FIRST POST ON CONGEE NOODLE KING [HERE]
REVISIT POST ON CONGEE NOODLE KING [HERE]
Do negative dining experiences prevent clientele from revisiting? Of course! My first blog post on Congee Noodle King was mediocre because every spicy salt n' chilli dish was missing that peppery seasoning flavour, along with the chilli and salt. In addition, everyone knows that a Chinese restaurant is a dime a dozen, so why revisit? For the atmosphere? Haha… no.
Well, my blog is a food diary for myself as I discover restaurants to be my go-to. So, despite my first post on Congee Noodle King and feeling like the restaurant was only average, it is now one of my regulars. Why? The prices for live seafood are unbeatable and the sauces are on point. Honestly, I have been here twice in one week and finally realize when I want live seafood at a cheap price which is also properly prepared, I have to come here. Furthermore, the restaurant is also pretty honest regarding the weight with their live seafood.
PRESERVED EGG AND SLICED PORK CONGEE ($5.65).
This is my favourite congee that the restaurant offers. There is always plenty of large sizes of tender tasting pork and medium chunks of century egg. On a a previous visit, I asked for no MSG for the first time in order to get that bland white congee flavour which I like. But I have to say, the congee tastes a lot better with MSG. The congee here has a certain "taste" and you know it is from Congee Noodle King.
1LB STEAMED SPOT PRAWNS ($17.88/LB).
The prawns are perfectly steamed and taste naturally sweet with a nice bounce. In addition, soy sauce is provided on the side and if anything, I would have liked some jalapeño for a bit of an extra kick like Shining Garden's. But meh, no complaints.
DEEP FRIED EGGPLANT WITH SPICY SALT AND CHILLI ($6.35).
The eggplant is heavily battered and the interior tastes moist as well as tender. However, we are not a fan of the thick chewy batter and would not order this again. As for the seasoning, there is a slightly spicy garlic flavour along with the restaurant's signature chilli and salt flavours.
3LB SPICY SALT AND CHILLI CRAB ($14.88/LB).
The crab is lightly battered and tastes crisp, along with a spicy salt and chilli seasoning. Ironically, the dish seems a bit healthier this time because the chilli and salt flavours are not as heavy as previous visits (from years ago). Either way, the crab is nicely prepared and the meat tastes stiff (in a good way) as well as flavoursome. Actually, the only reason for this visit is because rather paying $22.00/lb elsewhere, it was a lot cheaper here! Plus, we have not had a spicy salt and chilli crab for quite some time, since we usually stick to the cream and butter sauce.
2 1/2LB STEAMED ROCK COD ($44.88).
Rather than charging by the lb, the restaurant was offering a set price for live rock cod and although we should have passed since the both of us prefer smaller sizes (under 2lb), we really wanted fish. The fish is perfectly steamed and not overcooked, but due to the large size, the meat tastes slightly stiff and not very tender. As for the sauce, there is a light soy flavour along with a subtle sweetness.
Since we did not order any rice or noodles, we ordered another congee later on. The congee tastes creamy and has a nice thickened consistency, while being easy on the salt and MSG.
Overall, we enjoyed the food here except for the eggplant and it was a great late night dinner. However, it was not until a couple of more visits later on when we decided to make the restaurant a regular of ours. Congee Noodle King is definitely a favourite for those who know the right dishes to order and what they like.Food: 2.5/5 (congee and seafood 3.5/5)
Service: 2.5/5
ON THE NEXT VISIT…
On the next visit, our original choice was to try out Golden Eats late night menu. However, we noticed their selection is a bit smaller than Congee Noodle King's and we came here instead (although we do want to try their late night menu some day, when we are not as hungry!).
PRESERVED EGG AND SLICED PORK CONGEE ($5.65).
The congee has a nice thickened consistency and is usually always consistent. Again, there is a good amount of tender slices of pork along with medium sized century egg.
1LB STEAMED SPOT PRAWNS ($17.88/LB).
Going for the spot prawns again, there are no complaints. If anything, the spot prawns seem so much smaller this season compared to the last which sucks. I remember last year, 1lb of spot prawns equalled to six or seven huge ones! Now 1lb equals to at least twelve prawns, but super small ones.
