Decor - 4Service - 2Presentation - 4Taste - 4Came here with a party of 13.Originally they wanted outlet party to spilt between two big tables, we said it wasn't necessary. The waiter came to our table as so as we sat down and asked us if we were were to place out order. Seriously?! We just sat down of course we aren't ready to order. Because we weren't ready at that moment, he then had an attitude with our table and was barely attentive to us. Extremely poor service!!!Even though the service was horrible the food was delicious.Dishes I recommend:House special chickenShrimp walnutEggplant and tofu casserole
Reviewed by:
Lizzie C. on:
3/19/2013 2:41:00 AM
Their specialty, as their name indicates, is congee. So it isn't a surprise that their congee is quite delicious! I tried salty chicken congee and congee with sliced pork and preserved eggs and both of them were good. But I didn't fall in love with them, because they had way too much cilantro. I am not that big of a fan of cilantro to begin with, but they really went all out on cilantro with their congee, to the point that I had the bitter, minty aftertaste of cilantro in my mouth even long after I was done. I enjoyed their salty Chinese pancakes as well, which is part of the dim sum menu.Overall, I think Congee Village is one of the better places to dine at in Chinatown, along with Wohop and Joe's Shanghai. It helps that the portion is quite generous and most of their congee and dim sum menu are very cheap. It would also be a great venue for large group dinners, as they are equipped with multiple large, circular Chinese-style dinner tables.
Reviewed by:
Stella A. on:
3/18/2013 12:52:00 PM
They would have gotten 5 start if not for terrible service. There were 7 of us at my table. We order 6 dishes and 4 bowls are rice (one guys have to go to a dinner after getting together with us so he wasn't going to eat much). The waiter was rude and also kept pushing us to order more food.He was rude:I had written all the dishes we wanted on a piece of paper. I waved him over and handed him the paper and said "4 bowls of rice please". He said, quite rudely, "all 7 of you are only eating 4 bowls of rice!?!" He was not joking. He was upset and really though I was only ordering 4 bowls of rice! Very obviously, he did not even see my piece of paper. Even so, he was very rude since the customer is always right. So what if I order only 4 bowls of rice!The tactics he tried to push us to spend more money were:The waiter said 6 dishes aren't enough for my group. We said we are not that hungry. Then he told us the dishes are small. We said we will order more food later if there isn't enough food. He told us if we reorder the food would take a longggggg time to prefer. We insisted we don't want to order more dishes. Then he told us the salt & pepper calamari is small and we will only have one piece per person. We said that's ok. We ordered 4 bowl of rice and it was just enough. We found out when the bill comes that each bowl was $1. So if we had ordered 7 bowls and ate 4, we still would be charge for 7 bowls!What really happened:The dishes weren't small. Every one had more than ONE PIECE of the salt & pepper calamari. The 4 bowls were just enough. The food came out SUPER fast (which means the kitchen was NOT slow as he claimed).Also, I had ordered house soup (which is free). I also ordered everything in chinese. We were a large group and some of my friends were seated at the next table. They are mostly non-Asian and even the Asians were ABC (non-chinese speaking). When one of them noticed our soup, he asked this same waiter, "Is that soup free?" pointing at our table. The waiter said bluntly "NO". I almost fell on the floor!! That is straight-out discrimination!The waiter gets an A for effort but a big fat F for being pushy, and lying!
Reviewed by:
C H. on:
3/14/2013 4:47:00 PM
The food was very good. But a MAGGOT fell from the ceiling and onto our table the waiter simply squished it & carried on like nothing had happened. Wtf!!
Reviewed by:
Mark H. on:
3/11/2013 5:04:00 PM
Came here with a group and thankfully they ordered for me. The waiters also put up with our rambunctiousness which was gracious of them.The food was good but the wait was pretty long considering how big the place is. We ate family style and certainly ordered quite a lot. There wasn't any dish which made a huge impression on me. The staff was nice enough to let us leave when we were ready.It is a decent place and I suppose my experience here has been average.
Reviewed by:
Jing Jing T. on:
3/10/2013 2:13:00 PM
Love love love their congeeeeeeeee,we ordered lobster congee that night., taste gr8,all of us love it!!!!
Reviewed by:
Michelle W. on:
3/7/2013 9:10:00 PM
I'm pretty sure this is my family's go-to restaurant when we're all in Manhattan. They have our phone number on file and tend to know what we're going to order before we actually order. And, they greet us by name. Or at least they greet my mom by name when we go and on the phone. I'm not sure if it's embarrassing or awesome that we order so often. They also tend to give larger portions when we order, and recommend other dishes or substitutions if they know something would be better. The last time I was here, we ended up getting a private room instead of our usual two back tables. They gave us the biggest table they have, and we were still squished for room. But since it was family, I guess it was a comfortable squishing? Not quite sure.Anyway, the food was good, as it usually is. My mom went and pre-ordered the entire meal, and she had gone to the restaurant earlier in order to make sure the meal was exactly to her specifications. They were extra large portions so everybody got enough of everything. We started with a Chinese antipasti dish, then came the geoduck carpaccio (my favorite). We also got some soup (typical), yi mein, yeung chow fried rice, ying-yang sauce over vegetables, lamb lollipops, shrimp with broccoli and candied walnuts with a mayonnaise sauce, duck feet with mushrooms, baby bok choy and sea cucumbers, and I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting four more dishes. Plus, since it was my grandfather's birthday, they gave us little cakes shaped and colored like peaches and stuffed with a lotus paste. Yum.But the service was ehhh. The host was great - he always served the dishes onto our plates so we wouldn't have hands and arms pushing each other. And he changed our dishes frequently so we wouldn't always have bones and other leftovers on our plates. But the waiter had more of a petulant teenage boy who didn't want to be there attitude. And he only spoke Cantonese, which only 1/4 of my family understood. So while the host was great, the waiter was ehhhh.Also, just a tip - this is a typical Cantonese restaurant, albeit a bit more high class than normal Chinatown places. But, it's still a Chinese restaurant which means most entrees are supposed to be shared family style! And then split the bill (or fight over it like my family members do.)
Reviewed by:
Sophie H. on:
2/27/2013 11:53:00 PM
Congee Village is a staple in Chinatown. First timers may be a bit confused as the entire setup is maze-like with three different levels, a bar and even private rooms not to mention the distracting Chinese displays of statues and fountains but be prepared for a top notch Chinatown meal. The servers are always very warm and friendly and most importantly, knowledgeable about the daily specials and their extensive menu.Congee of course is always a safe bet here, many opt for their frog congee or black egg with minced pork, pair that with some of their house special chicken and a vegetable and you have a warming and filling meal. Their house chicken on its own without rice however, is a bit too salty for my taste. My favorite dishes here range from their prawn and walnut in mayo sauce, sea cucumber, Cantonese style herbal soups and their fresh veggies sauteed in some garlic. Their crack dish however, has to be hands down the Chilean Seabass. Served on a giant (banana ?) leaf, it is grilled to perfection with a delicious brown sauce. i come here just for that fish drool*
Reviewed by:
Paul G. on:
2/25/2013 4:21:00 AM
I went here around midnight with 8 other friends. Waiters refused to take our orders. There was 6 waiters standing around talking. Only 4 other tables with people. We had to get up and walk out after 15 minutes. Never again.
Reviewed by:
Meredith X. on:
2/24/2013 8:22:00 AM
Came here for a birthday brunch. Spacious and convenient for large reservations but I'm not sure if I'll be returning for my Chinese food fix.We ordered a plethora of dishes. The two that stood out the most were the pork and preserved egg congee and the walnut shrimp. Flavorful congee, shredded pork with tasty, savory bits of egg. I would have preferred a couple slivers of ginger or a more generous sprinkling of egg. BEST candied walnuts in the walnut shrimp dish. Shrimp and broccoli covered in this tangy mayonnaise sauce.The other dishes were less than stellar. Scallion pancakes were under seasoned and I saw MAYBE one little slice of scallion, all pancake. Missing sauce with our pan fried tofu, everything else besides the congee and shrimp was flavorless and forgetful. Take a short walk or hop in a cab to Chinatown instead.
