Congee Town on Urbanspoon
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After spending a good few days in New York; my low-carb diet went out the  window.  Running around, enjoying cheap thrills and eating burgers, cakes and  coffee have left me feeling guilty.  I did find a couple of nice cafes/restaurants but now that I'm back, it's time to go back to basics. 

Asians eat congee when feeling cold, blue or under the  weather.  It's warm and soupy texture makes it perfect for colder days and is truly enjoyed year-round (except when I'm in Hong Kong on a typical hot, muggy summer day).  I guess it is sort of like western porridge or oatmeal though it's just for breakfast.  Congee can be had any time of day.  I like it best on cold winter afternoons or late-night  snacks. 

But here is yet another difference I share with my sister  (I'm thinking paricularly of Bamboo Girl #2 here); I find it interesting where I would gravitate to congee as comfort food and she would probably choose chicken noodle soup.  One late night, she called for late night snack suggestions and I immediately thought of congee, rice rolls, wonton noodles and the likes.  She came back with McDonalds; not to say I didn't mind munching on a few french fries but it left me thoughtful about food choices and how it is a reflection of our characters.  I'd say my family is quite muliculturally diverse when it comes to food. 

But about Congeetown in Scarborough; now this is my kind of place.  For less than $5 you get a huge bowl of congee, enough to feed 2-3 people depending on what other dishes are ordered.  I had one of the most typical version of congee today, Lai Wan congee.  It's a mixture of squid, pig's skin, shredded lettuce, a bit of meat and topped with spring onion and a bit of roasted peanuts. 

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Oops, I started eating before remembering to snap a pic of it. The peanuts and everything got pushed to the bottom. $4.25
Now I know I talked about cleasing the palette with a simple rice congee...But seriously, one cannot have congee without something crispy to go with it.  Usually, I go for the deep-fried doughsticks, or sweet cruller.  But today, Rice-noodle covered doughsticks and minced beef caught my eyes. 
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Fried-Doughsticks and beef in a rice roll. $3.95
The minced beef tender and flavourful but the fried dough could have been a bit crispier.  It came sprinkled with toasted sesame and small dishes of soy sauce, sesame sauce and sweet sauce.  Although it was interesting and tasty, I think I prefer having it separately...Rice Rolls with Fried-Doughsticks and Rice Rolls with Beef. 



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