SPICY SALT AND CHILLI CRAB ($11.88/LB).
Again, coming here for Congee Noodle King's spicy salt and chilli crab did not disappoint. The crab is well seasoned and has a flavourful peppery seasoning along with a good amount of salt and chilli. To compare with the last visit, the seasoning tastes a lot better and more flavoursome this time.
DEEP FRIED BEAN CURD WITH SPICY SALT AND CHILLI ($6.45).
The tofu is nicely fried with a crisp exterior and tastes juicy. Also, the proper spicy salt and chilli seasoning is there. I am not sure why but on the first visit I blogged about, every dish lacked those seasoning flavours and tasted very bland.
CLAMS IN TOP CONSOMME ($6.95).
The clams taste fresh and despite the appearance of many empty shells, most of them just fell out. The broth has a light garlicky flavour and the clams taste juicy.
DEEP FRIED FRESH SQUID WITH SPICY SALT AND CHILLI ($6.35).
The squid tastes tender with a pleasant chewiness and is not rubbery at all. In addition, the exterior has a nice crispiness and a flavourful spicy salt and chilli taste.
TOTAL: $87.95 + TIP $14.05 = $102.00.
On this visit to Congee Noodle King, it was more because we could not think of any other late night Chinese restaurants to go to and passed on Golden Eats. I remember not even wanting Chinese food but because I felt scrubby, we settled on coming here. It was not until the following visit where we thought "hey, the food is actually really good".
Service: 2.5/5
FOLLOWING VISIT...
The following visit is the one that completely changed our views and made us realize that we would be revisiting quickly.
DRIED OYSTER, PRESERVED EGG AND SHREDDED PORK CONGEE ($5.90).
Trying out a different choice of congee because BF wanted to, I did not like this one as much. The congee has a rich dried oyster flavour (which I am personally not a fan of) along with a good amount of shredded pork (which is at the bottom) and medium sized chunks of preserved egg. As usual, the congee has a nice thickened consistency.
1.9LB CREAM AND BUTTER SAUCE LOBSTER ($12.88/LB).
Have we ever tried the cream and butter sauce here? Ohmygosh it is SO GOOD. How could we never have? The sauce tastes extremely flavourful and is definitely one of the top five. There is a rich creaminess along with a butteriness, and a generous portion of sauce. If it was socially acceptable, I would lick the whole plate clean. I wish we added some yee mein noodles rather than wasting the sauce. As for the lobster, the meat pops easily out of the shell and tastes bouncy.
3LB SPICY SALT AND CHILLI CRAB ($10.98/LB).
It is ironic that recently we have been craving for crab instead of lobster and the prices have been higher compared to previous years, due to the high demand in China. However, fortunately the prices have been slowly dropping in the last month (although at pricier restaurants such as Kirin and Sun Sui Wah, crab is still going for $22.00/lb!) and we have been enjoying crab along with the salt and chilli seasoning which we rarely go for. Although unfortunately on this visit, the crab is slightly over fried and the meat tastes dry. The seasoning is on point again though and we did not care so much because the cream and butter sauce lobster was so good… But, overall, the crab is not very good this time around.
EGGPLANT WITH PRESERVED FISH AND SHREDDED PORK ($6.45).
Knowing not to order the fried eggplant again, we stuck with a sautéed dish. The soya based sauce has a gooey consistency which is not very appealing. Asides from the sauce, the eggplant is nicely cooked and tender but not mushy.
PAN FRIED SHRIMP WITH SCRAMBLED EGG ($6.45).
The egg is slightly undercooked and the bottom is a bit watery. However, there is a fair amount of prawns (no BS shrimp) which taste bouncy and meaty, despite the menu stating shrimp rather than prawns.
CLAMS IN TOP CONSOMME ($6.95).
Like usual, the clams taste fresh and have a light consommé flavour along with a hint of garlic. Again, despite the appearance of many empty shells, there are plenty of clams which just fell out.
COMPLIMENTARY COCONUT TAPIOCA SOUP.
On this visit, we made sure to ask for dessert soup this time! The soup is served hot and has a slightly sweet coconut flavour along with evaporated milk, as well as a good amount of tapioca pearls.