Reviewed by:
Joshua V. on:
2/24/2013 6:44:00 AM
I always keep this good old battle axe of a Chinese restaurant on the top shelf of my mind. The joint is huge and can accommodate huge parties on relatively short notice (Saturday nights though, be a pal and put in a reservation).Skip the soup dumplings here, they're just aight. Instead, razor clam it, house special chicken it, and get some damn congee while you're here. It isn't called congee village for nothing.And the fixed meals are totally great for those who don't want to sort out the particulars with a big group. Just point, click, and ask if they have vegetables to go with all those carbs and proteins (they do).
Reviewed by:
KB S. on:
2/15/2013 2:45:00 PM
DISCLAIMER: If you have a party of 3 or more, please CALL IN for a reservation and MAKE SURE your ENTIRE GROUP is there EARLY (before your actual reservation time). Heck, showing up 15-30 minutes early might make a huge difference in getting seats for your group. But be prepared to wait for over an hour, otherwise. There's really no guarantees you'll be seated, even with a reservation. But once you tell them your whole group has arrived, they'll make every effort to seat you, based on seat availability...because this place gets packed!! I'm talking about Asians, non-Asians and tourists all want to eat here for some reason on any given night. The front door waiting area is usually very crowded, so beware. This is really the only bad thing I found about this place. You have to be VERY PATIENT to get your seats, as the wait time is incredibly long if your whole group is not there. I learned the hard way.Anyway, onto the food. My large group of 11 ordered several dishes both family style (for all to share) and individual dishes for ourselves. I don't remember each item that we ordered but I can definitely recall having the house special chicken (whole size), 3 orders of the peking pork chop, 4-5 orders of various congee (rice porridge), 2 orders of the baked rice (one order of chicken/mushroom, the other was baked rice with two sausages), a tofu dish with seafood, 2 vegetable dishes (not sure what they were..one of them might've been the Chinese spinach with bean paste sauce), and a seafood chow fun.Every dish was good! This is hands down, one of the best Chinese restaurants in the Chinatown/Lower East Side area. If I were to nitpick, I'd say the house special chicken was a bit salty and dry. Although it did have a very tasty and crispy skin, I expected a bit more. Maybe if we had it on a different night, it would've been slightly better, but this kitchen was really busy and the waiters were running back and forth with orders all night.Overall, the food came out not long one after the other, the service was decent (wait staff understood both Cantonese and Mandarin), the decor was quite nice (we sat in the lower level, which was more private than the upstairs level) and there's a wine bar to get drinks while waiting.I would definitely love to come back, but with a smaller group, knowing that it's easier to seat.
Reviewed by:
Clay K. on:
2/12/2013 5:12:00 PM
Stamp your passport - you've left the USA when you enter this place. With a traditional woodsy decor and spunky waitstaff, it feels like China.Food is traditional cantonese (no General Tso's Chicken here) with an emphasis on seafood. Fish is OVERPRICED - $75/pound. Everything else is just a tad expensive for what it is.We ordered (in order of favorites):House Special Chicken - My Favorite & Finished very quickly - RECOMMENDEDSnow Pea Leaf w Garlic - Best Veggie, but slightly oily - finished quickly (because I ate a ton of it) - RECOMMENDEDFilet of Beef Chinese Style Sizzling - A Winner, finished quickly - RECOMMENDEDFish - small size whole fish cost us $57 - light and fluffy (not fishy at all) served with the head (ours had some big fangs) - Very Good, but not worth $57Fried Jumbo Shrimp with Salt and Pepper - Very good (finished quickly)Razor Clams - Tasty, but wasn't finished quicklySweet Potato Cake (Dessert) - SKIP IT - it's very oily and not sweetSauteed Chinese Vegetables - SKIP ITBeware: This place takes reservations but does not honor them. We had a 9PM reservation and did not get seated until 9:40PM. Since we knew this to be normal for Chinese establishments, it wasn't that big of a deal. Set your expectations low for reservation time of bigger parties (we had 7).
Reviewed by:
Huong V. on:
2/12/2013 1:19:00 PM
Wavering 4-4.5 stars.Hands down solid Chinese/Canto food in Ctown. It's become very saturated with the non-Chinese crowd, but nonetheless did not lose its authenticity or quality. Gets pretty jam packed during main dining hours, so be prepared to wait between 30mins-1hr: there's a wine bar to kill time if u can squeeze your way in and flag someone down to serve you. Reso's available for big parties. Not 5 star service, but sufficient and efficient.My usual orders (although I'm sure you won't go wrong with other stuff):1) House Special Chicken: a MUST. Crispy skin, garlic, light delicious soy sauce.2) Congee with thousand yo egg and pork.3) Rice Baked: any combo is good, but I like it with chicken and mushroom. Salted fish is even better ;)4) Sauteed Scallop with black pepper sauce5) Sauteed Shrimp with walnut and broccoli: for those unfamiliar -shrimp has a honey mayo sauce and is deep-fried (not sauteed).6) Peking pork chop7) Salt and Pepper pork ribs8) Assorted Seafood in sizzling hot plate9) Fried Fresh Squid with salted pepper10) Sauteed Snowpeas with Garlic11) Pan fried bean curd with soy sauce: sounds plain, but has so much flavor.Enjoy!
Reviewed by:
Ryan W. on:
2/11/2013 10:56:00 AM
In Joan Didion's "Year of Magical Thinking," Didion describes the upset stomach that comes with any stressful time in one's life. In her case, it was the loss of her husband and the illness of her daughter, but the magic of "Magical Thinking" is that the book's insights can apply to anyone, in any situation."I will not forget the instinctive wisdom of a friend who, every day for those first few weeks, brought me a quart container of scallion-and-ginger congee from Chinatown," Didion writes. "Congee I could eat. Congee was all I could eat."I must admit that when I first read her book, I wasn't sure what congee was, exactly; I'd been to multiple Chinatowns, of course, but always on the hunt for something on the other end of the dietary extreme, something spicy, stimulating, maybe still swimming in a tank when I entered the restaurant.This time, things were different: I'd been sick recently, and had lost my appetite. I wouldn't have been out at all, the night we went to Congee Village, except for there was a poetry reading on the LES by Marty McConnell, of "Instructions for a Body" fame, which, for the uninitiated, is exactly what one would want if one were in need of emotional sustenance. After the reading, my companions wanted food, and I wanted nothing. The compromise was congee.When it arrived at our table, a hearty rice porridge in a crock, full of savory duck and scallions, I finally understood what Joan Didion meant. This was food for the soul, first and foremost. It was warm, flavorful but not too flavorful, cheaper than dirt, and served with a hot cup of tea and a smile, even at 11pm, when we came in from the rain. It was exactly what my body needed to come alive again. I can't speak for the rest of the food here (which was just so-so). But congree, I could definitely eat. And I would gladly do so again at Congee Village.
Reviewed by:
Robert G. on:
2/11/2013 12:27:00 AM
NO STARS. They serve SHARK FIN SOUP. Totally EVIL.For those who don't know, 10-20 million sharks are killed every year just to serve this mercury-laden soup from a big, mercury-laden fish. Sharks are finned then left to sink to the bottom of the ocean and die. It's EVIL.If you eat at Congee Village, you support shark finning. It's as simple as that.Oh, and one time one of their idiot delivery guys (who spoke zero English) tried to wrestle his way into my apartment -- he physically pushed me out of the way -- because he was too stupid to understand that he couldn't make a physical carbon impression on my credit card, which is flat. I had to call Congee's manager to give him my CC number over the phone and tell him about this insane incident. He apologized and told me that it would never happen again. (Well, of course it won't happen again, because I WILL NEVER ORDER FROM THEM AGAIN.)
Reviewed by:
Susan C. on:
2/4/2013 6:39:00 AM
Hate hate HATEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE the wait. Hate the annoying fobs who stand in front of you with no knowledge of personal space. Step back, beetch.Love love loveeeeeeeeeeeeeee the food.I live in the Midwest where people think real Chinese is Panda Express. Let me have my Congee Village.
