Rated Cafe is an approachable daytime version of Rated Test Kitchen

Chef-owner Juwan Rice has created this daytime cafe concept in the same downtown space as his dinner-only Rated Test Kitchen. Here, Rice scales back the intricacies of his evening tasting menus to present an approachable menu that still has the capacity to surprise.

Each bite of the salmon wrap we tried yields varying flavor and texture, with fried rice, herb potatoes, scrambled eggs, cheese, garlic aioli and Thai chile sauce all chiming in. The crispy sticky rice is a staple of the menu, a hearty bowl of sticky jasmine rice topped with quail egg, scallion jam, crispy shallots, garlic aioli and chicken sausage. If you’re in for breakfast, you might lean towards the French toast or breakfast bagel sandwich, and there are pastries and coffees for grab-and-go convenience.

313 N. 11th St., St. Louis, rated-cafe.com