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Kwong Chow Congee & Noodle House
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
3163 Main StVancouver, BC V5T 3G8
Neighbourhood: Mount Pleasant
(604) 876-8520
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 2 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
23 reviews for Kwong Chow Congee & Noodle House
Review Highlights
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"Great late night eats with a good menu." In 4 reviews -
"chicken and salted fish fried rice (huge portion." In 2 reviews -
"I usually order their Wonton noodle and Hong Kong ice tea." In 3 reviews
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23 reviews in English
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Review from Kenneth E.
Vancouver, BC
5/11/2012
A nice place to drop by on the way home fr DT and in one of those cravings for congee or noodle food.
It's your typical quick service but much better service and generally quite busy.
Parents usually order the pork braised meat over rice, and the seafood chop suey is good w/ nice portions. -
Review from lee k.
2/15/2012
Been there couple times before.
Local friend recommended for a quick lunch. Found they have underground parking this time.
3 main dishes: Pea Vine in soup brooth, Stirred fried Fish maw, and a goose dish with herbs which only found goji, red date, logan (dragon eye), ginger..., tasty but with too many small pieces of bones.
In general, portions are generous. The best is in fact the plain congee that came last.
The restaurant does offer some good selections of good authentic Chinese food that we do not have in Seattle.
One point is taken off because of we did experience the " Icy look" from the wait person (per Crystal H's comment).
Perhaps the owner should give the employees some communication classes: Smile and coutesy should be free to customers....
if they do want better tips...... -
Review from Natrisha S.
Kamloops Indian Reserve No. 1, BC
5/17/2012
This is the best, cheap Chinese food in the city. You may have to share a table but this only adds to the true Cantonese experience of eating out at lunch hour - close your eyes you may feel transported to Asia. Enjoy!
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Review from Odie O.
4/8/2012
My mum and I both got sick after eating here so I would not go back again. Atmosphere is not great and food was just ok. Cheap but was not worth getting sick over. Seats were very uncomfortable, could not sit there for long.
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Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
10/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Mid-shopping hunger pains late into the afternoon drove me to Kwong Chow. Surly service, yup. Douse of over-steeped tea, yup. Pigs blood on the menu, yup. Reminding me of Hong Kong congee houses, yup.
The real bummer was the paired down mid-afternoon menu. Cheap lunch specials looked appetizing, but my craving was for congee, and there just weren't that many options. I settled for the free range chicken congee, as it's not too often you see that on a menu along with the pigs blood. The broth was deep with flavour, the peanuts were fresh and the green onions were bold, in a good way. I hesitated to eat much of the chicken as it had a pink tinge to it that looked suspect to me. After attempting to "cook" it for longer in the hot broth, I gave up and ate around it.
If you're wondering why I didn't simply just ask for more cooked chicken, it was entirely the surly service. I didn't feel that this was the place to complain, especially after I watched the meanest looking server give the evilest eye to a guy who accidentally bumped into her while she was carrying a drink. It was ice, ice, cold -- the look, not the drink.
My favourite part though was the doughnut. It wasn't listed on the menu, but, wow! It was the freshest doughnut I've experienced in this city!
My lunch came to $8.90... not bad at all!
21/30: 30 Day Challenge -
Review from Janine J.
Vancouver, BC
7/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Had spare rib and watercress congee with fried salted donut for lunch, about $5. Food tasted great but when I got halfway through my tea I noticed a toothpick in the bottom if the cup - gag! I can't imagine if I swallowed that yikes!
My server was extremely apologetic and brought me their house made iced tea for no charge to make up for it. It was a nice gesture but it couldn't erase the thoughts of whose mouth that toothpick had been in before it steeped in my tea. YUCK -
Review from Pamela L.
12/31/2010
i feel a bit like a traitor to have given this place such high marks or to even have to gone to the place, really. I'm a bit of a Congee House/ King loyalist but that's probably because my family goes all the time (but the food is great, there).
This place is good. Just as good as Congee House. I've only been there twice but each time I was impressed with the food and how quickly it came (but fast service, not good service, is my expectation for won ton houses).
The first time I went I had just finished dropping some consignment stuffs at Ce La Vie and I was getting a hankering for something familiar. So, I stopped into KCC and I ordered from their lunch special menu - BBQ duck in noodles. I could have sworn the whole duck was in there. It was filled to the brim and then some. Oh BBQ duck - how I love thee. I have rarely had bad BBQ duck but this duck was damn good. Is the food salty? Damn straight. But salt is my friend and enemy.
The second time I went was with my sister and she ordered the curry beef lunch special. Again, the dish was huge. The sauce was more curry-ish rather than creamy curry which is what I prefer. There were huge chunks of tender beef brisket and generous portions on tendon. Don't hate - tendon is good.
