Secret Congee

It has been awhile since we've been out to Secret Congee located in the Ballard area of Seattle.  One look at the menu and you will immediately ascertain that this is no ordinary congee joint.  Rather, they take the traditional Chinese congee base and top it with mostly non-traditional components.  I've heard some criticisms that it isn't authentic, but c'mon, where does it state it is trying to be anyways?  Some of the best eats I've ever had was due to some place taking chances and doing things differently.  Besides, where do you think we got the Vietnamese cuisine we have now - fusion of French and Vietnamese cuisines...

Anyways, we headed out on a Saturday morning and yes, the place was hopping.  Congee is a great brunch item that is nourishing and comforting.  I personally like the congee base as it is velvety and mildly seasoned.  We skipped the chicken congee this time as we feel the meat is too dry.  So instead, we tried something quite different in the Mala Pork.  This featured a large serving of sliced pork shoulder that was dressed in a considerably spicy mala sauce that had numbing spice and lots of earthy elements.  Unlike the other bowls that included ginger and green onion, this one also had cilantro.

On the side, we needed to get the obligatory Yaoutiao or Fried Salty Doughnut.  This was pretty good being lightly crispy with a chewy interior.  It was nicely salted and could be eaten by itself, but c'mon, this was for dipping into the congee!  We liked how it wasn't overly greasy too.  Also, we had the side of Taro Chips.  Again, this was fine to eat as is, since they were crunchy and well-salted.  But, if you wanted a textural and aromatic component to your congee, you could crumble the chips and sprinkle it on top!

One of our favorites is the Shrimp Tom Yum and there was no doubt we would get it this time as well.  The fragrance of the tom yum was was full of lemongrass, tanginess, sharpness from the galangal and also the slightest bit of spice.  This really brought the mild congee base alive as every spoonful was now impactful and aromatic.  The large shrimp were meaty and had a sweet briny snap.

We had 2 versions of the Thai Meatball with one featuring the addition of century egg.  I've always loved this bowl of congee as the medium-sized meatballs provide plenty of body.  Other than the classic chicken (which we didn't order this time), this is the least expensive at $15.00.  Meaty with just enough fat, the meatballs were tender with a pleasant chew.  They were lightly seasoned and acted as a textural component rather than adding flavor.  With the supplement of century egg for $2.00, this provided the umaminess for the bowl of congee.  For the other bowl, we added a soft-boiled egg for also $2.00.

Heading to some more delicate creations, we had the Hokkaido Scallop.  Once again, this featured the same components as the other bowls of congee.  As expected, this was a subtle affair with the sweet scallops blending into the mild flavor of the congee.  This was more about texture as the buttery scallops still had the mantle, which added chewiness and even more scallop essence.  The same could be said about the the Barramundi Bass where the fish was delicate and slightly sweet.  We loved how they were able to keep the fish buttery soft while being cooked through.  For both of these, I added more white pepper for some kick.

Our last bowl of congee was also subtle in the Garlic Blue Crab.  Sure, it ain't cheap at $24.00, but looking at the picture, they did not skimp on the chunks of crab.  Furthermore, the crab was fluffy and fresh-tasting.  Plenty of sweetness to go with the brininess.  The addition of fried garlic provided aroma and texture to the congee.  So this was another delicious visit to Secret Congee.  I understand how some people would like this interpreation of congee.  However, modernizing it while keeping some traditional elements work for me.  I love their creative approach to their toppings and willingness to take a risk.  Yah, the prices are higher than typical Cantonese restaurants of this ilk, but they aren't serving up premium toppings either.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Velvety congee base

- Generous with the toppings

- Lots of choice

The Bad:

- Limited seating inside, and sitting outside is fine, if the weather cooperates

- Sure, it costs more (and it is valid for some people), but I personally think it is worth it

Congee Queen

Having just landed in TO and having to drop off our stuff at the hotel, then needing to make the Jann Arden concert at Massey Hall, we decided to go simple for dinner.  On our way walking to Massey Hall, we considered a few options, but ultimately went to an ol' Toronto Cantonese standby in Congee Queen on Yonge Street.  This local chain sports 9 locations and dishes up large portions of Cantonese classics at reasonable prices.  They aren't known for their service, but hey, I got mostly decent servers on both visits.