Reviewed by:
john c. on:
2/3/2013 2:46:00 PM
Was here with a party of 8, and what we ordered was awesome, so thought I'd share (you're mileage may vary). In fact I never know what to order, so I'm posting this for my own future reference.S507 - Sauteed Scallop with Ginger and Scallion - $13.95S520 - Boiled Sliced Conch with Asparagus - $22.95P112 - House Special Shrimp Paste Pork Rib - $9.95709 - Sauteed Snow Pea Leaf with Garlic - $11.95717 - Pan Fried Bean Curd with Soy Sauce - $8.95720 - Sauteed Bok Choy with Garlic - $9.95801 - House Special Chicken - Half - $9.00803 - Steamed Chicken with Black Mushroom - $8.95901 - Sauteed Filet Beef with Chinese Broccoli - $12.95
Reviewed by:
Renee S. on:
2/3/2013 5:01:00 AM
Perfect for a cold day. The congee was delicious, authentic and flavorful. True to it's ingredients.Service wasn't so great, but typical of what I would expect in Chinatown.Had the abalone & chicken congee, fish and duck egg congee and dried scallop congee. All were really good and tasted uniquely different. Not like regular congee w/ ingredients tossed in at the very end to mix.Would definitely come again!
Reviewed by:
Kevin F. on:
2/3/2013 2:23:00 AM
Went here on a recommendation and am sure glad we did!! Authentic Cantonese restaurant like back home (San Francisco) - killer tofu dishes, spareribs, and house chicken. We're definitely heading back!
Reviewed by:
Cathy H. on:
1/25/2013 12:24:00 AM
I have been coming to this restaurant for over 10 years, even before it expanded within its Allen Street location. I have seen it grow from being a hole in the wall place to now a thriving business with 2 locations. The food has stayed consistently great throughout the years. I have tried a plethora of the restaurants in Chinatown and this is by far, the best. In addition, I think the food at the Allen Street location is better than the Bowery location.They have a full bar at the entrance so it's a good place to grab a drink while waiting for your table. Congee Village has private rooms that you can rent out with karoke machine and TV but usually you have to order a minimum to be able to get the room.My favorite dishes are Baked Chilean Sea Bass in Garlic and Bean Sauce and Sauteed Lobster with noodles. The Sea Bass is a great deal at only $23 and if there were one dish I could eat every day, it would be this sea bass. So so good!
Reviewed by:
Tia W. on:
1/16/2013 5:10:00 AM
Winter means congee! Their congee is delicious and cheap. The last one I had was the salted fish, a portion is $4.50 (if I'm not mistaken), definitely enough for two.The other dishes were tasty, but nothing special. Anything fried is very very very oily! The restaurant is spacious, clean, and their service is quick. It gets pretty crowded on weekends for dinner, so I suggest going there for lunch.
Reviewed by:
Tiffany V. on:
1/11/2013 12:25:00 AM
Hands down our favorite Chinese place in the city. I've been around 3-4 times with my large family and just as a couple. Every time we go, I try to order something new and every time I am pleasantly surprised and stuffed full. Service is like all Chinese restaurants.Have to Get: Usual Chinese Dishes - Sautéed Snow Pea Leaves, Salt and Pepper Shrimp, Fish Mao Soup, RIce Baked Dish, House Special ChickenDownside: None!
Reviewed by:
Sandee L. on:
1/9/2013 2:18:00 PM
Congee sure hits the spot on a cold winter day!We didn't stray far from the norm and ordered beef chow fun and the chicken, duck and pork congee. The beef chow fun was enormous! I was surprised that the two of us polished off both dishes, but that's how good they were! The congee was flavorful with huge chunks of meat in it. Perfect to warm our bellies before heading outside to endure the cold.Service was fast! Our food arrived less than five minutes from the time we ordered. Food here is cheap. We spent $7 per person on lunch!I can't wait to come back and try some other dishes with more people to share.
Reviewed by:
Anh P. on:
1/3/2013 4:29:00 PM
Cheap comfort food is what I'm all about. When you start getting the sniffles and you're craving that bowl of congee with pork and preserved egg that your mama used to make you, come here. For $5, you get a legit bowl of bubbling hot congee. The liver congee is good too, 1 order feeds about two people comfortably so if you don't want to fight over who has the last bowl, I suggest you order more.For such a vast menu, I've only been able to try the Fresh Squid with Salted Pepper (both times = hella good), Beef Chow Mein - which has crunchy noodles with sauce, the House Special Chicken - a must get, it was so good I didn't even have a chance to take a picture of it.Great place for groups. Got a full bar and they make a mean lychee martini.
Reviewed by:
Wilson D. on:
12/30/2012 5:20:00 PM
Trendy, touristy, small portions, however never fails to please. This place is great for big crowds. Their big round tables with lazy susans are always accommodating for my "family dinners" with some of my besties. The wait, if any is usually short. There is a heated waiting area (for those cold summer days) with a small bar to help time pass by.Their congee is delicious (hence the name of the restaurant), my favorite being the thousand year old egg with salted pork. All of there other food is satisfying. I get my usual shrimp with walnuts and mayo, sweet and sour pork, salt and pepper calamari, stir fried dao mu (i don't know the english translation, just order it in your broken Chinese they will understand). Their menu is full of typical Chinese dishes.The service has been pretty good, it's unlike other Chinese restaurants where they rush you out after paying the bill. There is not automatic gratuity for large parties.
Reviewed by:
Margaret I. on:
12/26/2012 4:26:00 PM
Disclaimer - I did not end up eating here. Why:My husband and I put our names in (for 2 people) and were told 15 to 20 minutes. After an hour of watching much larger, more recent arrived parties be seated we gave up.The menu looked great, but we were hungry.
Reviewed by:
Kenny C. on:
12/17/2012 1:47:00 PM
Service: 4/5- really no complaints- washrooms a little dirty- sometimes it takes a while to get the servers attention- They have large tables and private rooms downstairs for even larger parties, great for groups- Servers speak cantonese and english is ok tooDecor: 4/5- relatively clean, wood trimFood: 4.5/5- relatively authentic chinese food- Congee is spot on- Crispy chicken in special sauce (House chicken) is always good - cripsy on outside, very moist inside- Pea tips with garlic - not too oily, I liked thatExpect to pay around 15/per for a decent meal, excluding alcohol
Reviewed by:
Jenn S. on:
12/15/2012 6:35:00 PM
Cheap late night eats is what I love! This place is huge, with mini mazes of tables and chairs. The decor is loud, obnoxious and kind of gaudy but I think it was purposely done that way so that it creates a more lively party atmosphere.Had both the sliced pork & preserved egg congee and the chicken & black mushrooms congee and both were good but what's up with the copious amounts of fresh raw ginger!!! Next time I'll have to ask them to omit that or at least sautee the bitter out a bit before adding the other ingredients...Also had the salted fish & rice baked in bamboo and the Assorted Seafood w.Fried Bean Curd, both were very good.The server kept disappearing on us and we had to ask for things multiple times before we got them. And our server was a bad english yeller when he spoke so I had to ask him to slow down and lower his voice a few times because I couldn't understand what he hell was saying...and I'm asian mind you!It what just the 2 of us and it was nice but I can tell it'd be pretty awesome with a large crowd. This place loses half a star for the service but since yelp won't let me it gets 4....
Reviewed by:
Richard W. on:
12/3/2012 1:00:00 PM
The bottom line: come here with a bunch of people to experience tasty food at a reasonable price. For $19 I tried something like eight dishes with a group of 10 people. It was awesome.I went here as part of a meetup group and we ordered a bunch of awesome dishes: shrimp with walnuts, fried rice, casserole with lop cheong and frog, crispy soy sauce chicken, chow fun, spare ribs, pork chops, sweet and sour pork, flounder, choy sum, etc. There was A LOT of food. I am definitely coming back here to pig out again.My favorite was, of course, the shrimp with walnuts. They do it right: the shrimp is crispy and covered with batter a little bit and not completely and totally slathered in mayo. The walnuts are honeyed, but not too much. Of course, there is broccoli as well just so you can pretend that you're not destroying your body by eating this dish.I also really enjoyed the crispy soy sauce chicken (yan su ji sp?). My grandmother always used to buy this in bulk when I came over for dinner. I remember her constantly putting more food in my bowl and me always eating it much to the dismay of my cousins were already full and received dirty looks from my grandmother because they didn't "eat enough". Ah, memories.The other dishes were also very good, but these two stood out for me in particular. Come and enjoy! Also, let me know if you do.
