Congee Village

(212) 941-1818

100 Allen St (Delancey Street)
New York, NY 10002 40.7187 -73.9905

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Neighborhoods: Lower East Side, Downtown

www.congeevillagerestaurants.…

Hours:

Mon-Thurs 10:30am-12am

Fri-Sat !0:30am-1am

Sun 10:30am-12am

Price:

$$

Last updated 10.17.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Lunch Spot

Cuisine:

Chinese

What People Are Saying About Congee Village

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

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 employees grind slushy fruit drinks, sits near the entrance. Service is rapid-fire and businesslike. Thick bowls of congee, the rib-sticking rice porridge, claim to be the main attraction, but it's really the Cantonese specialites such as crispy fried frog, pork tripe with riblets, and sea cucumber that draw crowds.

Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:
Here's the thing about congee: It's an acquired taste.
Parking:
There's almost always parking available on the street.
What to Drink:
The cocktails are big and powerful.
ambiance
75.0% positive
  1. It's fun to dine in but delivery is also excellent.
  2. Congee Village has a great atmosphere and delicious food at such an affordable price!
  3. Plentiful tasty food, cheap drinks, lots of fun!
  4. But, you come here for good food, not for ambience.
  5. If you look under the big round tables there is light and in the center of it are rocks and blue and green shiny pebbles or some kind of decor.
  6. The decor was nasty-- I couldn't look around without loosing my appetite.
  7. 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.
  8. The food is spectacular and cheap, and the atmosphere is wonderfully weird.
  9. little cheaper than in c-town but parking is terrible.
  10. Great food & atmosphere
  11. Cool decor too.
  12. also like the ambience, as it has an interesting structure and design that make this place feel/look like a non-Chinese restaurant.
  13. The atmosphere is great.
  14. For tasty selections, value & a fun atmoshphere, one can not go wrong coming here.
  15. The selections quite varied, the beef chow fun, vegetable dishes & their "jook" (congee/porridge) were all very good.
  16. Although not the best decor, congee is very good - especially the salted chicken congee!
drinks
85.71000099182129% positive
  1. The bar's terrific, staff awesome and the biggest menu for the best deal.
  2. 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.
  3. Food was terrible, drinks were terrible, service was terrible.
  4. we stayed til 1am, eating really decent chinese food and being served drinks from the very helpful staff.
  5. And they have really cheap drinks - also near a lot of great LES bars.
  6. The drinks are very cheap which is a nice treat.
  7. However, a few of the ridiculously low-priced cocktails and the great, authentic food to come will take your mind off of it!
  8. Cocktails were ok, not so good with chinese food so hot tea was fine for us.
  9. 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 BIG R* AT, yes a BIG R* AT coming in from the bar area.
  10. This is my favorite Chinese restaurant in NYC, bar none.
  11. not so sure about the bar though, a lychee martini i had was not very good.
  12. awesome place, cheap good food, cheaper drinks, really fast service.
  13. Plentiful tasty food, cheap drinks, lots of fun!
  14. We waited about 10 minutes for a table and enjoyed peanuts and cocktails at the bar (drinks are $3.50!)
food quality
88.88999938964844% positive
  1. The service is terrible, the people are rude, the food is not consistent.
  2. However, a few of the ridiculously low-priced cocktails and the great, authentic food to come will take your mind off of it!
  3. Stick to the traditional Cantonese dishes, which were excellent, can't rave about them enough.
  4. didn't like sticky rice.
  5. Although not the best decor, congee is very good - especially the salted chicken congee!
  6. we stayed til 1am, eating really decent chinese food and being served drinks from the very helpful staff.
  7. The house chicken was so crispy and moist, I almost wanted to ask for another order!
  8. This part of the dish was a turn-off to me, though my Caucasian (gweilo) dining partner liked it.
  9. for late nite chinese food it's an excellent option but some dishes look better than they really are.
  10. They give you 5 good sushi sized slices of abalone in this $4.75 dish, plus lots of chicken!
  11. The food is great and the prices are reasonable.
  12. funky chinese restaurant with good to above avg food
  13. they do congee (rice porridge) well, and they have great other soups, but this baked rice item on the menu is not tasty.
  14. The fresh flounder was very good as well.
  15. 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.
  16. The food here is delicious and tastes great.
  17. Great food & atmosphere
  18. Good food - except for the R* ATS, yes, R* ATS
  19. awesome place, cheap good food, cheaper drinks, really fast service.
  20. We gave up being polite, and tucked in to the already cold food and cancelling the final order.
  21. Great Chinese food
  22. Congee village is a great place for some super yummy Chinese food with a large group of friends.
  23. 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 BIG R* AT, yes a BIG R* AT coming in from the bar area.
  24. The bamboo dishes are really great too.
  25. really enjoyed Pan Fried Flounder - the fish was so fresh, outside was crispy, inside juicy.
  26. The food was really just so-so, but we had a big group and they were great!
  27. Just good food for cheap price.
