Congee Village

100 Allen St (btwn Broome & Delancey)
New York, NY 10002
(212) 941-1818
www.congeevillagerestaurants.com

Sunday lunch: Chinatown, baby! It's become somewhat of a habit. Crowds swarming around carts selling produce at a fraction of Food Emporium's insane prices, Cantonese grandmas yelling at hyper kids in brightly mismatched clothes, wide-eyed tourists towering over nonchalant locals… gotta love it. Congee Village is situated on the outskirts of the madness and welcomes its visitors to a scrumptious escape.

Note: Sorry about the Ray-Ban yellow tint on the pictures. Let's just say the restaurant had an "asian glow" (sans alcohol).

Foodnalysis:


Pan Fried Tofu with Soy Sauce - Excellent pick. High quality tofu perfectly toasted on the outside, leaving the inside silky and moist. The tofu was laid in just the right amount of sauce to absorb a tasteful amount. The scallions were a nice touch as well, added a little crunch to the dish. This was the last dish to arrive due preparation time, but it was well worth it.


Sliced Beef Chow Fun Noodles - Ahh, the Cantonese staple. I've had many, many versions of this dish over the years. Congee Village's version ranks slightly above average in my general ledger. (General ledger = books. Come on, there must be some accountants reading this!) The beef was tender, the noodles were a little bland but welcomed in light of its frequently over salted comparatives. A bit oily, but when is this dish ever not?

Pork, Chicken and Duck Congee - Delicious! Generous portions of meat, though the one downside to this dish was that the pork looked suspiciously like sliced up Healthy Choice ham. A particularly good choice for those who like their congee's consistency to be in between the watery and chunky states, and an especially great pick on a chilly day. For me, this dish conjured up warm memories of the innumerable Saturday mornings my mom would spend diligently making congee for our family and friends. Granted, my mom's kitchen looks nothing like Congee Village (fortunately so given the eclectic decorations in the restaurant's foyer), but still, an enjoyable rekindling of the good ol' days.

Salary and Wages:

Decent service for a Chinese restaurant. If you can speak Cantonese, speak Cantonese.

Property, Plant and Equipment:

Congee Village is situated on the outskirts of Chinatown bordering the Lower East Side. As such, it is much easier to access this restaurant than those in the heart of Chinatown. Tasteful décor for the most part. Quite modern. One flat screen tv was even broadcasting an NFL game, a pleasant deviation from the usual TVB news and Chinese drama series.

Statement of Cash Flows:


The Bottom Line:

A bowl of piping hot congee for less than the price of a grande latte? Sign me up!