Congee, or juk, reminds Hongkongers of comforting bowls served by their moms when they were sick as kids. The rice porridge, usually savoury, has many iterations throughout Asia. In Hong Kong-style congee’s basic form, the dish can be served plain, or with ingredients like offals and other slow-cooked meats. Ingredients are cooked from raw in a rice porridge until their essence has been drawn into every piece of rice, making a nutrient-rich dish that’s gentle on the stomach.
Restaurants in Hong Kong exist that are dedicated to the homey dish, served alongside side dishes like stir-fried noodles, century egg, and Chinese doughnut sticks (yau za gwai, literally translating to “deep-fried ghost”) — here are our favourite places to eat the best congee in Hong Kong.
What is Congee & Its Health Benefits?
Congee is basically rice porridge, made by simmering rice with a generous amount of water or broth until it reaches a smooth, pudding-like consistency. You can play with the rice-to-water ratio to make a thick and hearty congee, or a light and soupy one. This dish is enjoyed across Asia, especially in China, where it has been a staple for centuries. Hong Kong is no exception – congee is a popular breakfast option, or as a soothing meal for those feeling under the weather.
One of the biggest health benefits of congee is its easy digestibility. During the cooking process, the rice is broken down and eventually becomes gentle on the stomach. Hence, people feed congee to babies, the elderly, and those recovering from illness. In the belief of traditional Chinese medicine, congee is also highly recommended for boosting digestion and strengthening the body’s energy, also known as ‘qi’.
Another great benefit is hydration. Since it has a high water content, it helps hydrate and nourish your body while supporting digestion. You can even have fun and create your own version! Toppings like ginger, scallions, sesame oil, lean pork and eggs add nutritional value and flavour. Make it sweet or savoury – there are tons of recipes online for references.
The Best Places For Congee In Hong Kong
Chung Kee Congee — Multiple locations
One of the greatest things about congee is that it’s among the cheapest filling meals you can have no matter where you are in the city. Whether it’s a financial district or residential neighbourhood, the prices are friendly. This is true for Chung Kee Congee’s nine branches concentrated in Hong Kong, where you need only shell out HK$20 to HK$30 for a hefty bowl of congee. The congee is clearly made with high-quality ingredients, but we especially appreciate the taste and range of their side dishes. Order the rice dumpling (zhong), turnip cake, or Chinese doughnut wrapped in a sheet of rice noodle and topped with a drizzle of soy sauce, called ja leung, for a perfect textural contrast with the porridge. Note that they only accept cash!
Chinese Name: 忠記粥品
Where: 9 locations in Central, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, North Point, Kowloon Bay, Yau Ma Tei, Hung Hom and Ap Lei Chau
Contact: +852 2544 0208 (Central)
Fat Kee Congee Shop — Sham Shui Po, Tai Po & Yuen Long
With locations in Yuen Long, Tai Po, Wan Chai, and Sham Shui Po, Fat Kee Congee Shop caters to the local uncles that want an economical and yummy Hong Kong-style congee, with prices ranging from HK$20 to within HK$50. Served in clay bowls, the congee with pork offal for example is prepared well so there’s no lingering ‘off’ taste that can sometimes accompany offal dishes. On top of Guangdong congee, Fat Kee also serves a selection of other dishes, such as stir-fried beef or steamed yellow chicken with a heap of garlic and scallion oil
Chinese Name: 發記腸粉粥品
Where: 3 locations in Sham Shui Po, Tai Po & Yuen Long
Contact: +852 2474 2201 (Yuen Long), +852 3689 9238 (Sham Shui Po), +852 2981 3538 (Tai Po)
Master Congee — Multiple locations
Master Congee has one of the largest varieties of congees at reasonable prices starting from HK$20, with a full meal of congee and a side dish ringing in at under HK$40. This is another congee restaurant in Hong Kong that serves sampan congee (usually made from pork bones and seafood and served with a sprinkling of fried salted peanuts, coriander, green onion, and ginger slices).
Besides the classic yau za gwai doughnut stick (called youtiao in Putonghua) they also offer ‘beef tongue’ doughnuts (ngau lei sou), slightly sweet, puffy sesame balls (jin dui), and savoury doughnuts (haam jin beng) for the quintessential deep-fried carb pairing. Master Congee’s dishes are packed with deep flavour, but those with MSG sensitivities be warned as some of the congees purportedly contain some MSG.
