‘Even better than before’: Vancouver’s Congee Noodle House reopens after 3-year hiatus

A beloved Chinese restaurant in Vancouver is reopening its doors after a three-year closure caused by the collapse of a construction site next door.

The Congee Noodle House on East Broadway is celebrating a soft launch on Wednesday and hoping to welcome back many of its regular customers, who come for its signature dishes such as congee, dumplings and chow mein fried rice, as well as its late-night menu.

“Hopefully going to be even better than before because they’re going to bring in some new menus and new dishes that we don’t have before,” said Eric Chan, part owner and managing director.

“We’re getting a lot of people been asking us, ‘You guys been closed for so many years, when are you going to reopen again?'”

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The Congee Noodle House was ordered to close its doors in January 2020 — just before COVID-19 health restrictions began to take shape — when a section of the construction lot off of East 8th Avenue between Main and Quebec streets sunk in. The site was supposed to house a new 18-unit condominium building.

At the time, the City of Vancouver said a side of the excavation wall had caved in, compromising the adjacent parking lot and storm connection on site.

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Chan said he never thought the closure would last three years, but the pandemic delayed the process by slowing down municipal government processes such as permitting and inspections.

Eventually, he said an insurance claim from the restaurant was denied as well, which also hindered the reopening.

“Lots of people are missing the food and our restaurant,” he told Global News. “We’ve been in business for over 20 years.”

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Cashier Dida Lai has been with the Congee Noodle House since the beginning and said it’s “so exciting” to be back up and running.

“Back to work is happy,” she said. “I hope that we are busy and I hope to see many customers come back again.”

Many of the regulars have been messaging her on WhatsApp to find out when the restaurant is reopening, she added.

The Congee Noodle House was renovated during its closure. It will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Editor’s Note: This is a corrected story. A previous version misspelled Eric Chan’s last name.