I ordered the special won tons filled with the regular won ton fillings but also dried scallop and fresh scallop inside - that was sex in a dumpling (okay... I realize I didn't make it sound very appealing). I also requested to add some ostrich in the mix. I took a bite - and the first thing I think I said was "HELL to the YEAH".
Oh man, I'm starving now. Must.have.congee.... or BBQ duck, or fried spicy squid, or won tons and Shui Gau or chicken and salted fish friend rice or.......Listed in: Favourite spots on Main Street
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Review from Kristina C.
Vancouver, BC
2/28/2011
I'm biased when it come to this restaurant: I've been here several times because my grandparents love it, but I just don't think the food is very good.
I came here recently right at opening time, and barely five minutes had passed before the restaurant became nearly full with patrons. My family and I ordered several variations of soup noodles (mein, rice noodle, beef brisket, wonton, and shui gao), as well as a bowl of beef congee, beef brisket and radish on steamed rice, and Shanghai style fried noodles. All the above come with your choice of drink or soup (flavourful broth made by boiling various vegetables and meats).
Typically, the food here has no taste; they really skimp on salt or something. The beef brisket and radish on rice was no exception: for a dish that comes with a generous serving of sauce which LOOKS like it would be super tasty, is in fact, absolutely bland. The beef brisket was dry and tough, not only in this dish but in the soup noodles. My mom did not particularly like the wonton here, citing Congee Noodle House as much better.
I will say that the congee was better here than at CNH, and the Shanghai style noodles was pretty good as well. We unfortunately didn't order any Chinese donuts to go with the congee, which would have been nice.
Overall, the food is decent, but most importantly, it's super cheap. Four bowls of soup noodles with various fixings, a bowl of congee, a rice dish, a noodle dish, and soup/drink came out to be just under $40, before tip. For this reason, I'll probably find myself back here.
Tip: The aforementioned free soup/drink with certain dishes only applies from 11 am to 12 pm. -
Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 11/29/2009
* I just love good scallops *
I tried a dish here yesterday I haven't had here before, and it actually warrants an extra star from my original review (which still stands for most of their food).
The scallop and Chinese mushroom congee was really good. There were literally 20 slices of fresh scallop buried inside the congee treasure bowl!
I kept being surprised every time I found yet another scallop! The scallops were perfectly cooked, and very fresh. The mushrooms were large pieces (many whole), and neither the scallops nor mushrooms had any sand at all.
The congee had the usual crunchy peanuts, green onions, slices of ginger, etc. A very hearty lunch to warm you up.
Added on the "Chinese donut" and expected them just to add a few cold pieces as many other places do with their congee. But what came was a ridiculously large plate of freshly fried Chinese dough. It was WAY too much, and slightly greasy, but very tasty. I couldn't finish it though.
When it comes down to it, all of those scallops are worth an extra star!Listed in: Vancouver Chinese Food, Vanoodle
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/6/2008
Good cheap eats. I particularly like the lunch specials. You get your choice from a wide variety… Read more »
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Review from Faye X.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 8/25/2010 3 photos
Last time I was here I had the set menu which was cheap but not at all that impressive. I went back because it was on the way to Tisol pet store. This time it was just two of us, so we just ordered off the menu. What a pleasant surprise! Everything we ordered was excellent. The best part was many of the dishes offered small and large option which meant we could order more variety of dishes.
1. Fried squid with chili bits
2. clam congee
3. chicken and salted fish fried rice (huge portion)
4. pepper ribs
Price range $8 to $10.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/26/2010
This restaurant is a Cantonese style restaurant which meant the dishes generally are less spicier,… Read more »
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Review from Billy L.
Port Coquitlam, BC
1/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been craving congee for awhile and we don't have a lot of options out here in Poco. We made the trek out the Main st. and didn't want to deal with the people at the Congee Noodle House. After reading the reviews, we decided to give this place a go.
I've had it a couple years back and but things change in a couple years. I ordered my fav pork liver and beef congee. Came pretty quick as reviewed along with fresh chinese donut. Boy, the donut was REALLY fresh, almost straight from the fry or oven.
Congee was delicious, my girlfriend found the congee was a bit salty but it was good. The meal left me in a food coma, i'm still recovering but I think i'll survive. -
Review from Allen W.
12/28/2009
Stopped in for a quick, late-night dinner and found it packed. The restaurant is one which aims for maximum density, so expect people bumping into your chair while you eat.
Since it's called a congee and noodle house, I decided to order congee, chinese donut, and beef chow fun. The creamy congee is served super hot so be careful when you dive in. The flavor is lighter and not as rich as some others I've had in Vancouver.
The chinese donut was just 'ok' as well. It was quite dense on the inside. The beef chow fun was good but lacked flavor.