Reviewed by:
Paul H. on:
12/3/2012 3:49:00 AM
Decor: 4/5Service: 3.5/5-I've been here twice though I barely recall my first visit. My second visit was with a party of 16. We were guided down the stairs into a private room with two round tables and a 32" TV that's setup to a karaoke machine. The interior decor was definitely not sparse.-The place almost appears to be a maze with different levels and stairs.-Fairly attentive though we were stranded without tea a few times-They did offer to cut our surprise birthday cake which was kind of the serverFood: 3/5-Our fellow HK friend ordered for the whole party therefore I'm unable to name all the dishes.-Fried Fresh Squid ($9.50) was a hot item and disappeared fast. Lightly battered shell with chewy squid on the inside. The amount of salted pepper was just right.-Sliced pork and preserved egg ($3.50) was, to my surprise, quite delicious and I'm quite critical when it comes to congee.-Pan Fried Minced Pork w. Salted Fish ($9.95) came as small patties. While this was good, it was also fairly oily.-Hot Sizzling w. Chinese Broccoli ($9.95) was also slightly on the oily site though the broccoli was great.-House Special Chicken($18) was delicious. I was expecting this to be oily but the breast meat was just right in terms of moisture and tenderness.I'll tell you that I was not disappointed with eat bite. I did however avoid the typical dishes like fried rice so I can not comment on that. Overall a positive experience and I'll definitely come back to try their other dishes.EDIT:-I came here a third time and the food was just overly greasy and salty. Also the service was slow. Minus one star.
Reviewed by:
Stephanie Q. on:
12/2/2012 4:22:00 PM
I tried the other Congee Village first.. then came to this one. This one is bigger in size.Two words: Cheap and good.For some reason, they kept playing "happy birthday" in different languages. So do not have your birthday here.The congee is delicious, so are all the meat dishes.
Reviewed by:
Angel F. on:
11/21/2012 10:33:00 AM
Doesn't look like your ordinary Chinese restaurant. The decor is kind of Tiki-inspired. Some people think it looks cheesy, but I thought it was different and interesting especially the wide staircase leading to the upstairs dining area.Didn't get any congee since I was really hungry, but will next time. What I did get was the half of the house special chicken and beef chow fun. The chicken was moist and flavorful with slices of fried garlic. Huge portion and so satisfying with their fluffy white rice. Beef chow fun was good as well. No complaints.I liked the fact that the place was really spacious. It's nice not feeling crowded like some of the other Chinese restaurants that I have experienced.
Reviewed by:
Alan P. on:
11/13/2012 6:57:00 AM
I came here with a few Asian friends for a bday dinner and Idk if its bcz its their cuisine that they knew exactly what to order but the food was delicious.. I came here tonight with my girl and my newborn, we ordered the simple house special fried rice and beef with broccoli.. well lemme tell u that the rice was yellow, no color, the shrimp wasn't cleaned and my beef with broccoli was a small portion and hardly and broccoli, and it was under cooked. Not only that, but they made it super obvious that I wasnt welcomed..Not coming back.
Reviewed by:
Jessamyn H. on:
10/1/2012 6:38:00 PM
This is the place you want to get Congee.Lots of selections of congee, but also they have lots of great other foods too.The price is unbelievable. Very cheap. one big bowl of Congee cost $2-$3. Just expect the food but not really the customer service. They do their job but not friendly and not going to serve you extra care.
Reviewed by:
Katie M. on:
9/20/2012 9:45:00 PM
Was back to Congee yet again for the 4th year in a row to celebrate my best friend's birthday. This has become a seriously glorious tradition that always manages to please.In order to prepare yourself for the best possible Congee experience, heed to these tips very carefully:1) Expect prompt service. However, don't expect any special requests to be honored, as there are at least 3-4 servers that will be bringing your food and submitting orders. That being said, if you ask the manager very nicely, he is quite happy to accommodate bringing your best friend a plate of sweet potato mochi cakes accompanied by crazy music and a lit candle!2) Order at least one bowl of congee. Unless you're Chinese and/or grew up on the stuff, it won't taste particularly good. But you must order it anyway. It's tradition.3) The mayo shrimp w/ walnuts & broccoli dish sounds disgusting but is actually the best thing on the menu. Don't think about the gloppy mayo, just don't, but do think about how perfectly fried and amazing that shrimp tastes with those perfectly candied walnuts.4) There is no chance that you're not eating family-style in a group larger than 4 people. I suggest ordering one dish per person at the table + 2 - you will have a ton of food, but plenty of variety. It won't be timed perfectly, but you'll get your orders fast enough so that once the last dish makes it to your table, everything else will still be warm.5) Make sure to go to Congee Village on Allen Street, NOT Bowery. It is far cleaner, better decorated, and has better staff.6) Do use the lazy susan excessively.7) Do expect a cheap bill!
Reviewed by:
Bin H. on:
9/18/2012 3:47:00 PM
Congee, ftw!I had the duck, pork and chicken Congee. It was piping hot, full of flavor and so cheap (under $5 for a big bowl). I wonder what their big secret to successful congee-making is.My friend and I also shared a shrimp dish and scallion pancakes. The servers were friendly and the service was quick, like every other Chinese restaurant I love going to.
Reviewed by:
Anny Y. on:
9/3/2012 10:40:00 AM
For a party of two girls and light eater...we decided to go easy on a Thursday night meal. We were craving and ordered the infamous Dungess crab cold with spicy red chili sauce. The waiter prompted us if it was ok to order the $42 crab. We were splurging and definitely ok. Another light order was the abalone chicken with congee.We left feeling very satisfied and happy. Thanks Congee Village!
Reviewed by:
Eri S. on:
8/28/2012 6:13:00 AM
Stumbled in after a few drinks at Hotel Chantelle.I'm not sure if congee would be my dish of choice whilst inebriated but we got the shredded pork with preserved egg. We also ordered chow fun and sweet potato pancakes.So we were in a rush and burned out tongues with the congee. Ow. Well that wasn't such a good idea....But the chow fun!!! It was your typical chow fun at any chinese food joint but it definitely hit the spot. We were raving about the greasy goodness amidst our large mouthfuls. Seriously, that's all we talked about. The sweet potato pancakes resembled the texture of mochi and served as a nice dessert.We ended up paying about $8 per person. Gosh, I love cheap eats!
Reviewed by:
Grace O. on:
8/23/2012 2:03:00 PM
I had my last dinner in New York City here, and there is no other place I would want to have it!The restaurant is very large, and the decor is pretty funny. It's like an asian treehouse? There is a large party room downstairs that has it's own bathroom, which is hugely convenient. If there is no party scheduled, regular diners can dine here. A few years ago, my family had a reunion and held it in the party room. I remember the food being delicious then, and it was sure as hell delicious this time around too.We had Honey Walnut Shrimp, Congee with Liver, Congee with Century Egg, Hokkien Fried Rice, Black Bean Clams, Garlic Pan-Fried String Beans, Squab...Everything was cooked to absolute perfection. I had no complaints about anything. Every entree was delicious...I'm going to go drool in a corner now, thinking of this meal...