Yep, we came here twice with the first time, we had to get their namesake.  We went for the classic in the Preserved Egg and Salted Pork Congee.  At first, I was a bit skeptical of how they diced the egg.  It was in little bits strewn throughout the congee.  The same could be said about the pork.  However, that meant each spoonful was loaded with both components.  That ensured we had the umaminess of the egg with the saltiness of the pork at full effect.  The congee itself was really good being thick, but not too thick, until the last drop.  It was well-seasoned too without being salty.

Going for another classic, we had the Wonton Noodles.  This was quite good with the wontons being plump and large.  The shrimp filling was meaty and had good brininess and sweetness.  There was enough seasoning and a touch of sesame oil.  Nice firm snap texture from the shrimp that was appealing.  The wonton noodles were bouncy with a nice chew.  The one part that could've been better was the soup as it was not as complex and aromatic as Wonton Hut.

Arriving as a huge pile, the Stir-Fried Vermicelli with minced beef and chives in XO sauce was really good.  Despite being so light and almost fluffy, there was barely any greasiness.  That was the result of good wok hei where things were cooked quickly at high heat.  There was some smokiness and definitely caramelization.  Seasoning was on point with some brininess and spice.  Textures were all there too including the chewy noodles, tender meat and crispy veggies.

We ended up with one more item in the Crispy Deep Fried Tofu Bites.  Another properly executed dish where the silken tofu was deep fried without falling apart (these are rather delicate).  Beyond the appealingly crispy exterior, the inside was classic silky and soft tofu.  There was enough seasoning on the outside in terms of salty pepperiness that we really didn't need to dip it into the side of mayo.  In fact, I'm not sure if the mayo was really needed at all.

Near the end of the trip, we went back to try a few more dishes including the Salted Fish & Chicken Fried Rice.  Once again, it was an enormous portion.  Even though the rice was beautifully wok-fried with a nice nuttiness and slight smokiness, the texture was not as chewy as I would've liked.  Despite that, it was still solid and none too greasy.  One thing that could've been better was the seasoning as the rice was not as salty as we would've expected.

With another rice dish, we had the Roast Pork and BBQ Duck on steamed rice.  Gotta say that the BBQ meats were quite solid.  This was especially true with the Roast Pork as it was the belly and hence was super buttery and tender.  It was well-salted and ate well on its own.  The crackling was crispy and not overly hard.  One of the best versions of this I've had in awhile.  As for the duck, it featured crispy lacquered skin that had fairly well-rendered fat.  The meat was tender and moist.

Our last dish was the classic Sweet and Sour Pork.  The portion size was somewhat normal here, but each chunk of pork was not.  Look at the size of those things!  Also, since this fried from raw, the meat remained moist and tender.  Some places par-fry the meat and the second go around yields something too fried and dry.  The sauce was balanced with equal parts sweet and sour.  Overall, we quite enjoyed the food at Congee Queen.  It came in large portions and was reasonably-priced.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Large portions
- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- Service is hit and miss

Secret Congee

All types of cuisines have their comfort foods.  For many Asian cultures, congee is the ultimate in comforting eats that is often served when someone is not feeling well or want to detox from fatty or fried foods.  It is a humble dish where it is essentially rice cooked down until it becomes a porridge.  Sometimes, in more expensive restaurants, it is elevated beyond the basic nature of its base ingredient.   Now Secret Congee in Seattle is not an expensive restaurant, however, it does reinterprets congee in an accessible manner.

We tried a good part of their menu including their baseline bowl (in my opinion) in the Chicken Congee.  So all of their congee have the same base (made with chicken bone broth) with only the toppings being different.  I have to say the congee was pretty good with a thick viscosity but not that it couldn't be eaten easily.  The seasoning was pretty mild with sweetness and a certain nutty aroma from the rice.  Add in the white pepper and a touch of soy, it was lightly flavorful.  It didn't get watery even until the last drop.  I understand that chicken breast is generally more popular than dark meat, however, I personally would've liked dark meat since it would've been more tender and less dry.

