Liwan Sampan Congee 荔湾艇仔粥 - South by Square Eight

MOP 50, approx. US$ 6.21

Like oatmeal to us, congee is a very popular breakfast food in Chinese society.  Being in Macau, I just had to try out the kind of congee that I can't easily find in the USA.  I love congee because it's like savory oatmeal with a variety of protein options. I have many favorites, the Liwan Sampan Congee (a slow cooked thick rice soup, that has shredded meat, fried pork skin, jelly fish and squid, and topped with salty fried or roasted peanuts, crispy Chinese crouton, and a sprinkle of chopped green onions).  This congee was originated from the Liwan District in Guangzhou China many many years ago.   It was prepared and sold by the boat people there. This is how the congee got its name.  This congee was then made very popular in Hong Kong and Macau through migration. Everybody in the two cities are very familiar with it.  I had tried some good ones in Hong Kong from the past when the Chinese BBQ duck was used as the meat.  Different cooks may use different meat, depending on what meat was left over from the other dishes.  But leftover BBQ meat, like roast pork, roast duck or goose are normally used.  

The congee that I ordered at this restaurant used shredded goose, which is why I didn't like it too much. I prefer BBQ duck. I found the meat in this congee not tasty enough, and I'm not sure if the meat was from a BBQ goose or just regular goose meat.   I also found the shredded squid too hard and lacking of the taste of squid.  But the congee was overall thick, creamy,  and it got the right slow cooked texture.  I'm a little disappointed by this congee because it was not nearly as good as the others that I had tried in previous trips.  

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