Reviewed by:
Tombatossals on:
2009-03-15
El congee, es un plato preparado a base de arroz, casi como unas gachas de arroz en blanco, al que se le a?ade carne, verduras o pescado. Congee Village est�� en esa tierra de nadie que es la frontera entre Chinatown y el Lower East Side. ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
Very reasonably priced. Cute decor. Service, slow, but actually somewhat friendly. Good Cantonese ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
This is a fun, noisy, upscale sort of place. However, the prices are not high. We have had many fine family parties here. They can handle ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
Isn't the place called CONGEE VILLA? not Village? The food is pretty good there...long wait on a weekend. The food sometimes is salty. Overall a decent chinese restaurant in chinatown ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
Try the Congee soups!! They are really amazing. Some dishes are relatively standard, like the sesame chicken it's very good, but it isn't a surprise. The congee soups are a true delicacy, however ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
The food was really mediocre but the service is what sets this place apart, it was among the worst I've in New York. Certainly will not go back as there's tons of better restaurants where they treat you like a valued guest ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
We had dinner with my family at Congee Village. The food was very salty. We were unsatified with the service. They didn't understand their customers very well. I feel this restaurant is over rated. I had better food in chinatown ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
I usually just get delivery, but it's actually pretty nice inside, too. Most things I've had have been excellent. Specific gems: congee with pork and egg and their buddha's delight (for veg). They also do the played out US-Chinese fare ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
We love the congee here! Only negatives to report was once finding meat in a vegetarian congee order, and once finding a bug in another congee order. Even so, the congee is great (try the salted chicken or abalone and chicken). ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
i have been to congee village about 20 times over the past 4 years or so, and I always have a wonderful time. the food is consistently delicious, fresh, and appealing. And the prices are miraculous. good idea to order one or two dishes ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
I have eaten here twice now. They definitely have issue with serving anyone who is not Chinese, but all of Chinatown is like that too. Service is ok. I thought the food was very good and portions are fine. It can get pricey, but overall ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
congee never does us wrong! after a late night out on the town, a group of us met there for brunch. the frogs legs congee didn't even scare the hungover crowd that weren't all congee regulars. so much to try... was a little disappointed ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
The food here is so good. It's probably a good idea to make reservations for parties of 6 or more to avoid the long wait. All the dishes we have tried were excellent; my family and I especially enjoy the shrimp with walnuts, the house ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
I see all these wonderful reviews but I cannot agree at all. Walking in there, my friend and I were ignored for about half an hour and had to pretty much beg for a waiter to come and take our order. I had some questions about the menu, ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
The first spoonful of their hot and sour (called hot and spicy) single portion served in a pumpkin shaped bowl evinced great sophistication in the balance of flavors and stayed super hot in temperature to the dregs. Have been here a half ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
There is comfort (and folk-medicinal healing properties) in congee, the Cantonese rice porridge that is the focus at this multilevel, always-packed LES standby. Choose among 29 versions��like the sliced pork with preserved egg, or chicken ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
My friends and I ate ourselves silly here--for only $12 per person. Everything was great--the fried rice (I think it had scallops in it), the chicken and mushroom congee, the scallion pancakes. I didn't eat the duck and the other congee, ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
I love this place!Any restaurant willing to kick out a patron with a crying baby get's top votes from me. Taking a two year old to a reastaurant is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Bravo to Congee Village. I hate these idiots who think ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
A friend of mine told me about this place, and I decided to give it a try. I'm really glad I did! The atmosphere was great, the food was fantastic, the service was wonderful, and the prices where just phenomenal for the amount of food ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
Good food, not so good service but everyone knows you don't go to a great chinese restaurant for the "SERVICE". I've been here many times because I like the authentic chinese food. This place is always packed on the weekends so the ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
Congee or "jook" as the locals call it is the best type of soup one can get along with my favorite new england clam chowda! I got the the congee called "gup dai jook" (the innards that many avoid) my chinese pal got me hooked on. ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
My friends and family have always raved about the congee at this restaurant. Apparently, that's the only thing that decent about this place. I decided to bring a friend along to try it out. This place has very limited seating for small ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
I have frequented Congee Village for years. Friends and I used to rave about the General Tso's, Hot and Sour Soup, Beef w/ Chinese Brocolli, etc. I went with 5 other people a few weeks ago. Nothing tasted good at all! Everyone in the ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
After reading the reviews here, and from another source, I have been wanting to try this place for a while. Did so on Sunday, and was not that impressed. I ordered steamed dumplings, they were not good, and bean curd with black mushroom ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
I had lunch here today with a seasoned new yorker (ie bought his building in the 60s). lunch on a monday, so no wait at all. the decor is pretty weird. these guys seem to be using random decor from a clearance sale. when you go, you'll ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
This place serves pretty good food with better choices than your traditional chinese restaurant menus. I also think the price is pretty good. What I don't like is their service. Their staff don't really speak english that well, as long ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
The food here is the creme de la creme of humble expanding ChinaTown. It is not as cheap as the other places might be but the food is certainly delicious and authentic. Even in times such as this, this is the one restaurant in CT that ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
I have been to the Congee Village several times over the years. I can only say that my experience there has been ok to say the least. Their waiters are not use to the english language, so it makes it hard to explain what you want to order ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
The food here is good an inexpensive and there is a huge variety. Frog legs, squid, pigeon- and food the less adventerous may be use to- general tso, mixed veges. They accomodate big groups well. Portions are big- so if you do have a big ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
Having been to mainland China and HK several times, I don't go to Chinese restaurants to order Chop Suey. Congee Village is the real deal, and a nice place to boot. We usually start with a drink at the bar while waiting for a table since the ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
If you want to have authentic Chinese food, Congee Village is the place to go. The prices as great and the selection is huge. Try one of their delicious congee dishes (most of which are under $4), portions are generous. ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
Congee Village would need to be in the running among any Chinese restaurants that are considered New York institutions. This maze-like eatery, located between Chinatown and the Lower East Side, has something for everyone. ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
This place was recommended to my husband by a Chinese co-worker. We went there with mixed feelings as we didn't know what to expect from the Congee. But my word, they certainly know their food. We started with Shark Fin soup which has ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
I am a long standing fan of Congee Village and I must say that after all these years the place is still quite amazing. The food authentic and originates from the south eastern Guangdong/zhou style. For the mild pallet theres nothing like ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
y'all should know... Like most Asian Restaurants around the world, it tries to maintain it's core style and customers base. That means ordering family style and or expect that treatment, but since it 's opening a number of years ago, ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
I made the trek down to the LES to have a go at the congee since this place has had so many rave reviews for this dish. In all, we were a group of 8 (4 Chinese, 4 Westerners) in this adventure. We were seated immediately on one of the lower ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
$25 AND UNDER; Surprise! Making a Meal of Porridge, Chinese Style By ERIC ASIMOV Published: February 23, 2000 FOR more than a few years I have been a confirmed congee lover. This is something of a surprise to me, because I loathe oatmeal and ...?
Reviewed by:
Contributor on:
to this lively Cantonese funhouse for the bar, the Much as its name implies, this quirky Lower East Side eatery evokes a village. The sylvan interior features a wooden hut, fake trees, a canopy of leafy greens, and a large mural of a sun-dappled mountainside. A small juice bar, where ...?
Reviewed by:
Rob Patronite and Robin on:
Isn't it enough to watch your colleagues and family members humiliate themselves? Why stoop to the level of dragging them down dimly lit halls to the dank private rooms at East Village debauchery dens Sing Sing and Village Karaoke? ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
There is comfort (and folk-medicinal healing properties) in congee, the Cantonese rice porridge that is the focus at this multilevel, always-packed LES standby. Choose among 29 versions��like the sliced pork with preserved egg, or chicken ...?
Reviewed by:
david on:
2000-09-22
All Review Photos Congee (rice soup, cooked for hours until the rice has broken down) is the standard Chinese breakfast. Add a stick of fried dough (literally Oil Stick in Chinese) and a few vegetables and you will walk out knowing what ...?
Reviewed by:
travel2000 on:
2001-07-02
For those of you who are fans of Chinese food, this place is a real find. It is on the outskirts of Chinatown, in an area not on the tourist radar. This restaurant is always packed and for evenings, it is best to get a reservation. ...?
Reviewed by:
ticotorres on:
2002-07-10
I ate until I literally felt as though I would explode. This place is a little slice of heaven, gutton heaven. For $20 a head me and a bunch my chums ate like homless men with a found Visa card. I could have taken on the Kombiashi the ...?
Reviewed by:
yslai33 on:
2002-09-28
Theme-like and esoteric, the restaurant takes the traditional Cantonese foodfare like rice porridge (congee), chow fun, and noodle dishes and charge it with a little pizzazz. The baked rice are stuffed into bamboo containers, the seafood ...?
