(212) 965-5028
98 Bowery
New York,
NY
10013
40.7177
-73.9954
Neighborhoods: Chinatown, Bowery, Downtown
Reviews & Ratings for Congee
15 reviews
What users are saying:
- Citysearch (9)
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- Around the Web (6)
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- All (15)
I love this place
by kharamia77
Someone introduced me to this restaurant 4 years ago. It quickly became a favorite. I threw my 30th bday party in the bottom room for 21 ppl. We were allowed to bring wine and everyone was drinking beer, eating a ton of family style food. We left stuffed, a bit drunk, and only $40 pp (with tip). I take all my out of town guests here and no one has ever left without being impressed. Yes, the service is terrible and your food might come out with weird timing but it's a GREAT place for a large group and the food is so good, it hasn't ever deterred me. The congee is incredible, a must have when you're there. I also recommend the lotus root pork cakes. Regarding the post about being sick, would think that 15 minutes after leaving would mean that the food she ate earlier was the culprit, not dinner. And dim sum - yes skip if you want dim sum. Chinatown isn't synonymouswith Dim Sum
- Pros: great food, huge portions, cheap
- Cons: service is BAD- you'll have to make friends with that
Complementary trip to the ER
by bwaltersnyc
I write this bitter review at 3:40 AM on a Thursday, with my girlfriend still paralyzed in the bathroom with unspeakably painful stomach cramps. I went to this restaurant with my girlfriend and her parents, both of whom are Chinese-American. Because they speak Cantonese, we received excellent service. Unfortunately, less than 15 minutes after walking out of the restaurant my girlfriend became violently ill. Somehow, she still manages to be sick despite the fact that she has done so every 2 minutes for approximately the past 7 hours. You would think she would be dry heaving by now, but no. Rather remarkable when you think about it. The ER doctors can't do anything for her at this point other than recommend Gatorade. NYC's 311 suggested to wait until she begins to hemorrhage from one orifice or another before seeking further emergency care. The only person in existence I would recommend this restaurant to is former Vice President Cheney.
- Pros: Tasteful decor
- Cons: Hours of violent illness
Wow! We found the worst dim sum house in Chinatown!
by DoctorDoctor
This Chinese restaurant was recommended to us by our tour bus driver as "one of the best Chinese restaurants in the city". Considering such a bold statement from someone who should know, we decided to check it out. Typically inattentive and dismissive service (no water, forgot to bring sugar for tea even after they were asked, etc.) was excused in hope of a good meal. Wow! The slimy under cooked mess being passed off as dim sum was HORRIBLE! I mean the truly tasteless and badly rolled mess served on a chipped dirty plate was totally inedible. The scallion pancake was also dry, greasy and tasteless. Amazingly, even the sauce for the basic, if a bit greasy spring roll was bland and sub par. How does someone mess up cornstarch, vinegar, and sugar? As if this wasn't bad enough, the environment was really, really dirty. I mean, the walls by our table alone looked like a Jackson Pollock painting of old
Chinese sauces. Pretty nasty. One last thing, the decor is depressing, run down, and unless you really enjoy staring at bootleg hello kitty mobiles (also dirty), this place is a "must avoid at all costs" establishment. FYI, we went to one of the other citysearch recommended dim sum houses and were blown away by the difference.
- Pros: The prices are average forChinatown
- Cons: Everything else is really nasty.
Very Nice Place with Good Food
by tamio888
First of all, the service we experienced was friendly, warm, and helpful. We have had dinner and did not try any of the more adventurous menu items (we'll wait till Guys Night Out) but the crab, fried chicken, and vegetables were as good as any in Chinatown - not Queens, of course. Feel free to bring your own wine. They will happily cork it for you. A winner!
- Pros: Fun, funky, friendly
- Cons: Service is almost too fast
I dare you to finish a lunch special.
by jinquisition
I am a cheap asian and i love lunch specials. This place has the best noodle in the city -i recommend the chow fun (wide flat noodles)- and the best value with their lunch specials. Their chow fun is amazingly tastey with bits of brown beans to add extra flavour. Busy but the in/out traffic is always flowing so you wont have to wait long for a seat.
- Pros: not long wait, good portion, tastetastic
- Cons: no reservation, loud
Great Food, Great Time!
by che203
I'm not sure how the last reviewer can call this place horrible. I went last weekend with 8 friends and had a wonderful time! Despite being ridiculously busy, they were able to accomodate us on a Saturday night and give good service as well. The food was very tasty and fresh, and worth a trip away from my usual Chinatown eateries. The ambience is great...very quirky design (a mix of traditional Chinese and cheesey nightclub). And of course, great value for money.
- Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Friendly Staff
- Cons: Crowded, Noisy
horrible
by clubhoppin
I hate this place so much. The food isnt that great. Very small servings and they charge the same as other resturants that give twice as much. The service is terrible. The waiters/ waitresses were extremely rude. They were so snobby and were acting like they were better than us. Never going back to this place again.
- Cons: sevice, food
Great Food - bang for your buck
by politrix
Congee is a favorite of my friends and I. Our favorite dish is the Deep Fried Chicken, its more healthy than it sounds. Basically they deep fry the whole chicken so that the moisture gets sealed in and only the skin is crispy while the inside is tender and juicy. Or try the Beef Chow Fun or Peking Pork Chops. Of course, the congee is good too. Great for birthday parties. Bring a cake and when they serve it they will play the Happy Birthday song over the loud speaker and take a polaroid of you blowing out your candle.
A delightful surprise
by nancyeats
Not being Asian, we wondered in and were delighted by the friendly staff. They happily suggested items to try, based on our prefered tastes. Every one else in the restaurant, from happy children to grandparents were Asian and speaking other languages! It was like a gastronomic trip overseas!
- Pros: Huge portions, Authentic Cuisine, Friendly staff









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