Sixteen Storey Hong Kee Porridge @ Commonwealth Crescent · Old School Cantonese Congee 鸿记粥

Ben introduced me to Hong Kee Porridge, he said William our mutual friend thinks this porridge stall has the best pork liver - can fight with the legendary Mui Siong of Veerasamy Road 😮

Stall name: Hong Kee Porridge 鸿记

Address: 31 Commonwealth Crescent, stall #02-89, Singapore 149644

Nearest MRT: 10 minutes walk from Commonwealth station

Tel: 9067 5755

Hours: 6:00am - 2:30pm

Hong Kee Porridge is a stalwart at Commonwealth Crescent Market & Food Centre, so the stall has a strong, loyal following.

The Commonwealth Crescent / Close / Link / Drive area is known as Chap Lak Lao 十六楼 or Sixteen Storeys because of the three 16 storey flats Blk 81, Blk 82, and Blk 83 at Commonwealth Close built between 1962 and 1964. These three blocks are historic as they were the first flats sold by HDB under the "Homes for Everyone" programme. The three blocks are still there today. (Image courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.)

Stall owner Mr. Hui, 75 now, has been running Hong Kee for nearly half a century. He has fish, fish head, pork, cuttlefish and century egg porridge.

Ben got us the pork porridge with liver. Yeah..., Cantonese porridge or congee is not a very photogenic dish. Nothing much to see as everything is "inner beauty" 😄

The porridge was thick and all the rice grains inside were almost completely dissolved by long boiling and simmering. Very smooth but neither velvety nor silky - I actually prefer Hong Kee's texture as it felt more interesting. The porridge tasted savoury sweet from sauces, pork, liver, and also the natural taste of rice.

They were generous with lean pork slices which were fresh and naturally sweet.

Ben reminded me not to take too long with photos 😅 (as the medium rare liver slices will become over done from the residual heat of the porridge). The liver slices were cut thinner than at Mui Siong but tasted equally fresh. Soft-tender with a subtle crunch. Nice natural liver taste (that is, if you like the taste of liver like I do 😜 ).

Mui Siong is a noodle stall while Hong Kee is a porridge stall. If we put Hong Kee in a separate category from Mui Siong's extra thick, crunchy, kong tow (voodoo) liver, this would be one of the best liver.

Then, buddy Benny said I need to try Hong Kee's fish belly porridge "哎哟! 真是好嘢! Aiyoh! It's really good stuff!" showing me a big thumbs up.

So, I got no choice but to come back to Commonwealth Crescent again.

Same not so pretty dish. Price $5.50 with egg added.

Same thick, smooth porridge with layers of savoury sweetness.

Hong Kee is generous with big chunks of Song fish belly in the porridge. Benny said that boss Mr Hui goes to Chinatown Complex market every morning to get his fresh Song fish before coming to the stall.

Song fish belly is really for connoisseurs as it is an acquired taste. The soft-tender meat was subtly sweet but the signature earthy taste of Song fish was discernible, especially in the soft fats. (I forgot to get julienned ginger which would fix the earthly taste.)  Song fish is also very bony, so it requires some care in eating. Cannot eat while talking or engrossed on the phone.

Between the connoisseurs' choice Song fish belly and the humble, peoples' pork porridge, I still prefer the latter 🤭

If you like or miss old school Cantonese porridge, come to Hong Kee at Commonwealth Crescent hawker centre.

    

       

                     

             

             

               

               

             

           

           

           

                         

           

             

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            A post shared by Tony Boey Johor Kaki (@johorkaki)          

       

     

            

Written by Tony Boey on 24 Dec 2021