Reviewed by:
minuet99 on:
2002-10-01
The congee here is the best of all Chinatown. It's a place of cold remedies for me. Good quality congee takes lots of effort and time, and this restaurant definitely makes the effort. The service is pleasant. It's the first place in mind ...?
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koo_cho on:
2002-10-04
This is one of my favorite places in Chinatown, the food is very authentic, the menu is increbibly vast and even on crowded weekends, everyone tries to provide a fast service (although sometimes slightly rushed). The congee is great. ...?
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dangyell on:
2002-11-29
If you're looking for authentic cantonese food, this is the place. It's not Americanized Chinese food, so don't come if you're not adventurous. Vast menu, good prices, and huge portions. ...?
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nycritic00 on:
2003-04-13
located in 'extended' chinatown area (chinatown has long reach into other ethnic areas over the yrs) - 1st reaction - parking sucks, but were soooo lucky to get a legal space with no meter. food excellent for value price (dishes at least ...?
Reviewed by:
soogah on:
2003-04-29
but also good authentic cantonese dishes. Steamed fish, salted fish-pork patty, satay beef.. etc.. all very good dishes.. havent tried a bad dish here yet! Decor sucks but it's about the food right? service wasn't the best but satisfactory. ...?
Reviewed by:
huskyduck on:
2003-09-17
The location is a bit scary at night if you intend to travel there by subway. It was the loudest restaurant I think I have ever eaten at, though, there was a table of about 15 drunk, young men right next to us. Congee is first rate with top ...?
Reviewed by:
fragola7 on:
2003-10-29
This restaurant came highly recommended by loads of my friends, so I was really looking forward to going. It was a week night, so the place was pretty busy. We were a party of three and were placed on a square table that was placed ...?
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JonnyG100 on:
2004-02-05
I took friends to Congee Village twice. The first time they said we would be seated in 10 minutes, and 45 minutes later, after they'd completely forgotten about us, we decided to leave. The second time i went there I made a reservation ...?
Reviewed by:
freyja on:
2004-02-20
My friend and I were seated right away and served extremely promptly on a Monday night... Maybe all the bad reviews are from weekend guests. The soy sauce chicken (which they call "house special") is some of the best I have ever had, ...?
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dragonguy on:
2004-10-18
Although not the best decor, congee is very good - especially the salted chicken congee! The best dish, by far, is the house special chicken. It's deep-fried, juicy and smothered with garlic... Probably the best chicken I've ever tasted! ...?
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bigboy2000 on:
2005-01-03
Love this place. Live around the corner and go there as often as possible. The bar's terrific, staff awesome and the biggest menu for the best deal. An efficient and pleasant pillar of the local restaurant community. Cool decor too. ...?
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lisaortiz on:
2005-02-22
We made a reservation for 5:30pm (20 people) and people were still arriving at 5:45 (over half the group was there) when the manager came over and literally yelled at us for not being on time saying it was a busy time for him, when in ...?
Reviewed by:
zmzm807 on:
2005-03-11
I went there for dinner. The food was good and had a lot of flavor. I really enjoyed Pan Fried Flounder - the fish was so fresh, outside was crispy, inside juicy. I also like the ambience, as it has an interesting structure and design ...?
Reviewed by:
smdny on:
2005-03-23
I went here on a Sunday night with 2 friends. We waited about 10 minutes for a table and enjoyed peanuts and cocktails at the bar (drinks are $3.50!). For dinner we sampled appetizers, pork buns, meat and vegetable dishes, as well as two ...?
Reviewed by:
james w. on:
2005-08-15
Congee is a chinese dish comprised of rice, water and whatever else you can afford for the mix. It is very filling and staple of the chinese diet. A restaurant of congee? I was very skeptical at first to think anyone could pull it off. ...?
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Suk C. on:
2005-08-18
Congee Village has a great atmosphere and delicious food at such an affordable price! Outside, it is decorated with fake bamboo. Once you walk inside, there are plants and bamboo as well, making it feel like an tropical atmosphere. ...?
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jpgudi on:
2005-08-22
awesome place, cheap good food, cheaper drinks, really fast service.. get there before 8ish pm if you want fast seating, it gets really packed around 830 fri and sat nights.. kinda cheesy decor but you're absorbed in the food so ambience ...?
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salamiboo on:
2005-09-11
My boyfriend and I were new to NewYork and we just came across this restaurant. Their congee was fantastic. We ordered tons to food that we were familiar with. One bite and we looked at each other in utter shock. It was totally homemade ...?
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pippatill on:
2005-10-28
The food is spectacular and cheap, and the atmosphere is wonderfully weird. The service is totally brusque and intrusive, but it doesn't matter at all. This place send me into a hazy dream state of total deliciousness. ...?
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ldykahley7 on:
2005-11-12
This is a place where you can go and eat. The food was quite excellent, very tasty, and light on the stomach. The service was excellent. The waiting time was excellent. You can't go wrong with this restaurant. The decor of the restaurant ...?
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ferdpoon on:
2006-01-24
We often eat in Chinatown and this place has horrible staff. Despite reservations, we ended up waiting for 1hr+. No one came to take our order for another 20 min. We wrote the order down ourselves, using menu numbers. They rejected our ...?
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goondigity on:
2006-02-24
Congee village is a great place for some super yummy Chinese food with a large group of friends... everything is served family style. The prices are incredibly cheap. When I went with a group of 6 people we stuffed ourselves and still ...?
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Lily H. on:
2006-03-21
When you want to eat really really good chinese food with a lot of people for a great price (cheap), come here. You cannot go wrong. It's authentic Chinese food and not your typical run of the mill spareribs and fried rice stuff. ...?
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AlegraDemos on:
2006-03-23
Pro: location, quick service, price. Con: location. The interior here is like the set of well-produced high-school play: A wooden hut, treens and greenry, murals of distant lands. First, there is the juice bar, which should be your first ...?
Reviewed by:
icemancometh06 on:
2006-04-10
For tasty selections, value & a fun atmoshphere, one can not go wrong coming here. A little cheaper than in c-town but parking is terrible. Sat in village type room seating 8 of us. The selections quite varied, the beef chow fun, ...?
Reviewed by:
asia50 on:
2006-05-03
We stumbled upon this place and new CitySearch highly recommended it, plus the wait was 30 mins and the place was packed! DON'T BE FOOLED! There is little to no service, and when you get service they are rude. The food took forever and ...?
Reviewed by:
doobiesun on:
2006-05-03
We went this past Saturday and it was a bad experience. The wait staff was terrible. The mushroom and chicken congee were watered down and tasteless. White rice were very sticky and too moist. We asked the waiter to change the ...?
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civic l. on:
2006-06-20
Congee Village gets big Ups for a fine establishment. They have it all -- great price, food, and service. The food is prepared quickly and efficiently. And it all comes at a very reasonable price. The takeout is great too since they give ...?
Reviewed by:
arcos on:
2006-07-14
After hearing great things about this place, I planned a dinner here with 8 of my friends on a Saturday night. I made a reservation and didn't have to wait long to be seated. I have to say this was one of the best group dinner ...?
Reviewed by:
marianakeyes on:
2006-08-01
I went here with a group of 10 on a Friday night. We were able to get a reservation on short notice, and they did seat us pretty quickly. The rest of the dinner was so bad, it turned out to be hilarious. Food was terrible, drinks were ...?
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Kelly D. on:
2006-08-09
The food here is delicious and tastes great. The congee is tasty and loved by nearly everyone. However I think there are too many scallions in it, personally. Service was excellent. Decor is very nice. With a small water fountan in front and ...?
Reviewed by:
wupower on:
2006-08-20
I heard great things about this place, but was pretty disappointed in the results. The plates were dirty with old food stuck to them, there were kids running up and down screaming the whole time with no one stopping them - maybe they are the ...?
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ac_dropout on:
2006-08-21
Decor is kind of interesting and so is the layout. Food was made with fresh ingredients. Stick to the traditional Cantonese dishes, which were excellent, can't rave about them enough. Soup, Congee, noodles, bamboo steamed rice, seafood, ...?
