More than a Congee Village

By Jun Wang

Congee Village

Location: 100 Allen St. New York, NY 10002
Phone: 212-941-1818
Offers:  Dine-in, Take-out, Delivery, Party Room 
Cuisine: Chinese Cuisine
Signature Dishes: House Special Chicken, Dried Squid with Special Soy Sauce & Bean Sprout, Pan Fried Bean Curd with Soy Sauce
Year of Establishment: 1997
Website: www.congeevillagerestaurants.com

People in New York City’s Lower East Side agree that Congee Village is the best Chinese restaurant in the area, and will be very likely to recommend this renowned restaurant if you are seeking authentic Chinese food in a sophisticated setting.

Unlike many of its competitors, Congee Village has decided against going for a chic and contemporary feel, instead choosing to go for something more nostalgic. The tri-level restaurant has a wooden ceiling, a canopy of leafy greens, bamboo fences, and cane chairs that come together to make for an intriguing and relaxed venue that gives patrons the feeling that they are in rural China. The rustic yet stylish feeling is augmented by the light country folk music playing in the background and the soft, subdued lighting. Owner Elsa Gao demonstrates her great taste in décor by making use of contrasting materials and colors in everything from the colorful bar chairs to the tree leaf decorations and above the dark floors. Made of either wood or stone, each picture inside the restaurant is a piece of art. The large mural of a sun-dappled mountainside is a favorite of customers as it allows them to leave stress at the door and take a moment to appreciate nature before they order.

Covering 5,000 square feet, the enormous multilevel restaurant is ideal for all sorts of gatherings and functions. There is an elegant bar and a host of private rooms for throwing parties or family get-togethers in a convivial atmosphere.

Like its namesake, congee is obviously its main attraction, while the Cantonese style specialties, such as Fried Chicken w. Garlic Sauce and the Steam Fish Head with Black Bean Sauce are what the customers crave.

You may start your culinary expedition with a hearty bowl of congee, a kind of comfort food served mostly at breakfast in China. It is really hard to find a spot that serves authentic Cantonese style rice porridge. For those who have been looking for a long time, Congee Village is a godsend. Served bubbling hot in an earthenware pot, the silky rice porridge is ready to be seasoned with an assortment of condiments. There are more than 30 varieties of congee to choose including chicken, pork, beef, vegetable, and seafood selections. This namesake specialty has attracted a large following, and the media has also noticed with the Michelin Guide, Zagat, New York Times, New York Post, Daily News and Time Out magazine spilling barrels of ink over this special mainstay—congee, claiming it to be a unique and tasty offering that is unsurpassed elsewhere.

Rich in Choices
Besides the namesake specialty, the restaurant also offers a plethora of Cantonese style dishes, featuring light flavor and rich ingredients. The Steam Fish Head with Black Bean Sauce, Blue Crab w. Garlic and Scallion, Preserved Vegetables with Fillet of Flounder Fish, Sliced Conch, Crispy Bean Curd Stuffed with Shrimp, and the Sliced Abalone with Green Vegetable are among some of the favorites of Chinese customers. For American customers who are not familiar with the authentic offerings, Fried Chicken w. Garlic Sauce is strongly recommended. It is a secret recipe that was refined over the course of many years. Congee Village’s version represents the innovative spirit which embodies the chef’s particular take on traditional dishes.

What makes this seemingly simple dish a crowd pleaser that is able to stand out from the pack? The complex cooking procedure is one reason. The whole marinated chicken is seasoned with five-spice powder, poultry seasoning, ginger and garlic. Later, the chicken is hung in front of a fan to dry the skin (as is done for Peking duck) for five hours then deep-fried. Lastly, it is flavored with a blend of seasonings, such as sugar, Thai fish sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, soy sauce, and deep-fried garlic.

Elsa Gao and the chef have a unique understanding of the customers by being more than willing to listen to any feedback they have about the restaurant. To them, feedback is not only a way to evaluate how the restaurant is doing currently but also to help plan for the future. One way that Congee Village has planned for the future is dedicating itself to offering extra healthy offerings in tune with the healthy dining trend that is sweeping the nation. Dishes are now cooked using less oil and salt while also having lower calorie counts. The Golden Pine Nut & Corn is both a visually appealing and palate pleasing dish, as it combines snow peas, carrots, corn kernels, cucumber slices and pine seed together, creating a harmonious match of colors, flavors, and aromas. The Steamed Flounder Fillet, Squash Papaya w. Fish Maw, and Pan Fried Bean Curd w. Soy Sauce are some other healthy alternatives that customers can’t get enough of.

Other house specialties, such as the sizzling hot plate, reflect a modern reinterpretation of traditional Cantonese cooking. Succulent chicken, tender beef filets, and ribs keep their smoky flavor long after the sizzling and hissing has subsided. The green and red peppers give the dishes a subtle spicy kick.

Experience in the Kitchen
Quality assurance is a must for any business. At Congee Village, the chef has decades of experience turning ordinary dishes into pieces of art at five-star restaurants. Along with the efforts of owner Elsa Gao, who places a special emphasis on the produce quality, the chef astounds customers with a sensational dining experience. The reverence for fresh and seasonal ingredients is clearly demonstrated in the high ingredient selection standards.
 
“All the produce is sourced from local vendors and selected for quality and freshness,” says Elsa. “Even so, we still have someone check everything again to make sure it is all up to par.”

Elsa knows the staff as well as she knows her customers. As a business veteran, Elsa used to work as a manager in a five-star restaurant, which gave her a profound understanding of staff management. She knows how to make the best use of staff and what methods are the most effective in terms of motivating employees to aim high and achieve great results. One way she does this is sending her chefs back to China so that they can seek culinary inspirations. Elsa now focuses on country style Shunde Cuisine and so has assigned her chefs to go to Shunde City, Guangdong province, in the hope of bringing back new and exciting ideas. The efforts have paid off in the form of new Shunde specialties. One of those specialties, Salted Chicken w. Mustard has become one of the more popular items on the menu.