Wai Kee Congee
Ryan Andrews
Looks can be deceiving, and while this bowl of grayish matter doesn’t look like much, a couple of bites in you’ll be a fan.
I’m not quite sure why westerners aren’t bigger proponents of congee. Maybe it’s the texture or the unfamiliarity, but for $13 it’s filling and flavorful. It reminds me of Malt-O-Meal, a type of breakfast gruel consumed in the US. That version sure doesn’t have tasty bits of pork and fresh fish, with the occasional stray bone adding to the authenticity.
It’s hearty and more than once has replaced McDonald’s as my go to hangover cure.
Most of all, I love the setting. Down an alleyway strewn with dai pai dongs, you really feel like you’re in Asia. On nearly every occasion I’ve eaten here, I’ve been the only gweilo in the crowd.
At lunch, they set up tables outside and you can take in a little sunshine while dodging the stray cats that run by. Nothing like free entertainment. The side dishes are quite good as well, especially the moist turnip cake. It’s huge and cheap (about $6). Add in ice-cold oversized beers that they nearly give away and it reminds you that, if you look hard enough, great value is to be found in nearly every city in the world.
G/F, 82 Stanley St, Central
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3 Comments Add your comment
i gave up on congee in the weekend after getting a chunk of frozen beef mince in my bowl. finding it hard to rebuild my trust in the stuff
Ryan! you eat congee! go you! there are many good places in wan chai too with really great friend turnip cakes
Ryan! you eat congee! go you! there are many good places in wan chai too with really great friend turnip cakes
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