Congee Village Restaurant & Bar

100 Allen Street between Delancey and Broome
212/941-1818
about $25 for two, without drinks, without tip

When I’m craving congee, I usually run to Congee Village for their $3 hot bowls, either served with pork, chicken, duck, fish, hundred-year-old egg or a combination of all of them. Congee is a type of rice porridge cooked the Chinese way, slowly and with water until the rice has a thicker consistency. It’s comfort food and it reminds Filipinos of their own version, arroz caldo.

Congee with hot chili oil

Congee Village also carries a lot of Chinese food outside their congee selections. I usually order the sautéed lotus root served in bean paste sauce or the assorted vegetables cooked Buddhist style to match. If you like hot pots, their casserole with salted fish is excellent. But skip on these soupy buns.

They’re always stuck on the wooden bowl, they rip apart when you pick them up and you’re left with soupless buns. Get them at Joe’s Ginger instead.