Service was quick and friendly, with our tea refilled several times without having to ask. Many tables were ordering fresh crab, so maybe we'll have to try that next time! -
Review from Shoppa H.
Vancouver, BC
11/14/2011
I have been coming here for years for dinner only. The food is fast and it's so delicious. The prices are very reasonable and the portions are generous. I always take my out-of-town guests here to experience the delicious food. It's great comfort food!
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Review from Joe L.
Vancouver, BC
12/28/2009
The restaurant has a rather respectable selection of congees on its menu. For a quick dinner last night, I ordered a pig kidney & liver congee and shared a dish of Chinese doughnut and beef chow fun. The congee was flavourful and had good consistency.
Although the Chinese doughnut was hot and crispy, it was quite dense. It was like chewing on a cake-like doughnut. It wasn't the type I would prefer (airy ad light). The beef chow fun was extremely bland. The noodle did not have any flavour and the onion slices were not even cooked through.
If it weren't for the congee, I would probably have given it a 2-star rating. -
Review from Luisa S.
Vancouver, BC
10/17/2008
Decent Chinese food for a decent price. Nothing is really exceptionally done here but the gritty service is kind of refreshing considering all the pretense that exists in trendier restaurants.
There is something to be said for these kinds of places. Places where the staff is just as likely to roll their eyes at you as they are to give you a glass of water.
Recipes stem from Canto tradition and are on the greasy side but it'll definitely fill you up. -
Review from Lawrence F.
9/27/2009
Great late night eats with a good menu. Reliable, clean, nice room, good service.
Also a good option for when you get tired of waiting in a line of 15 people at Toshi Sushi around the corner. -
Review from Master P.
12/5/2011
Love the mushroom and ostrich congee and their pumpkin and taro hot pot. Been going back for years.
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Review from Ramon V.
4/12/2010 3 Check-ins Here
Of all the late night dining options in town, I keep returning. Not even a certain shooting and a certain two bullets have thwarted my efforts for long in staying true to my preference in late night Chinese dining. Definitely not a fancy place. In fact I hardly recommend you look around too much for the sake of discovering something that may disturb your more snobby friends. Somehow they manage to pull off a large menu without effort, thanks to a magical cook, dedicated owner, and hard working staff, staying true to its Guangzhou roots.
A cheaper late night snack menu has a bounty of options. Some of my favourites: deep fried spicy tofu, pea tips in garlic sauce, tofu and seafood hot pot, rice noodles with prawns in egg sauce, wonton soup, peel and eat prawns, beef and black bean sauce chow mein. All perfect for sharing, and all very well priced. Go with a group. I recommend 4 to 6 people. -
Review from Win T.
North Vancouver, BC
8/21/2010 1 Check-in Here
I was reading the Wall Street Journal in Asia which said that Kwong Chow (along with Sun Sui Wah) are the best places for Canto food outside of China... I would have to agree! The best congee after the my mom's!
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Review from Edwin G.
6/3/2009
I am a fan of their $4.25 Specials available before 12pm and between 2:30-5:00. I usually order their Wonton noodle and Hong Kong ice tea.
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Review from Ron M.
Vancouver, BC
3/1/2010
This place is really tasty and great value. If you are white, or of other non-chinese decent, this place will be a little bit inaccessible due to lack of pictures in menus and complex combo-value meals. If you can decipher the menu or have a good guide, you can tap into the awesome discounts. Highly recommended if you dig cantonese style restaurants (eg. you don't mind partially sticky floors).
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Review from wanderlust c.
Vancouver, BC
8/20/2008
beef with bitter melon and soup of the day
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Review from beki L.
Vancouver, BC
6/3/2010
it was late...we had wondered around robson and granville after my brothers grad a little too long and most of the family friendly restaurants were closed....
so we ventured out of there and ended up here.
i was with my family, so my 2 little nieces were with us..we asked for a high chair.....but never got it. hmmm...
we sat at a table and the minute i put my hands on the surface, i had to take a closer look to make sure it was actually wiped down because it was so disgustingly sticky. hmmmmmm....
we looked over the menu to decide on a few dishes to share.... and we were left alone for a very very very long time before we finally had to flag someone down to take our order. hmmmmmmmmm...!!!
we had the spicy deep fried squid (not too bad...although, i didn't like the way the squid was cut. the portions were very small), gai lan in oyster sauce (mediocre...) and pea shoots with 2 different kind of egg (chicken egg and duck egg- this was yummy). we also asked for rice..which they gave to us a bit after all the other dishes were served. so we were left with a lot of rice since the other dishes were eaten through before the rice arrived!! hmmmMMMMM!!!!!???
i know i shouldn't expect much at a chinese restaurant..especially after 10pm...but even the late LATE night places have had better service than this.
maybe i should've come here for the congee...
as i finish up this review, i am noticing that my stomach is starting to hurt...uuggghh......