  28. All the food was fresh and flavorful, especially the country style crab and greens with garlic.
  29. The various forms of chicken are a must and the place is perfect for large groups, including kids.
  30. Congee Village has a unique selection of foods, not to mention that its congee is exceptionally delicious.
  31. If you love abalone, get a congee with chicken and abalone, they use fresh abalone here.
  32. Best dishes: squid with salt pepper, vegetable congee, chinese salted pancake.
  33. Aside from the awful smell, the food was ok, or so we thought.
  34. don't care how good the food is supposed to be here, the service I received is not acceptable.
  35. The food here is good an inexpensive.
  36. The place gets unbelievably crowded on weekend nights, though (good food for cheap tabs -- why not?)
  37. Decor sucks but it's about the food right?
  38. But I still wind up going there and waiting because the food is that good!
  39. The fish itself was fresh & delicious, as items denoted "M.P." should be.
  40. The congee is tasty and loved by nearly everyone.
  41. Overall, we all agreed that the food was good, but they would never come back on account of the terrible service we had.
  42. Great food for reasonable price
  43. The best dish, by far, is the house special chicken.
  44. havent tried a bad dish here yet!
  45. 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!
  46. food excellent for value price (dishes at least $1-2 cheaper than 'in' chinatown, congee/jook variety is great!)
  47. fantastic, authentic chinese
  48. Decent food.
  49. For tasty selections, value & a fun atmoshphere, one can not go wrong coming here.
  50. And when we tried to order some additional food, they said they don't really want to do it because it would take 15 minutes to prepare - obviously they wanted us to leave because there were people waiting outside.
  51. If you're looking for authentic cantonese food, this is the place.
  52. Congee Village has a great atmosphere and delicious food at such an affordable price!
  53. have to say that this place has some of the best Chinese food I have ever eaten.
  54. the food was delicious and the experience was perfect.
  55. Snails in black bean sauce, the chicken congee, Chinese water spinach and the highlight, the house half chicken were all very good.
  56. but also good authentic cantonese dishes.
  57. Congee is very good- order it for the beginning of your meal (the seafood one is not good for everyone- too much ginger for some)
  58. Great food, reasanable prices, lovely interior decorating.
  59. But, you come here for good food, not for ambience.
  60. This is so if you come with a big group sharing family style you can spin the food around to each other using the round spinner in the middle.
  61. This is very unique when combined with the good food.
  62. The food was good and had a lot of flavor.
  63. additionally, the bamboo-cooked dishes are very rich in flavor and comforting.
  64. The selections quite varied, the beef chow fun, vegetable dishes & their "jook" (congee/porridge) were all very good.
  65. The service was terrible, they ignored us and didn't seem too concerned that our food was late/ non-existent.
  66. could have taken on the Kombiashi the Nathan's hot dog champ with the amount of delicious sweat and sour pork I put down.
  67. recommend the seafood rice dish served in a bamboo "bowl" and, of course, try any of the congee dishes.
  68. The congee and other food was great.
  69. The food is spectacular and cheap, and the atmosphere is wonderfully weird.
  70. Authentic Chinese food that gives you a real b@ng for your buck.
  71. Cocktails were ok, not so good with chinese food so hot tea was fine for us.
  72. Plentiful tasty food, cheap drinks, lots of fun!
  73. 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).
  74. This food here is great and the prices are decent.
  75. personally have come back for pick up, saving 50 cents or a dollar is no big deal but when you get tasty food, then saving money is a bonus.
  76. etc.. all very good dishes.
  77. The sauteed half of the dish was very clean & light (ching), much like most, Guangdong Cantonese dishes.
  78. Especially good plates were the salty/spicy crabs and the clams with black bean sauce -- both for about $10!
  79. Soup, Congee, noodles, bamboo steamed rice, seafood, and fresh vegetable.
  80. really liked the garlic chicken.
  81. Other dishes are excellent as well.
  82. There are some really unique dishes on the menu too.
  83. Great food, Great prices.
  84. Great food.
  85. The soy sauce chicken (which they call "house special") is some of the best I have ever had, and the black pepper scallops were also excellent.
  86. Probably the best chicken I've ever tasted!
  87. The food was quite excellent, very tasty, and light on the stomach.
  88. Food was made with fresh ingredients.
  89. great soy sauce (house special) chicken
  90. The fried portion, however, was covered by a batter that was too thick to complement a fish as delicate and mild as fresh flounder -- it was too much like fish n' chips.
menu variety
90.90999603271484% positive
  1. The selections quite varied, the beef chow fun, vegetable dishes & their "jook" (congee/porridge) were all very good.
  2. 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).
  3. Vast menu, good prices, and huge portions.
  4. food excellent for value price (dishes at least $1-2 cheaper than 'in' chinatown, congee/jook variety is great!)
  5. For tasty selections, value & a fun atmoshphere, one can not go wrong coming here.
  6. they do congee (rice porridge) well, and they have great other soups, but this baked rice item on the menu is not tasty.