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nycteacherjones on:
2006-09-10
This is my favorite Chinese restaurant in NYC, bar none. I've eaten at two locations, and both are wonderful. One small quibble: sometimes, if you're white, they will give you "the white version" of a meal, ie, regular Western broccoli will ...?
Reviewed by:
mbp117x on:
2006-09-18
Most of the food we tried was very good. This is among the better Cantonese restaurants in Manhattan. Especially good plates were the salty/spicy crabs and the clams with black bean sauce -- both for about $10! The fresh flounder was ...?
Reviewed by:
webxmoviesrnr on:
2006-09-20
Known for "jook," Congee Village serves up every congee variety that remedies any hungry stomach. Yet, in my inaugural visit there, I was ordered the Village's other specialty dishes. I started with the fried bread ("man-tao") & enjoyed ...?
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tigrlily51 on:
2006-11-08
all the congee is extremely good and reasonably priced. additionally, the bamboo-cooked dishes are very rich in flavor and comforting. this is an especially great place to go on a harsh, cold winter day. not so sure about the bar though, ...?
Reviewed by:
robota on:
2006-11-09
I love everything about this place. The atmosphere is great. One of the rooms has what feels to me like a bamboo cabin. Another great feature are the large round tables they have. This is so if you come with a big group sharing family ...?
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maureenuw on:
2006-11-16
Try the congee! I had never had it but am now quite fond of the preserved egg and pork congee. Other dishes are excellent as well. It's fun to dine in but delivery is also excellent. General Tso's chicken is crisp and delicious. ...?
Reviewed by:
daragon on:
2007-01-28
The food here is good an inexpensive. They accomodate big groups well. Portions are big- so if you do have a big group, I recommend ordering a couple of appetizers and not ordering entres for every person in the group. ...?
Reviewed by:
jcoconut on:
2007-03-23
the tiki envirnment funky fun-ness fades after the oozing gelatinous plates of food start to digets miutes after you have begun to sort out the identifiable parts of the giant trays of food they serve you. ...?
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rowrowrow on:
2007-03-24
Decent food. Was better a few years back. I found an even better place for authentic Chinese food- Dragon Palace on Centre St. They take reservations and don't make you wait an hour even with one! ...?
Reviewed by:
elisemischief on:
2007-04-16
i had my birthday dinner at congee, we were 20 people. the food was delicious and the experience was perfect. i made a reservation in advance, and the staff was very organized and consistent. on the evening of the dinner, they allowed us ...?
Reviewed by:
rosehall on:
2007-05-07
Asian fantasy with an amazing array traditional dishes which include snail porridge, chicken feet, and other delicacies. A wonderful treat on a Sunday afternoon when Chinese families overflow the rooms. ...?
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Kevdawg on:
2007-05-11
Congee village when I prefer the other dishes they offer here. A great place to have dinner with your family but make sure to put in a reservation or you might be waiting a while. Immerse yourself in the village setting they have created here and order ...?
Reviewed by:
soonha on:
2007-05-14
I know that Congee Village is popular for its namesake dish and frequented by Chinese people (which is an obvious thumbs up for its authenticity) but please try another place that doesn't serve shark fin soup. I know that it's ubiquitous but ...?
Reviewed by:
callisto on:
2007-05-23
I have eaten all over Chinatown before & this is one of my favorite places. It's great because it's not in the heart of Chinatown so it's much easier to find parking. There's usually a wait around dinner time if you come in a large group, ...?
Reviewed by:
Sen YuH416769 on:
2007-06-19
the place to go if you don't want to eat Chinese food in a dingy place. Host is attentive as he is sometimes more helpful than the waiters. Food is more authentic than most restaurants but at the cost of higher prices. Fish goes for $30 . ...?
Reviewed by:
ZenFoodster on:
2007-07-06
but does the trick of setting the whimisical scenea mix of local Chinese, tourists, daters, & hipsters make it a long wait. However, a few of the ridiculously low-priced cocktails and the great, authentic Guangdong Cantonese dishes will take your ...?
Reviewed by:
jwong120 on:
2007-07-06
I've gone to this restaurant a handful of times since they've been opened, and I have to say that their customer service has taken a nosedive in the last few years, getting worse with each visit. I recently took my friends and coworkers ...?
Reviewed by:
tccheryl on:
2007-07-06
Congee ("jook" in Cantonese) was served to me in my childhood by my mother when I was sick. This comfort food, eaten centuries by Chinese peasants & noblemen alike, is believed to contain therapeutic qualities strong enough to foil the ...?
Reviewed by:
ElizabethC31228 on:
2007-07-07
Go with a group so you can taste everything because the menu has a milion things you will want to try. The food always seems fresh. My favorite thing on a cold night is the chicken and mushroom congee. It is so good and super cheap. ...?
Reviewed by:
MichaelJ324520 on:
2007-07-09
that is available all over the city, it is easy to forget how wonderful the cuisine. But OMG, Congee Village will remind you. This is a great place to go with a large group of people, so you can try many dishes. Be sure to include congree itself. ...?
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susansusan on:
2007-07-27
This place is gross. I saw a huge rodent (i'm not allowed to use the appropriate word on this site) running through the dining room! The service is terrible, the people are rude, the food is not consistent. The first couple of times it ...?
Reviewed by:
yonidds on:
2007-07-27
Recently returned to Congee Village and have to agree that service has really fallen off. When ordering a dish we had seen at another table, there was some confusion as the waiters barely speak english. When the dish was brought to us it ...?
Reviewed by:
qtgurljny on:
2007-08-14
If you're in the mood for Chinese in a lively atmosphere look no further then Congee Village. Esp great for large parties, the drinks are very reasonable, food is good and prices are decently low without making you suspect of the food. ...?
Reviewed by:
kamsantos on:
2007-09-22
better ambiance than most chinese restaurants at the same price. has a bar with fun drinks and ample seating for large groups. sometimes have a wait so make reservations fri/sat nite during peak hrs. for late nite chinese food it's an ...?
Reviewed by:
cindyseg on:
2007-10-20
My friend's brithday dinner was at Congee Village. It was my first time there and I'm glad I now know about this place. The food is great and the prices are reasonable. Service was very fast. I would definitely call before you go there since ...?
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RFLINY on:
2007-12-25
" touristy Canal St." area. The menu offers items that I have never seen in any other area restaurant. This place is the "real deal" and you can tell by observing the Asian crowd lined up to get in. My party was greeted and cared for by 3 different servers ...?
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edfelix27 on:
2007-12-27
I stopped by on my way home as they were closing looking for some singapore mei fun. After ordering, I sat in the waithing area reading a chinese newspaper, or looking at the pictures at least -- before my food came i looked up to see a ...?
Reviewed by:
gregory99 on:
2008-02-03
The two of us ate lunch here, and they sit us in this really smelly back room the size of a closet. This place seriously smelled like a zoo, or fungus, seriously. Aside from the awful smell, the food was ok, or so we thought. ...?
Reviewed by:
MichaelE1360 on:
2008-03-21
A tip for picking a good restaurant: when you have two restaurants side by side serving the same dish, always choose the one with the longest line. Prepare for a bit of a wait when eating here, and definitely get there early to avoid the ...?
Reviewed by:
nugget on:
2008-03-22
can dine here for $20!!! That's nearly impossible in a NYC restaurant! The family-style restaurant offers many seemingly authentic dishes for a very reasonable price. Is a great place for lg. parties for a nice sharing feast. Cocktails are priced so reasonably, ...?
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Barry Freed on:
2008-03-23
(#S502 on the menu) now arrives in a thick greasy batter. New chef? Throw him out! But the Congee Village is still the place for many interesting dishes you won't find in any other Chinese restaurant in NYC (eg "baked crab in butter and cheese" and ...?
Reviewed by:
AshQ010 on:
2008-04-06
on weekends for this delicious Chinese restaurant. Although congee is the signature, other entrees (except for congee) is, in fact, more delicious and worth trying. It might be a place to meet celebrity? I meet Bjork with her daughter dining there one time. ...?
