Lunch Tuesday: Congee Queen
Posted March 9, 2010 8:56 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Congee Queen is in a nondescript little plaza just outside the Shops At Don Mills, near Don Mills and Lawrence East.
This month, I tried to eat in the York Mills and Don Mills area, any place that wasn’t a chain. I asked for recommendations on Twitter, specifying that I didn’t want Wendy’s, Tim Hortons or Lick’s. One of our readers wrote back to suggest Jack Astors.
So I stretched the boundaries a little, about five kilometres from where I started.
Congee Queen (895 Lawrence Ave. E.) is all blond and beige and cream inside, with plenty of booths along the walls and large round tables in the middle.
We went at lunchtime on a weekday and it’s not packed, but it’s half-full.
There are plants everywhere and a sign at the service station reminding the wait staff to smile.
After a long look at the extensive menu, we ordered fried chili turnip patties ($5.50), General Tao chicken ($7.75), roast duck with rice ($6.50) and the house super bowl congee ($9.95).
The congee came first, a white rice porridge stuffed with shrimp, salmon, fake crab and fish. It was enough for three or four or even five people.
The next two dishes arrived, vinegary General Tao and turnip patties. The squares of turnip quivered, and it turns out that it’s mashed turnip that’s then fried and then tossed with chilies, bits of scrambled egg, chicken and shrimp. They’re fluffy and addictive and I’m ready to crown them my favourite of the meal when I realize the duck is missing.
“You still want that?” the waiter asks in astonishment. It turns out he thought we had ordered too much food – so he didn’t ask the kitchen for the duck.
We do, in fact, still want that, and it’s a good thing we insisted: the skin is crispy, the layer of fat underneath is juicy and the meat is browned and perfect.
But man is that a lot of congee: We came home with enough leftover food for three more meals.
erin.criger@citynews.rogers.com
Congee Queen
895 Lawrence Ave E (Don Mills and Lawrence Avenue East)
416-916-0338
Hours: Monday-Friday: 10:30am-midnight
Saturday-Sunday: 10am – midnight