  7. Congee Village has a unique selection of foods, not to mention that its congee is exceptionally delicious.
  8. There are some really unique dishes on the menu too.
  9. The bar's terrific, staff awesome and the biggest menu for the best deal.
  10. An example of their unique menu i.
  11. SUM IT: tried many chinatown spots, this is the best with good variety & all tastee!
overall
100.0% positive
  1. and this is point at which someone expecting a good dining experience might want to consider another place.
  2. this is an especially great place to go on a harsh, cold winter day.
  3. Congee village is a great place for some super yummy Chinese food with a large group of friends.
  4. This is my favorite Chinese restaurant in NYC, bar none.
return potential
50.0% positive
  1. It was a terrible experience and I will never return to Congee Village.
  2. personally have come back for pick up, saving 50 cents or a dollar is no big deal but when you get tasty food, then saving money is a bonus.
  3. Overall, we all agreed that the food was good, but they would never come back on account of the terrible service we had.
service
50.72000026702881% positive
  1. And then the service was just bad throughout the night - temperamental waiters, they said they ran out of Congee which we found hard to believe since that's what they're known for.
  2. service wasn't the best but satisfactory.
  3. The service is pleasant.
  4. It was the first time that my friends, who are generally very friendly and amiable people, actually complained to the manager as we were leaving.
  5. Food was terrible, drinks were terrible, service was terrible.
  6. There were 2 who throughout the night were very nice and tried to make up for the rude behavior of the manager/owner but the impression had already been ruined by that point.
  7. You have to be sure they bring you the good stuff (the confusion only happened once, but others have told me that the staff think they're doing non-Chinese a favor).
  8. The service is terrible, the people are rude, the food is not consistent.
  9. awesome place, cheap good food, cheaper drinks, really fast service.
  10. was recently at Congee Village for a group dinner and the service was appalling.
  11. And when we tried to order some additional food, they said they don't really want to do it because it would take 15 minutes to prepare - obviously they wanted us to leave because there were people waiting outside.
  12. We often eat in Chinatown and this place has horrible staff.
  13. The bar's terrific, staff awesome and the biggest menu for the best deal.
  14. The service was terrible, they ignored us and didn't seem too concerned that our food was late/ non-existent.
  15. The wait staff was terrible.
  16. staff are not super friendly but usually very efficient.
  17. we stayed til 1am, eating really decent chinese food and being served drinks from the very helpful staff.
  18. don't care how good the food is supposed to be here, the service I received is not acceptable.
  19. The service was excellent.
  20. Overall, we all agreed that the food was good, but they would never come back on account of the terrible service we had.
  21. 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).
  22. The service was not overly friendly, but the waitstaff was very attentive and more than satisfactory.
  23. When placing our orders, I spoke with the waiter in Cantonese and translated for my friends, as his English wasn't that great.
value
95.2400016784668% positive
  1. The food is great and the prices are reasonable.
  2. Great food, reasanable prices, lovely interior decorating.
  3. For tasty selections, value & a fun atmoshphere, one can not go wrong coming here.
  4. This food here is great and the prices are decent.
  5. personally have come back for pick up, saving 50 cents or a dollar is no big deal but when you get tasty food, then saving money is a bonus.
  6. The food is spectacular and cheap, and the atmosphere is wonderfully weird.
  7. The drinks are very cheap which is a nice treat.
  8. Great food, Great prices.
  9. saw a huge rodent (i'm not allowed to use the appropriate word on this site) running through the dining room!
  10. And they have really cheap drinks - also near a lot of great LES bars.
  11. awesome place, cheap good food, cheaper drinks, really fast service.
  12. We were also squashed in behind two huge tables.
  13. Congee Village has a great atmosphere and delicious food at such an affordable price!
  14. Great food for reasonable price
  15. Plentiful tasty food, cheap drinks, lots of fun!
  16. Vast menu, good prices, and huge portions.
  17. The place gets unbelievably crowded on weekend nights, though (good food for cheap tabs -- why not?)
  18. Just good food for cheap price.
  19. The food here is good an inexpensive.
  20. food excellent for value price (dishes at least $1-2 cheaper than 'in' chinatown, congee/jook variety is great!)
  21. 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.
wait time
80.0% positive
  1. We stumbled upon this place and new CitySearch highly recommended it, plus the wait was 30 mins and the place was packed!
  2. 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.
  3. And when we tried to order some additional food, they said they don't really want to do it because it would take 15 minutes to prepare - obviously they wanted us to leave because there were people waiting outside.
  4. Staff is decent with quick turnaround and the whole place is deceivingly large.
  5. We waited about 10 minutes for a table and enjoyed peanuts and cocktails at the bar (drinks are $3.50!)
1 Star Rating: Poor