We move onto two seafood congees with the Wild Blue Crab and Wild Halibut.  These were predictably more subtle-tasting with the crab being the more flavorful of the two.  It had a sweet brininess as well as a fluffy texture.  I really liked the crab congee as it also incorporated fried garlic, white pepper and a touch of soy.  This provided just enough seasoning to compliment the ample amount of crab.  For the Halibut, it was maybe needing some more salt as the fish was very mild-tasting.  On that note, I could definitely taste the fish, which was probably what they were getting at.  The addition of fried garlic, wolfberries and the other toppings such as cilantro, ginger and scallions, did make up for the lack of seasoning on the fish.  I think a bit of chili oil would liven this bowl plenty (if you like spice that is).

Staying with the seafood theme, another favorite of mine was the Hokkaido Scallop Congee.  Look at all those large scallops complete with the mantle!  This was full of texture as a result with the buttery sweet scallops offering up some textural contrast with the chewy (in a good way) mantle.  This ensured there was a bite of scallop in each spoonful of congee. For this one, we found fried shallots to go with the ginger, green onion, white pepper and soy sauce.  It was a little more aromatic and sweet.

Hands down, my absolute favorite and probably will order again when I'm visiting Seattle, is the Thai Meatballs Congee.  So far, the chicken and seafood congee were good, but for something with more body and robust flavors, the meatballs did exactly that.  They were juicy and tender with a wealth of natural sweetness and meatiness.  They were also well-seasoned giving off aromatics, saltiness and some pepperiness.  This really kicked the congee up a notch.

But the most flavorful of all was the Spicy Tom Yum Shrimp Congee.  Yah, it still had the same base, but you would never have known it due to the addition of Tom Yum influence with spice, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal.  Add in the shrimp paste and we had some umami brininess.  The shrimp had a meaty snap texture and were naturally sweet and aromatic.  The cilantro blended in with the flavors really well and this one had both fried garlic and shallots.

To add a bit more oomph in some of the more mild congee offerings, you can get a side of Chopped Century Egg.  That made a big difference in the chicken congee with pungency as well as a rich savoriness.  Naturally, you can't have congee without Youtiao (Fried Salty Donut).  This was really good being crispy on the outside while fluffy and chewy with elasticity inside.  Great for dipping into the congee!  To add texture, we also had the Crispy Fried Vermicelli Noodles.  Lastly, we had the Soft-Boiled Egg which was more like an Onsen Egg which provided creamy custardy textures for the congee.  Overall, the congee here at Secret Congee is good and they appeal to a wide audience.  Ingredients are high-quality and they aren't skimpy with the portion-size.  This may not be your traditional congee, but that is not the point here.  I can see why they have a lineup at most times.  I would gladly be part of that lineup.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Not skimpy with the high-quality ingredients
- Congee base has a nice viscosity and flavor
- Accessible for all (no scary ingredients except for the additional preserved egg)

The Bad:
- Small location and it gets busy! Might need to wait for a seat and it will be cramped

A Bao Time

*Restaurant is permanently closed*

I'm sure you have noticed that many restaurants are pretty pricey these days.  Even going for congee and noodles can cost you a pretty penny.  So really, eating out is a luxury, even if it is fast food.  Well, there is a form of fast food that is still quite affordable and tasty.  The stuff from A Bao Time (love the pun...) is definitely affordable for most people and they don't cheap out on the ingredients and the size of their baos.  They are also conveniently located steps from Brighouse station in Richmond.

So let's get straight to the bao where there are 12 different versions to choose from.  We had them all so it would be too many to post all the pictures, but the 3 in this picture were Bolabola Chicken Deluxe, Spicy Crayfish and Spicy Pork with Long Bean.  As you can see in the picture, they were shy with the filling.  The bao itself was fluffy and light while still holding up to the wet ingredients.  In additon to the good BBQ pork bun, my favourite was the Bolabola with a juicy pork, salted egg yolk and sausage.  It was like the Dai Bao at New Town Bakery.  So full of stuff, it was meal in itself.

Beyond the bao, the other prominent items on display are the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumpling) and Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling).  These are ready to go just like the bao.  We sampled both of them and you know what?  These were pretty solid with all things considered.  The ha gau had a semi-thick dumpling skin, but it wasn't too chewy.  Inside, the shrimp filling was decent with a nice shrimpy bounce.  The sui mai were quite good with tender pork and a whole shrimp on top.

Digging deeper into the menu, there was also a selection of Congee.  We went for the Seafood Congee with shrimp, squid and fish.  As for the congee itself, it was on the thinner side, but was properly seasoned.  The amount of seafood was modest, yet it was cooked just enough.  So the congee itself was average, but the Salty Donut was excellent being soft and a bit chewy with a crispy exterior.  It was well-salted and could've been eaten by itself.