Chinese Name: 大師傅粥品
Where: Multiple locations across Hong Kong
Contact: +852 5583 1083 (Jordan)
Mui Kee Congee — Mong Kok
Mui Kee started as a small congee stall in Mong Kok manned by just one lady, named Mak Mui, in 1979. Now led by Ms. Mak’s grandson (pictured far left above), it’s made its permanent home on Fa Yuen Street, also known as the home of Ladies’ Market. Only open until 3pm, their congee is unique among congee establishments for its unmatched creaminess and depth of flavour, cooked with fish stock and century eggs which are broken up to imbue their umami essence into the porridge. The signature dish is porridge made with the mouth and fins of fish. The congee shop’s success has led to the opening of a Singapore branch!
Chinese Name: 妹記生滾粥品
Where: Shop 11-12, 3/F, Fa Yuen Street Municipal Services Building, 123A Fa Yuen St, Mong Kok
Contact: Facebook | +852 2789 0198
Sang Kee Congee Shop — Sheung Wan
Sang Kee’s praise has been sung by celebrity guests. However, it shouldn’t be attributed to the congee being a staggeringly shining star among the constellation of congee shops in Hong Kong. It’s really just down to its honest, daily freshly prepared porridge served in generous portions. With a more narrow menu than the usual local congee restaurant (they don’t serve the doughnut sticks ubiquitously served with congee in Hong Kong), the congees ranging from HK$20 to HK$60 are pumped out of the kitchen quickly and with the same high quality every time. Sang Kee’s congee slow-cooked with the ‘leftover’ parts of fish is their signature dish.
Chinese Name: 生記粥品專家
Where: G/F, 7-9 Burd Street, Sheung Wan
Contact: +852 2541 1099
Sun Hing Chang Restaurant — Jordan
If you’re visiting Jordan, head to Sun Hing Chang Restaurant, which has been serving up piping hot bowls of silky congee for over 50 years! Open from 8am till midnight, it’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, or a late-night fix. Freshly made per order, their signature pork liver and fish congee is a must, but the frog congee? Absolute game-changer! The meat is wok-fried with rice wine for that smoky aroma.
Chinese Name: 新興棧食家
Where: G/F, 23 Ning Po Street, Jordan
Contact: +852 2783 8539
Tasty Congee & Noodle Wantun Shop — Multiple locations
Tasty Congee & Wantun Noodle Shop started with a young apprentice named He Zhaohong who established a popular wonton noodle shop in Guangzhou in 1946. After running a streetside noodle stall in Wan Chai for a number of years, his son took over and in 1996 opened the first Tasty Congee & Wantun Noodle Shop, expanding the original menu to include comforting congee and dim sum.
The brand now has eight locations spread all over Hong Kong, as well as branches throughout mainland China and Bangkok. While the relatively higher prices reflect their international status, their small selection of Cantonese congees, including ‘boat congee’ originally made on sampan boats occupied by Canton boat people, are fragrant, with a clean taste and zero greasy mouth feel.
Chinese Name: 正斗粥麵專家
Where: 8 locations in Central, West Kowloon, Tai Koo, Sha Tin, Kowloon Tong, Happy Valley, Tung Chung, Chek Lap Kok
Contact: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Trusty Congee King — Multiple Locations
Trusty Congee King is a celebrated congee restaurant chain, proudly holding a Michelin Bib Gourmand recommendation for 14 years straight. Known for its labour-intensive, freshly-prepared congee, the broth is prepared with various fresh fish, creating a rich, savoury base. Their signature pork liver congee is a local favourite, offering a silky texture and delicate flavour. With 8 locations across Hong Kong, visit the original Wan Chai branch for the best tastes.
Chinese Name: 靠得住粥麵小館
Where: 8 locations in Wan Chai, Tai Koo, Kowloon Bay, Tai Kok Tsui, Wong Tai Sin, Yuen Long and Sha Tin
Contact: Facebook | +852 2882 3268 (Wan Chai)
Header image credits: Richard Yap via Canva
