This article is sponsored by Purple Rice.
When a bubble tea or soup dumpling craving strikes, there’s one place in Hoboken that should immediately come to mind. Purple Rice, located at 832 Washington Street in Hoboken, is a go-to spot for Asian fusion dishes. This family-owned restaurant opened last year and, if you haven’t tried it yet, it needs to be on your radar. It’s owned by the team behind Keming, the cozy restaurant in uptown Hoboken known for serving fiery Sichuan-style meals. Keep reading to discover more about Purple Rice in Hoboken + the can’t-miss dishes to try.
All About Purple Rice
Purple Rice is an Asian-fusion restaurant with a menu full of high-quality Chinese dishes like XiaoLongBao (soup dumplings) and other dishes with Szechuan flavor. It opened last year in the space that used to be Pastrami House. This spot must only attract incredible eateries because Purple Rice has been a welcomed addition to the neighborhood.
It’s the sister restaurant to Keming, which is just about a block north on Washington Street. Mr. Cui and his family run both eateries and love bringing traditional Asian flavors to the Mile Square city.
“We know the community well and what people are looking for. This new restaurant is an expansion of variation to serve the community better,” the owner told The Hoboken Girl.
Purple Rice is open every day from 11AM-9:30PM. There are a few seats in the restaurant for dine-in or you can order food for pick-up or delivery. It is a go-to choice for those work-from-home days when you need a quick and satisfying lunch. The rice/noodle lunch meal is great for a single-person lunch and lets you choose from some of Purple Rice’s best entrees, including separated layers of rice, fresh broccoli, and a fried egg as sides.
Traditional, Authentic Chinese Food
Purple Rice has a full menu with something for everyone. But, with so many flavorful dishes to choose from, it can be hard to narrow down your order. Trust us, no one will judge if you get extra Hot + Sour Soup or Spring Rolls.
If you need help deciding what to order, some of the most popular food items are the Rainbow XiaoLongBao (soup dumplings), Fried Rice, Lo Mei, Seafood Feast, Beef Brisket, + Braised eggplant. You can’t go wrong with any of the rice meals, especially Scallion Squid with Rice or the Chicken Potato with Rice.
“After a year of operation, we have recently updated the menu with the most popular Chinese dishes,” Mr. Cui said. These classic Chinese entrees include dishes like Mango Chicken, Pineapple Chicken, and varieties of pork ribs.
Purple Rice also has tons of plant-based + vegetarian options like Home Style Tofu, Braised Eggplant, Sauteed Bok Choy, and Stringbeans with Eggplant.
“Our menu includes the most popular Chinese food among both the American and Chinese community,” Mr. Cui said.
Purple Rice Yogurt + Other Signature Beverages
Purple Rice has a variety of yogurt drinks, bubble teas, fruit tea slushies, + milk teas. The restaurant’s signature drink is a Purple Rice Yogurt Slushy that can be topped with Black Sugar Pearl Boba, Hantian Boba, Mango Popping Boba, or Lychee Coconut Jelly.
For something more fruity, try the Signature Fruit Tea, Strawberry Sunset Green Tea, Pineapple Green Tea, or Honey Yuzu Tea. The fruit tea slushies + smoothies are also super satisfying. On chilly days, it’s hard to resist hot drinks like Classic Milk Tea, Jasmine Green Tea Latte, Rose Milk Tea, or Brown Sugar Ginger Tea.
All of the refreshing drinks at Purple Rice are made with fresh yogurts + fruits. Mr. Cui and his team are dedicated to serving high-quality dishes + drinks to every customer who walks through the doors.
“People can expect the best food quality in Hoboken, and will definitely find their choice in our menu,” Mr. Cui said.
Purple Rice is located at 832 Washington Street in Hoboken. You can call 201-526-4096 with questions or place an order online.
Proposed Plan Looks To Redevelop Hoboken Parking Garage Into Mixed-Use Apartment Building
A 40-year-old parking garage in downtown Hoboken could be transformed into a new apartment building. The City of Hoboken proposed plans to transform Municipal Parking Garage B at 28 2nd Street in Hoboken into a mixed-use building. The plan was unveiled during a virtual community meeting on January 7th, 2025, but has yet to be adopted by City Council. There will be another community meeting on Wednesday, January 29th at 7PM to learn more about the plan. Here’s what we know so far about the proposed plan to revitalize one of Hoboken’s largest parking garages.
The Plan
The goal is to redevelop Garage B into a transit-oriented, mixed-use site. The City wants it to have a new, updated parking garage, ground-floor retail space, a school, and residential housing. According to the plan, “Garage B is the only garage that exists as a standalone building, without other buildings attached to or flanking the garage structure. Garage B is also located furthest south and is closest to the Hoboken Terminal. For these reasons, Garage B has fewer barriers to construction than the other Garages locations.”
Read More: Groundbreaking Held for Residential Portion of Hoboken Connect Project
The housing portion of the new site would include a minimum of 20% affordable housing for low to moderate-income households. The remaining balance would be affordable for households that don’t make more than 120% of the regional median household income in the region. No market-rate housing is part of this redevelopment plan.
“The intent of workforce housing is to provide opportunities for working- and middle-class residents to live within the City of Hoboken,” said Marilyn Baer from the City of Hoboken. “These residents can include police and fire officers, teachers, municipal workers, nurses, and other essential workers.”
According to a recent study done by the City of Hoboken, the parking garage is in substantial need of repair. The garage would be getting a much-needed update and Hoboken says the new space will have the same or possibly more parking spaces for residents and visitors to use, along with modern technology to help make the parking process a breeze.
The Goals
This plan is part of Hoboken’s Redevelopment Plans, aiming to improve the City to make it safer for both residents and visitors. Some of the other goals for this site include maximizing the future building’s proximity to the Hoboken Terminal, increasing access to to NJ Transit, the PATH, the Light Rail, and ferry services. Project leaders aim for new construction to be compatible with the surrounding area. They also want to make sure ground floor space is spaced and utilized well to improve the pedestrian experience on Hudson Place and River Street.
This redevelopment plan also calls for pedestrian safety improvements in line with the City’s Vision Zero goals. It will also use stormwater mitigation strategies to help reduce local flooding.
Again, this is still just a proposed plan. If it’s adopted by the City Council, the City of Hoboken plans to send out a Request for Proposals from developers for concept plans. From there, the City will provide for an additional public process ahead of a potential Redevelopment Agreement between Hoboken and a developer, according to Marilyn Baer.
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Community Meeting on 1/29
Per a Nixle alert sent out by the City of Hoboken, there will be another community meeting to learn more about the proposed redevelopment plan on Wednesday, January 29th at 7PM in the City Hall Council Chambers, located at 94 Washington Street in Hoboken.
The Department of Community Development will present proposed uses for the 40-year-old municipal parking garage which could transform the property into a transit-oriented, mixed-use site with active ground-floor retail, residential housing, school space, and parking.
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