We also noticed they had Xiao Long Bao available and of course we had to try those too!  Turns out they were decent as well.  The dumpling skin was fairly thin (despite being stamped and not pleated) where the amount of soup was significant.  It was sweet and not greasy.  Other things on the menu included Cured Sausage, Chinese Tea Egg and Salted Duck Egg.  These items were worth a shot if you wanted to supplement your congee. So there you have it, all the food you can get at A Bao Time!  I think the bao for $2.25 - $2.99 are a good value considering the size and amount of filling.  Definitely a good snack or a meal if you eat a few of them.  One of the last cheap eats we have these days.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Cheap eat
- Bao are big and have lots of filling
- Dim Sum is decent

The Bad:
- Congee is too thin
- Mostly a walk-up spot, parking is not that easy to find  

Congee Noodle House

It has been over 3 years since Congee Noodle House has last been open.  Ordered to shut down due to a partial collapse of their parking lot into an adjacent construction site, we lost a great place to grab quick Chinese eats.  Due to insurance issues and of course the pandemic, it stayed closed, seemingly never to serve their wondering wonton noodles, congee and Chinese BBQ again.  Well, I've been back twice since they returned from the dead.  Oh and by-the-way, I'm using a stock picture of the front since there is Skytrain construction along Broadway.

Let's get to the items that are in the restaurant name first.  I ended up with the Wonton & Siu Gau Noodles instead of just the plain wonton noodles because I wanted more variety.  For those who are unfamiliar, the large wontons here are primarily comprised of shrimp with some binding from shrimp mousse and pork fat.  These had a sweet snap from the shrimp.  As for the Siu Gau, they were larger and added wood ear mushrooms that provided some extra crunch.  The noodles were perfectly prepared having a good chewiness while the broth was mild, yet still had plenty of depth.

Alright, the second item in the restaurant name is congee, so we got the Sliced Fish and Beef Congee.  The viscosity of the congee was on point with a silkiness that was thick, yet was still drinkable.  Properly cooked down, the rice was barely there with only some bits.  The sliced fish was tender and flaky while the sliced beef was marinated enough that it was tender while still retaining a meaty texture.  In terms of seasoning, the congee base was flavourful without being too salty.

So in the Chinese description of these types of restaurants also include "rice", so we got the 3 BBQ Meats on Rice.   This included roast pork, soy chicken and BBQ pork.  The rice was chewy and nutty with a good amount of braising liquid for flavour.  Sporting crunchy crackling and fatty belly, the roast pork was good.  Despite being served the wing, the soy chicken was tender, but it could've been more flavourful.  It was our mistake to not specify that we wanted fatty BBQ pork, so we ended up with lean.  Therefore, it was a little dry.

Since we didn't have the BBQ Duck with the combo plate, we got half a duck to test it out.  It was a good decision since the duck was huge and very meaty.  The breast meat was tender and moist while the rest of the duck was brined well, but not salty.  The skin was still mostly crispy while the fat underneath was fairly well rendered.  This was the best BBQ meat of the 4 we tried.

To compliment the congee, we ordered the Deep Fried Silverfish with Chili Salt.  For those freaking out, no these aren't the little crawly things on your washroom floor.  Rather, they are little fish that are battered and fried until they are super crispy.  Then they are wok-tossed in garlic, chilis and salt.  This particular version was solid with fairly large silverfish that were indeed crunchy and completely seasoned by the ingredients.

For no other reason that we love Sweet & Sour Pork, we got that too.  Despite being a lighter shade of red-orange (not as much food colouring), this was quite good.  The batter was slightly on the thicker side, but was not a huge detriment.  This was because the chunks of pork shoulder were large and also juicy.  There was enough sauce to coat each piece without excess.  I found it sweeter than sour, but still tasty.

Trying to go for the classics, we ordered the Curry Brisket on Rice.  Another solid dish in my books where the large chunks of brisket were tender and only somewhat fatty.  The curry itself was thick and creamy with enough coconut milk for aroma and viscosity.  The peppers and onions were still firm, yet cooked all the way through.  Just like the previous rice dish, the rice was dry enough that it was perfect to go with sauce.

