Sherman Chan,

Special to The Post

 

Generally, when certain menu items are in the actual restaurant name, one would expect them to be good. For instance, there are some Chinese restaurants that put "Wonton House" in their name, but ultimately, their wontons disappoint. However, in the past, Congee Noodle House has lived up to its namesake.

On a recent visit, we decided to try the 3 BBQ Items on Rice. With roast pork, BBQ pork and BBQ duck, there was a decent amount of meat to go with the big plate of rice. I found the roast pork to be meaty, but lacking in flavor, and the crackling was not crunchy at all. The BBQ pork was not bad, but it was a lean and dry and could have used more sweetness to balance the flavours. We enjoyed the BBQ duck which was moist and natural tasting. We also orderd the Sweet & Sour Pork for variety. The large chunks of pork were crispy, but since they were re-fried, the meat was somewhat chewy. The sauce was more sweet than sour.

We couldn't visit Congee Noodle House without ordering a bowl of Preserved Egg & Salted Pork Congee. It was thick with large chunks of preserved egg with shredded, salty pork. There was no absence of flavour thanks to the MSG, and the congee became watery at the end. We also tried another signature item, the Wonton Noodles. With chewy noodles exhibiting a nice elasticity, this dish was authentic. The soup was a bit salty, but it couldn't be accused of being bland, with classic flavours like shrimp shells. As for the wontons, they were of a nice size and contained crunchy shrimp with bouncy pork. The flavours were apparent without being salty, and we could really taste the sesame oil and white pepper.

For added variety, we ordered of the Fried Noodle with Beef in Black Bean Sauce. This was a large portion of mostly crispy noodles with tender slices of beef, onions and peppers. There was enough black bean sauce for both flavour and moisture, but the deep fried noodles were a touch too oily. 

To complete our feast, we tried the Yeung Chow Fried Rice with plump crunchy shrimp and lean cubes of BBQ pork. The rice was dry and chewy and the flavours were mild, though there could have been more salt. Once again, Congee Noodle House came through and delivered satisfying food for a good price.

 

Congee Noodle House

141 East Broadway  |  604-879-8221

 

THE GOOD:

• Solid eats

• Reasonable pricing

• Good portions

 

The Bad:

• Quick service, but too busy to do much else

• BBQ items are so-so

 

Sherman Chan is the #1 ranked food blogger on the Vancouver portal of Urbanspoon.com. Read more of his reviews at www.shermansfoodadventures.com.