A table spread of marinated crab, shrimp and abalone, braised pig trotters, a seafood hot pot and abalone porridge

Rice Thief · Korean soy-marinated seafood · Long Island City So good it steals your rice.

Raw crabs, shrimp and abalone in our soy marinade, seafood platters built for the whole table and Korean stews with a mother's touch, on 30th Street in LIC.

Call for the waitlist See the menu
  • 39-37 30th St · Long Island City
  • Tuesday – Sunday · Closed Mondays · Walk-ins
4.2 Yelp · 213 reviews Grub Street Seafood tower feature Eater NY LIC opening story Infatuation Reviewed
Tue–Sun Walk-ins & take-out

From our kitchen

Marinated the way Korea does it.

Ganjang gejang is why people find us: raw crab cured in soy until it's sweet, savory and impossible to stop eating with rice.

Soy-marinated crab, shrimp and abalone platter with lemon, jalapeño, rice and seaweed
For the table

Gunsan Platter

Two premium Gunsan crabs flown in from Korea, red and white shrimp and abalone, with rice and seaweed wraps.

Crab roe and meat scooped over rice with fish roe and scallions
Ganjang gejang

Soy-Marinated Crab

Raw crab in our soy marinade. Scoop the rich roe and meat over rice and wrap it in seaweed.

Raw bar

Rice Thief Tower

Our tiered raw-bar platter of soy-marinated seafood, built to share.

Spicy

Spicy Marinated Crab

Crab in a spicy marinade for anyone who likes the heat.

Soy-marinated

Marinated Red & White Shrimp

Sweet raw shrimp cured in our soy marinade.

Stew

Gamjatang

A spicy, savory stew of pork bones, potatoes and perilla seeds.

Crabs, shrimp and stews Call for the waitlist
Rice Thief's dining room with hanji screens and cherry blossom branches

Our story

A mother's touch, from our motherland.

Rice Thief started as a small delivery operation, a ghost kitchen in Sunnyside sending soy-marinated crabs across Queens. Now we've opened our first home and full-service restaurant in the heart of where it all began: Long Island City.

We're focused on true traditional Korean flavors and a mother's touch, bringing family recipes and an unforgettable experience to a cuisine you don't find often in New York.

Focused on true traditional Korean flavors and a mother's touch.
Read our story

Why Rice Thief

Three things we take seriously.

  1. Family recipes

    Traditional Korean recipes with a mother's touch, the same ones that built our following as a delivery kitchen.

  2. Crabs from Korea

    We went to Korea to source the best crabs we could find. Our Gunsan platter features premium Gunsan crabs flown in from Korea.

  3. More than crab

    Red and white shrimp, abalone, braised pig trotters, gamjatang and Korean stews to round out the table.

In the press

New York noticed.

4.2 Yelp From 213 reviews

“In an ocean of sameness, Rice Thief's raw-bar platter stands out.”

Grub Street December 2025

“At Rice Thief, soy-marinated raw crab is the star.”

The Infatuation Review

“Rice Thief Is Opening a Long Island City Restaurant.”

Eater NY January 2024

Walk-ins and the waitlist

Walk-in know-how.

All questions
Where is Rice Thief?

39-37 30th St, Long Island City, NY 11101, at 40th Avenue. Get directions.

When are you open?

Tuesday through Sunday. We're closed on Mondays. Call (917) 832-7108 for today's hours, or see directions and hours.

Do you take reservations?

We encourage walk-ins and seat on a first come, first served basis. There's often a waitlist, so call us at (917) 832-7108 during opening hours to check it. You can also find us on Resy.

Can I order take-out?

Yes. Take-out is available, just call us at (917) 832-7108.

What is ganjang gejang?

Raw crab marinated in soy sauce. It's the dish Koreans call a "rice thief" because you keep eating rice to have more of it, and it's what we're known for.

Is the seafood raw?

Our marinated crabs and shrimp are served raw. Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness. Please tell us about allergies when you order.

Visit us

39-37 30th St, Long Island City.

On 30th Street at 40th Avenue. Walk in, or call ahead to check the waitlist.

Get directions Call us
Backlit hanji lattice screens with carved Korean words at Rice Thief

Walk in hungry

Bring an appetite. We'll bring the rice.

We seat walk-ins first come, first served. Call ahead during opening hours and we'll tell you how long the waitlist is, or order take-out.

Call for the waitlist (917) 832-7108