Lastly, we had the House Special Noodles with a bevy of seafood and veggies.  The noodles were crispy and nicely browned from the deep fry in the wok while there was enough starch-thickened sauce to soften it up.  It was flavourful enough, but I personally like to add red vinegar to the mix.  As for the ingredients, they were cooked just right with nothing being overcooked.  Overall, this was exactly what I expected from Congee Noodle House and it was good to visit an old friend who has returned after 3 years.  Prices have gone up but that is normal across the board.  Food is still solid and of course the wonton noodles and congee rock.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Decent service
- It is an institution in Vancouver

The Bad:
- Currently parking is an issue

May Rice Roll & Congee

While I was picking up some takeout at Mr. Pho Do on Hastings near Willingdon, I noticed that May Rice Roll & Congee was finally open.  Formerly Hakkaku Ramen, it was in the process of its conversion when I first spotted it.  Finally, a place where I could get rice noodle rolls without making the trek into Richmond (a dedicated spot for it that is...).  I gathered up the fam including the grandparents to check out this basic-looking restaurant.  The menu is quite focused and simple, but it is no-frills and affordable.

We came here for dinner, so we couldn't take advantage of their congee and rice noodle roll special for $15.95 during breakfast hours.  No matter, we still got a couple bowls including the House Special Congee as well as the Sliced Fish Congee.  In terms of texture and viscosity, the congee was quite good.  The rice had been cooked down enough that the congee was silky and smooth.  It had a good thick consistency down to the last spoonful, yet without being too heavy.  It was lightly seasoned where it wasn't salty.  The fish congee did sport a good amount of flaky pieces of fish.  As for the other one, there was plenty of tender liver and kidney.  I didn't really like the shredded pork though as it was a bit chewy and dry.  As you can see in the background, we also had the Fried Chinese Donut and it was crispy with an airiness.  Great for dipping into the congee.

Onto the Rice Noodle Rolls, we selected the Shrimp & Bay Scallop and also the Beef.  Much like Hei Hei in Richmond, these rice noodle rolls were ribbon-like with ingredients folded in rather than the usual Cantonese Dim Sum version with cannelloni tubes.  Now these were not as good as Hei Hei due to the overall thickness of the rice noodle and the elasticity was muted.  With that being said, the rice noodles were still good being soft and slippery.  I felt there was a lack of ingredients for the scallop & shrimp roll, but they were prepared properly.  There was a decent amount of beef and it was generally tenderized enough.  Some pieces were a bit chewier.

We also got the Beef Brisket Rice Noodle Hot Pot as well for a bit of variety.  This featured rolled rice noodles topped with stewed brisket.  Naturally, the texture for these rice rolls were remarkably different than the ribbon rice noodles.  Since they were tightly wound, the bite was firm and the noodles were more dense.  They were good though being soft and not heavy.  I found the flavour of the brisket (and the braising liquid) to be really tasty where it totally seasoned the rice rolls.  However, the brisket needed to be cooked a bit longer as most pieces were on the chewier side.

You just know that since there was beef tripe on the menu, I would go for the Radish Beef Offal.  This could be had over rice noodles like the aforementioned brisket hot pot as well.  I found this to also be quite good.  Once again, the stewing liquid was flavourful and full of depth.  It wasn't salty though.  The tripe was tender with a bite while the spleen was soft and not melting away.  There was also beef aorta which was on the softer side, but at least it wasn't chewy. The daikon was cooked through, yet still had texture.

Changing it up even more, we had the Spicy Wontons which were more bite-sized than typical wontons.  I thought they were fine with a good rebound texture and juicy filling.  As for the sauce, there was the usual chili oil that offered up some spice, but I also appreciated some numbing from the Szechuan peppercorns.  There was enough savoury elements to balance off the spice.  I would've liked even more heat personally.

Lastly, we had the Stir Fried Soy Sauce Chow Mein which was good.  Unlike many versions, this was not dry and had a decent amount of moisture while not being too greasy.  It was on the saltier side though, but not enough to be an issue.  The noodles still had a good chew while being cooked through.  Overall, the food at May Rice Noodle & Congee was acceptable and moderately-priced.  You can find better in Richmond, but since this is North Burnaby, it does the job.

The Good:
- Nice people
- Moderately-priced
- Decent eats

The Bad:
- Compared to Richmond, it isn't as good, but once again, this is North Burnaby