My President's Day was quite productive this year. M discovered the cause of my car troubles on Sunday and I spent part of Monday morning at Goodyear while they replaced the bum tires. Since I was already in the area, I drove downtown to Honest Weight to pick up some bulk items that I had run out of. They've done a great job of making that store look much better, btw. After Honest Weight, I thought it would be a good time to try the chinese food at CCK.
Most of the Capital Region bloggers have already visited this restaurant, some multiple times. My excuse? When I am in the area, I spend almost all of my time in Troy. I work there, M lives there. I rarely have a reason to go into Albany nowadays.
It was a little after 11:00 when I arrived, so I was not surprised to be the only customer at that point. From the smell of Clorox bleach in the air, they were still in the midst of cleaning. A lady at the back of the room gestured me to pick a seat and I sat down at the booth closest to the window, hoping that the next guests would help push the smell out.
A quick scan of the dining area reveals six booths that can hold ~4 people each, two round tables that can hold ~8 or ~10 people, and a few smaller tables. Imagine if every seat was taken up... the room would be cramped. There is not much when it comes to decor, and it reminds me of restaurants like Wo Hop and Hop Kee- where the focus is on the food, not the design.
I didn't take a look at the rest of their menu, but they give plenty of options for lunch. They are also very inexpensive, with entrees under $7.00, and dim sum under $4.00. I ordered the roast duck noodle soup and mini rolls with pork. I poured myself a cup of complimentary tea, and relaxed while my food was being cooked.
What is it about roast duck that is so comforting? Could it possibly be the wonderful crispy skin? It looks a tad oily, it surprisingly is not. Unlike other places, there was more meat than bone, which is a huge plus. The broth had a a very pronounced flavor, and it worked well with the duck. As for vegetables, what you see in the picture is all that was in it. Fantastic. I need to go back and order this again.
When I was done with the soup, my server brought out the mini pork rolls. I thought that they would be mini pork buns (siopao) but they were dumplings. It was served in a metal steamer basket with a soy sauce mixture on the side. At this point I was stuffed, and was only able to finish one piece. Very tasty.
I am so glad I finally got around to eating at CCK. Their lunch won me over, and I expect nothing but good things from the rest of the menu. And I'm sure M will be able to find something to eat there as well.
Lunch for one came out to $9.00, including tax and tip.
CCK Chinese Restaurant
299 Central Ave
Albany, NY 12206
(518) 433-2658
3 comments:
those dumplings don't look bad... i don't know anything about albany
Wonderful! This looks so tasty! And did you know that my mom grew up in Albany? Strange but true, and we still have family there, so addresses like this always come in handy!
Next time you are there you should try their Crispy Taro Duck. . .their chicken feet and siomai are the best. . .not sure how far back you go in terms of being in the capital region but CCK basically is a relocated/miniturized Ocean Palace Restaurant.
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