Ok, I said I came here for fun with friends, however that actually turned into romance pretty quickly. Despite the fact that I shared my first kiss with my best friend at the time and now my girlfriend (of two years) outside of this restaurant after having some congee, dumplings, scallion pancakes, and a few beers, I would still say I love it. The decor is wonderful…I feel like I’m in a rain forest or something. The food is fast to come out and servers are always nice. The congee, which is like a porridge, for those who don’t know, is yummy yummy and comes served in a nice hot pot, which adds to the allure. The prices are also insanely cheap. When the check comes I feel like they under charged me, but I always make up for it in tips. So if you are looking for a fun late night place to hang out with friends or to get a little whacky and turn a friend into a girlfriend or boyfriend, that’s the place!!!

Old reliable. Sizzling tofu with eggplant, dried scallop congee, yum.

Food was good. I ordered some fried rice dish in a log. I give it bonus points for presentation (and according to my friend who I dined with that actually is from China, it is very authentic as well). My major concern was the service. It was so bad that it turned me off from the food. I asked our waitress for the check and she said okay. After waiting 10 minutes, we still didn’t receive the check. So she looked at me again and I requested for the check a second time. 5 minutes passed with no check and the waitress walked passed me looking at me dead on in the eye without anything in hand. So I figured, if i could get my friend to speak the Chinese language to her (Cantonese or Mandarin, not too sure) she would send the check over. She gave it a go, and still no check. The waitress even had the audacity to just stand in the corner by the register and talk with some friends. After 25 minutes of waiting, we finally got the check. I dunno if my experience was just a one time deal, but that was probably one of the worst service I’ve ever experienced at a restaurant. But, if you can stomach the bad service, I’d say go for it cause the food isn’t too shabby.

The congee is amazing here no matter what kind you get! My favorite is the seafood congee! Good price too. Just remember to go at a time when the traffic has died down. I did not have a problem with service and did not feel squished with the seating at all. There may be some language barriers when you order in English if you attempt to ask the waiter/waitress anything more than what you’re reading and pointing at on the menu, but that is to be expected at any traditional ethnic restaurant. Just be prepared to “know before you go.”

I’m sorry, I had to give Congee Village a low rating. While they have a large selection of congee, their service is horrible. I’m not a huge fan of congee in the first place, but my friends like the place so whatever. Yes, it’s cheap, but the food is nothing extraordinary, the seating is very tight, and I seriously don’t think they speak English there. I’ve had problems similiar to other reviewers. One time I came, they sat us down right away but after that, never came back. We sat there for 10 minutes while the employee who seated us glanced and walked passed us several times. We didn’t receive menus or water so we eventually got up and left. A few times, waiters would clang dishes (which is understandable for a Chinese restaurant) and “accidentally” spill drinks on us. Coincidence or just really bad service? Hmm. They really are SLOW AS HELL there. It shouldn’t take half an hour to get the check.

They have a very large variety of different kinds of congee. I like the roast duck with meatballs congee the best. Every time I go there with my parents, they order the sauteed duck tongue with a special X.O. sauce, along with baked lobster with cheese &butter, both of which are very good. The place is always crowded with people, and the decor of the restaurant is nice, the space is a bit tight. This one time I went with my parents, we ended up sitting next to a couple on a date. We shared on long table, with the sauces separating the two parties. It was pretty awkward. The service has been decent the few times I’ve been there.

Bad, bad service, but good, cheap food, so I won’t hold it against them.