Congee – also called jook in Cantonese – embodies versatility.
This “rice porridge” is, essentially, a gruel in which the rice is partially disintegrated from long cooking. Congee is eaten at any meal of the day. It might be dressed up with fancy ingredients – sweet pork floss, for example, or purple yams or barbecued duck – or kept simple with just chicken broth. At breakfast, congee is perfect for dunking golden Chinese cruller donuts (you tiao).
Being easy to digest, congee is often served to the sick. Not surprisingly, it’s also a reliable hangover remedy. Congee is a staple in Hong Kong and has also spread to other Asian countries, such as Thailand, Indonesia and India.
Here are five popular spots for congee in Houston’s Asiatown. (Want to make it yourself? Vice has a hearty recipe for crab congee. Or, try this version using black rice.)
Where to eat congee:
HONG KONG FOOD STREET, 9750 Bellaire Blvd. #100
HOUSE OF BOWLS, 6650 Corporate Dr.
HONG KONG CAFE, 9108 Bellaire Blvd. #A
TAN TAN, 8066 Westheimer
SHANGHAI RESTAURANT, 9116 Bellaire Blvd., #B