here the moment I knew them from when they only provided delivery!

Food 10/10 An absolute banger of a restaurant in LIC. The seafood platter was extremely fresh and such a huge variety of options. As someone who thoroughly enjoys seafood, I loved every single bite. The marination was done splendidly, and I savored every single bite. Would 100% return some day. Atmosphere 9/10 There's plenty of seating inside, but because we arrived very very late to our reservation, we sat at the counter, which was fine but just a little squished. Service 9/10 Solid service, they were very accommodating and allowed us to grab a spot even though we were quite late, so really appreciate it!