06/28/10

Horrible service

by eastvgirl

I ordered take-out here just an hour ago. Rather than waiting the typical 15 minutes for my two entrees and appetizer, I waited 45 minutes!! The real reason for the long wait? The lady in charge of take-out/deliveries put it on the "delivery" bench -- by mistake. They realized it about 30 minutes late, and when I called them on it, they completely denied it!! While the food is good, it's not that good. But had they apologized like any other restaurant, I wouldn't be writing this.

  • Pros: tasty food
  • Cons: bad service
1 Star Rating: Poor

06/23/10

Noisy place and greasy food

by margso

I ate at the restaurant's Allen St. location on a Friday night two weeks ago and sat at the side of the restaurant that is a duplex with a bar on the ground floor and people eat right upstairs. The place was very noisy with drunken people and eaters upstairs -- I don’t think people at the bar enjoy as much the clinging sounds of bowls and plates neither.

We ordered authentic Chinese dishes, among all, duck’s blood with chives, rice roll with XO sauce and sautéed lotus root with special bean paste sauce are especially oily!

I picked the place after watching Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, ironically, it was quite bizarre, unappetizing and quite sickening seeing our food that literally swim in about 1/4” thick of oil.

If you are attracted by its full menu with more than 300 dishes and want to give the place a try, remember to ask them to be VERY EASY on their oil.

  • Pros: There are 300+ dishes on its menu
  • Cons: Food other than congee is way too oily
4 Star Rating: Recommended

11/22/09

Yummy!!!

by pbening

I have to say that this place has some of the best Chinese food I have ever eaten. My friend did the ordering and whatever she order was great. I really liked the garlic chicken. Yummy! I will definitely be back!

  • Pros: Great food
  • Cons: Have to wait for a table
4 Star Rating: Recommended

08/11/09

Gotta Go Back

by chefandthecity

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, the chicken congee, Chinese water spinach and the highlight, the house half chicken were all very good. The house chicken was so crispy and moist, I almost wanted to ask for another order! Add on some beers and a couple of other tasty treats, which i don't remember, and my 15 bucks went far. I suggest going with someone who is either Chinese or has eaten at the Village before, just so that you can be guided into having the best possible things on the menu.

  • Pros: Tasty, Cheap
1 Star Rating: Poor

07/05/09

Downgrade in service, food, ect.......‎

by foodeaterreview

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.

0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.

Edit - Delete

  • Pros: none
  • Cons: service, food

The Details on Congee Village

Place Categories:

  • good other food
  • terrible service
  • great quality congee
  • love dirty place
  • authentic chinese food
  • best bamboo dishes
  • of interesting decor
  • great atmosphere
  • big group
  • not super friendly wait staff
  • never liked congee
  • crispy house chicken
  • cold food
  • delicious fish
  • rude people
  • good dining experience
  • very good fresh flounder
  • decent staff
  • enjoyed cocktails
  • light sauteed half
  • gross place
  • sucks parking
  • tasty cheap drinks
  • reasonable reasanable prices
  • all very good selections
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