Teochew porridge for dinner ($10.70)!
Saturday Teochew porridge dinner $10.70. Traditional Teochew rice porridge + multiple side dishes.
Teochew porridge for dinner with BB, $10.70 for the spread. ๐ Simple, comforting, old-school.
What was on the table ($10.70 for two):
- Two bowls of plain Teochew rice porridge (็ณ).
- Stir-fried bittergourd with egg.
- Braised tau pok and vegetables (chye sim) in a light gravy.
- A fried egg / omelette to share.
Teochew porridge (ๆฝฎๅท็ณ) is its own thing, quite different from the smooth, fully broken-down Cantonese congee. Here the rice is barely cooked into a watery porridge, the grains still whole and loose, almost like rice swimming in its own starchy water. Itโs deliberately plain and unseasoned, because the porridge is just the canvas, the flavour comes from the spread of small dishes you eat alongside it.
Thatโs the whole ritual: you spoon up the cool, soothing porridge and pair each mouthful with a bit of something salty or savoury from the sides. The bittergourd with egg brought a gentle bitterness, the braised tau pok and greens a soft, soy-savoury comfort, and the fried egg a homely richness. Itโs the kind of meal that feels like eating at someoneโs home, light on the stomach and easy to keep going.
At $10.70 for two with a few dishes, it was honest, comforting value, exactly what you want on a quiet evening.
Overall: 4.6 / 5. ๐๐๐ผ Clean, soothing Teochew porridge with tasty homely sides, simple comfort food done right. Would re-visit.
