Mui Kee Congee with Fish

We’d already enjoyed congee three days out of four, which would more than fulfill my yearly quota for rice porridge in Los Angeles, when when in Hong Kong, congee is king for breakfast, and we had a hot tip on a place in nearby Mong Kok, which came from @little_meg_siu_meg. When you’re in Hong Kong and Meg makes a recommendation, listen closely. The frequent OpenRice reviewer and prolific Instagrammer clearly knows her food, and she suggested the fish congee inside Fa Yuen Street Market, at Mui Kee Congee.

We took a cab to the market, grabbed an elevator to the fourth floor and a security guard instructed us to take some stairs down to the third floor, which led us to a hidden-in-plain-sight food stall and Stall 12, home to Mui Kee Congee. [Yes, there’s a more direct escalator route.] The owners sell springy Steamed Rice Rolls and crispy Fire Bread (aka fried dough sticks), but the main event is Congee with Grass Fish ($40HK), featuring supple white carp slices with red rims luxuriating in warm, silky rice porridge. The fish contains bones, so be careful not to puncture your cheek. If you’re out for offal, know that Mui Kee doesn’t list cuts like skin, fin and head meat on the menu, but they usually have a limited amount on hand, so be sure to request some. Yes, these parts up the bone quotient, but also increase the fun factor.

Address: Shop11-12,4/F, Fa Yuen St Market, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

Phone: +852 2789 0198