![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/824eea8c69a8372c1f674b29bf2850f54a-seafood-tower.rvertical.w570.jpg\")
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\n Photo: Courtesy Rice Thief\n <\/p>\n
If I may recall the words of my colleague E. Alex Jung: Every Asian<\/a> baddie<\/a> on TikTok<\/a> has been posting about Rice Thief<\/a>. Jung was writing about its ganjang gejang<\/a> in early 2023, and for those who haven\u2019t kept up since then, Rice Thief is no longer a semi-clandestine delivery service for Korean raw marinated crab. It is now a 38-seat restaurant in Long Island City. The new space meant new dishes, and owner Richard Jang currently sells social media\u2019s favorite seafood tower: It\u2019s built around the soy-marinated crabs that made Rice Thief famous, followed by a tier containing two types of raw shrimp (one large, one giant) as well as abalone on the half-shell, then a final layer with slices of salmon and scallop sashimi. What sets this $179 selection apart from the zillion other seafood towers in town \u2014 in addition to the soybean soup, steamed egg, and abalone congee served alongside \u2014 is Rice Thief\u2019s 50-ingredient soy marinade, a recipe concocted by Jang\u2019s mother, who runs the kitchen.<\/p>\n A recent dinner started with shots of soju, nibbles of banchan, and Rice Thief\u2013branded bibs. When the stainless-steel tower of cold, glistening seafood arrived, I first went to pluck one of the six sesame-sprinkled shrimp hanging off of the middle level with my plastic-gloved hand before our server relayed some instructions. \u201cMix the rice inside the body of the crab,\u201d he said, pointing to large filled shells at the base, \u201cthen with the marinated pieces, squeeze the crab on the nori and add some of the banchan for more flavor.\u201d<\/p>\n He let us know the salmon came from Canada, the scallops from Hokkaido, and the XL tiger prawns from Ecuador. Jang buys his top-of-the-line Gunsan crabs during frequent trips to Korea, while the two whole abalone served on the shell (the livers are used to enrich the congee) come from Jeju Island. Radish matchsticks, pickled pink ginger, and kimchee were available for further customization.<\/p>\n Vertically stacking so much seafood is going to be a high-cost proposition no matter the restaurant, which is perhaps why most versions keep it low-risk and rarely stray from the shucked-and-steamed format. To an extent, diners expect a fresh catch that won\u2019t be doctored too much; restaurateurs have to balance creative flair with customers\u2019 anticipation. Crab salad, smoked mussels, and albacore conserva are the raciest options on any of the four plateaus at Jeffrey\u2019s Grocery<\/a>. Oceans<\/a>\u2019 La Tour throws in a Japanese-inspired tuna gomae, while in Greenpoint, the tinned-fish bar El Ping\u00fcino<\/a> adds fluke ceviche, scallop aguachile, and Jonah-crab salad with its oysters and shrimp.<\/p>\n Jang won\u2019t reveal everything that goes into Rice Thief\u2019s 50-ingredient marinade besides the soy sauce, only sharing that both gochugaru chile powder and gochujang paste play a part. The resulting flavor is surprisingly balanced for how complex the production is. Jang puts more weight in how much time each item on the platter marinates, a strict schedule that he\u2019s also keeping secret.<\/p>\n