Congee was traditionally a way to stretch your rice reserves by boiling it down into a glorious gloopy porridge to get the most out of it. It holds a special place in Hong Kong’ers hearts, as many grew up eating the stuff which comes in various forms – mainly driven by the variety of condiments that can be added. These can include minced beef, liver, century eggs, lean sliced pork, blood cakes or even sliced fish. Sometimes a combination of any of the above will work! And it’s always garnished with julienned ginger and peanuts for textual fun. In my experience, it’s a quintessential Hong Kong dish that must be tried for a authentic local dining experience. We came to the 24hr Seaview Congee Shop in the bustling Mong Kok district of HK.
They call this an ox tongue, as it bears resemblance to one, well according to the locals anyway, hence the name. It is without a doubt a delicious, crispy, doughy sweet thing that screams comfort. I always order it. Don’t be fooled that you’d get slim eating it though!
Ice cold sweet lemon tea always goes down a treat. It’s a ubiquitous HK drink.
Cold soy milk, could be your thing. So sweet it’s a sure fire way to get tooth ache though!
The plain rice sheet rolls $14, are made to order, they arrive soft and lustrous. The puddle of sweet umami soy it comes with makes the dish, otherwise it would be quite neutral tasting.
The turnip cake $17, or “turnip puddy”, they so affectionally call it, it’s crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. It’s seasoned beautifully, all sweet and nutty with cubes of mystery meat.
We all go for the cubed pigs blood & minced beef congee $28, which comes piping hot and viscous, almost spilling over the edges. The raw ground beef is cooked by the heat of the congee and the pigs blood is all jiggly with a hint of iron. A garnish of julianne ginger, spring onions and peanuts give freshness and texture.
The rice dumpling stuffed with pork $22 is another gem of sticky glutinous rice, lentils and a preserved salty egg yolk, that was steamed in an earthy lotus leaf. The same sweetly brewed soy makes a necessary appearance, it’s addictive stuff.
The “twisted curller rice sheet roll” $19 (Don’t you just love Chinglish!), is another winner. The silken rice roll and crispy dough is a textural triumph, of course you need to dip it in that deeply umami soy.
The verdict:
When did I go? Nov 2016
The damage: Expect to pay $50ish (£4ish)
The good: Everything we had here was fresh, comforting, delicious and ruddy cheap. If you haven’t had a congee meal in HK, this is a sweet little spot for you to take your virginity and it opens 24hrs.
The bad: That soy milk will corrode your teeth.
Rating: 4/5
Would I go again? Yes
Address: 101 Argyle St, Mong Kok, Hong Kong
Phone: +852 2787 7330
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