Reviewed by:
Nussbash on:
2008-04-27
basement rooms resemble the Shanghai nightclub set from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), and amazing value (especialy $5 martoonis). I have brought my children and my coworkers here. Great for parties! Not for dates, though. I put this in as write-in a ...?
Reviewed by:
birdmadgirl on:
2008-06-10
I was recently at Congee Village for a group dinner and the service was appalling. We had to wait 45 minutes for our first round of drinks, an hour for our food, and our waitress didn't speak English and got several of the orders mixed up. ...?
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JohannaC7305 on:
2008-07-17
this restaurant has one of the most beautiful decors that can be found in an authentic Chinese restaurant. They specialize in congee (rice porridge) made with whatever type of accompaniment (mushrooms, seafood, frog legs, etc.) you want, so it's thick, savory, ...?
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BlackBook on:
2008-07-27
You half expect Indiana Jones to come charging through the plastic floral underbrush, chased by 100 Thuggee assassins. Cheap, plentiful Chinese mainstays can stand up to the distractions. House chicken a garlicky masterpiece, namesake ...?
Reviewed by:
crazyman29 on:
2008-07-28
Great selection of food. Very tasty and reasonably priced. They also have a bar, which is not very common in many C-town restaurants. Also, they have different rooms for different occasions. This is very unique when combined with the ...?
Reviewed by:
O.O1061 on:
2008-09-14
restaurant for the price if you were treated like a valued guest. Our presence seemed resented. The staff seemed to be right off the boat, uncaring ; English barely comprehended; multiple errors made. There is a surcharge for more than one credit card ...?
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jenny0886 on:
2008-09-16
This food here is great and the prices are decent. But the wait can be a turn off. There is usually a long line so be sure to have some reading material to pass the time. Sometimes the service can be less than satisfactory. ...?
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Kelv C. on:
2008-10-10
Congee Village has a unique selection of foods, not to mention that its congee is exceptionally delicious. An example of their unique menu items would be three-sausage rice, which comes with three different types of Chinese sausage with ...?
Reviewed by:
restaurantreviewsnyc on:
2008-11-19
Congee is ��A gruel of boiled rice and water, which serves as a background for a host of other foods including fish, shrimp, chicken, peanuts, sesame seed and eggs.��, according to Congee Village's website. I tried the congee with ...?
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A TripAdvisor Member on:
2009-02-21
We visited Congee Village with our 2 young sons, including one who is generally picky. The menu was broad and we were able to select several items we thought would serve. Everything we ordered was delicious! The pork fried rice was the most ...?
Reviewed by:
LinkMan on:
2009-03-17
(with plenty of American-style Chinese options for the unadventurous). The healthy vegetarian congee is one of the best values anywhere. And when they play that recording of "Happy Birsday" (sic) it feels just like being in a cheesy restaurant back ...?
Reviewed by:
cocodancer on:
2009-03-18
congee - I wouldn't come here for anything else but the namesake dish. The decor is a bit much but somehow it adds to the adventure of trekking to the east village just for porridge! Our new recession-obsession. ...?
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Patsy Ong on:
2009-03-18
the Hong Kong-inflected Cantonese food for the price or venue. Tastiest Soysauce Noodle in town and don't miss the House Special Roasted Chicken that comes loaded with slivers of garlic. ...?
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pcp0827 on:
2009-03-24
Mediocre tea. Why have tables where two people can barely sit, let alone have more than two plates in front of them? Seafood rice casserole was tasteless. Salted chicken country style was excellent. ...?
Reviewed by:
sea_tiger on:
2009-04-04
and the most rediculous decor you've ever seen but the crowds are justified as the food is tasty and reasonably priced. Man-up gringos, the namesake congee is wroth a try even if you don't know what it is. ...?
Reviewed by:
JoanWashington on:
2009-04-09
celebration all to itself. Spend a birthday here. The food is surprisingly good if service strange. Try the house special chicken baked with oodles of garlic and the pine nuts with corn veggie choice. Can't go wrong if you throw in pork chops peking style but make ...?
Reviewed by:
KellyG6635 on:
2009-05-01
Never has any establishment been at the same time so cheap, so tasty, and so awesomely ridiculous. I think they have a $30 default bill, because somehow whether I bring 10 people or 3, the bill is exactly $30. The People's Republic of ...?
Reviewed by:
XenergizerX on:
2009-05-15
It is rare that you can find a place tht will feed you and your friends so well for so cheap. The food is prepared well alhough as with most Chinatown-area establishments, service leaves much to be desired. BYOB policy makes the overall ...?
Reviewed by:
AndrewF3365 on:
2009-05-16
decors out there and muster the courage to sample items like "baked fish intestines" and you will be rewarded with one of the least typical Chinese food experiences in the city. Their namesake (congee) is low-fat comfort food and will barely set you back ...?
Reviewed by:
Jenn T. on:
2009-05-19
i've been here twice for a "quick snack". both times we ordered the pork/egg congee with a sizzling hot plate and both times they tasted great. wish i could give a better review but i haven't tried anything new yet. i will make it a ...?
Reviewed by:
TB7578 on:
2009-05-25
Vegetables we ordered were not very fresh, and somewhat pricey. The large menu can can get you lost, so it's best to go with someone who knows the cuisine/restaurant.We agree with the other reviewers that the decor is a bit odd, but at ...?
Reviewed by:
Anonymous on:
2009-07-05
I had been going to Congee VIllage for years. But, yesterday, I will not be entering the doors of Congee Village again. After placing my order, twenty minutes ago, that included water and rice, the entrees came, but the water and rice never did. Again, I had to ask for water and rice. The water came but the rice never did. I told the waiter, I did not receive my rice that I had asked for. He agreed to get it. Waiting another 10 minutes, and the table next to me (we were before them) got the rice and the waiter just looked at me. The food entrees are smaller, half the size, but higher the price. It did not taste fresh and was salty. The only thing they were happy to get for me is the bill. I left less then a two dollar tip and left as the waiter was bring the free watermelon.?
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Anonymous on:
2009-06-04
good cantonese food overall?
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JamieW7525 on:
2009-07-05
Village and left satisfied. But, yesterday, that all changed. The portion size is half the size with the prices increased. The service is poor. They don't give you your whole order. You might have to ask a few times before you get youre complete ordered if you are ...?
Reviewed by:
foodeaterreview on:
2009-07-05
I had been going to Congee VIllage for years. But, yesterday, I will not be entering the doors of Congee Village again. After placing my order, twenty minutes ago, that included water and rice, the entrees came, but the water and rice ...?
Reviewed by:
foodeaterreview on:
2009-07-06
Over the years, I have gone to Congee Village and left satisfied. But, yesterday, that all changed. The portion size is half the size with the prices increased. The service is poor. They don't give you your whole order. ...?
Reviewed by:
JamieC807335 on:
2009-08-06
They definitely have issue with serving anyone who is not Chinese, but all of Chinatown is like that too. Service is ok. I thought the food was very good and portions are fine. It can get pricey, but overall its the best, cheap chinese ...?
Reviewed by:
chefandthecity on:
2009-08-11
So after a night of drinking and chatting at local bars and friends' house we ended up going to Congee Village for some late night grub. I've heard wonderful things about this place and it didn't disappoint. Snails in black bean sauce, ...?
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A TripAdvisor Member on:
2009-08-23
Huge menu with many options. Well-cooked food. Quick service. Big spaces with private rooms, which are amazingly beautiful. A hidden gem with great prices and amazing quality value.Big portions too. What more could you ask for? ...?
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Anonymous on:
2009-09-03
Authentic Chinese at a great price. They have a pretty extensive menu, but they're obviously famous for their congee. Oh, and ridiculously cheap beer if you feel like drinking. ...?
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Anonymous on:
2009-10-24
This famous spot is a main stable of Chinatown, although it's a bit far from Canal Street, located by the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge on Delancey. There's a 2nd smaller location on Bowery, but for the full experience, we highly recommend this one. It's a big multi-level place with large tables good for groups, with a bar waiting area (with really cheap, ok cocktails), and seating in every nook and cranny for when it gets busy... Read the full review here : http://nynyeateat.com/2008/08/02/congee-...?
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