Manhattan Rice Wine Bar Serving House Ice Cream
Sip rare bottles at this Manhattan rice wine bar pairing natural pours with fish sauce caramel scoops.
🍨 Scoops And Rare Pours
Lai Rai operates as an intimate Manhattan rice wine bar on Forsyth Street. The room pairs natural pours with house desserts, bringing rare bottles like Bong Bong rice wine alongside rotating sweet scoops. Visitors discover a focused list of imported Vietnamese bottles that rarely surface elsewhere in the city.
The kitchen crafts unexpected ice cream flavors, including fish sauce caramel, savory Laughing Cow cheese, and condensed milk coffee paired directly with Pineau des Charentes. Refreshing fruit sorbets balance the richer dairy options, while small plates like a warm pate banh mi help anchor the sweet flights.
Seating remains sparse throughout the evening, as guests gather around limited stools along the bar before orders begin. Arrive near opening at 5 PM on Fridays and Saturdays or 6 PM on weekdays to claim a stool without delays. An early happy hour provides ten dollar glasses for those stopping by before dinner.