All in all, the highlights are of course the cream and butter sauce lobster, clams in top consommé as well as the congee (despite my personal preference of not preferring dried oyster) which I would give a rating of 3.5/5. However, the cream and butter sauce lobster is definitely a 4/5.Food: 2.5/5
Service: 2.5/5
LAST VISIT FOR DINNER RATHER THAN LATE NIGHT…
DRIED OYSTER, PRESERVED EGG AND SHREDDED PORK CONGEE ($5.90).
The reason for revisiting Congee Noodle King so soon after our last visit was because we were not happy with Tin Tin Seafood's dishonesty, regarding a lobster dish. BF ordered the dried oyster, preserved egg and shredded pork congee again because it is healthier than the preserved egg and sliced pork. The congee is pretty consistent with the previous visits where there is a nice consistency which does not water down towards the end. Furthermore, there is a flavourful dried oyster taste along with a good amount of shredded pork and medium cuts of preserved egg.
3.1LB SPICY SALT AND CHILLI CRAB ($10.88/LB).
Unlike the last visit, the crab is not over fried and tastes meaty. The meat is stiff as well as tender, and pairs well with the salt and chilli seasoning. Furthermore whoever the cook was, he was a professional. He cracked the claws perfectly and made it easy to grab the meat with no effort required. You gotta love the weekends when the head chefs come out, despite hating the crowds and busyness. Honestly, this is the best fried crab we ever had here.
DEEP FRIED PRAWN (SHELL IN) WITH SPICY SALT AND CHILLI, SMALL ($7.50).
The prawns are perfectly fried and I found the heart a bit random lol. Every prawn has a nice crispiness and tastes extremely juicy. In addition, the flavourful spicy salt and chilli seasoning is there.
2.2LB CREAM AND BUTTER SAUCE LOBSTER ($12.88/LB).
This is when we realized that Congee Noodle King is a must visit for us. The sauce has a nice consistency and tastes extremely milky, with a rich buttery flavour. Furthermore, the cream and butter sauce is consistent with the last visit and just… tastes so good. Also, again, the lobster is perfectly cooked and the meat tastes tender with a nice snap. The sauce is definitely a top five.
DEEP FRIED BEAN CURD WITH SPICY SALT AND CHILLI, SMALL ($4.45).
We noticed the dinner price is actually a couple of dollars cheaper than the late night menu! Not like it matters of course… but just saying lol. The tofu is nicely fried and tastes very juicy. In addition, the seasoning tastes very salty as well as peppery, and really good.
CLAMS IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE, SMALL ($7.10).
The clams are large and taste juicy, perhaps even juicier than our previous visits. As for the black bean sauce, I am personally not a fan and find it salty. However for those who are a fan, will consider the sauce flavourful. If anything, BF would have preferred more sauce. Also, I like how none of the clams fell out and stuck on the shell this time.
COMPLIMENTARY RED BEAN SOUP.
The dessert soup is quite watery but there is a nice mandarin peel flavour. If anything, the soup usually has a nice thicker consistency.
TOTAL: $93.00 + TIP $17.00 = $110.00.
This was the best visit at Congee Noodle King the both of us ever had. Every single dish is properly prepared and there are no complaints. Furthermore, we can confirm the cream and butter sauce is always consistent and Congee Noodle King is our go-to late night Chinese restaurant now. However, when we want a "nicer" atmosphere, our go-to late night restaurant will still be Pelican Seafood. By the way, this visit was on a weekend during dinner services and I swear, the food was the best out of every 100 visits I ever had here.
POSITIVES
- Solid food
- Cheapest live seafood prices around and honest regarding the weight
- One of the top five cream and butter sauces
NEGATIVES
- Clams and red bean soup (2.5/5)
- Sometimes the food is inconsistent (need to know what to order)
- Typical Chinese restaurant service (not unfriendly but may be hard to get)
LITTLE THINGS
- First post on Congee Noodle King [here]
- Revisit post on Congee Noodle King [here]
- Recommended dishes are deep fried bean curd and prawns, cream and butter sauce or spicy salt n' chilli seafood, clams and congee
Food: 4/5
Service: 2.5/5
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