Xin Mei Congee: Maintaining 20 years of tradition serving up creamy Cantonese congee from just $4.50
Personal take: I’ve always thought of congee as sick people’s food; please don’t flame me internet. To me, it’s just not something I crave except when I’m feeling extremely under the weather.
I was intrigued, however, when I was reading up on Xin Mei Congee in a recent article. Currently helmed by an ex-Lazada staff (we stan a corporate girlie!) who took over her parents’ congee stall after it almost shut down during the pandemic, it now has 3 outlets – 2 in Ang Mo Kio and 1 at Old Airport Road – all of which are thriving pretty well today!
The stall, boasting a history spanning 2 decades, serves creamy Cantonese congee with toppings like century egg, fish, and pork among other items. Again, while I’m not usually a congee person, I’m the type who likes to see if traditions and standards are maintained after a long period of operation or when management changes. This is why I made this spot my next place to visit.
What I tried at Xin Mei Congee
Eating for one once again, I decided to go for a classic combination: Meatball and Century Egg Congee (S$4.50). The first thing to note is that the congee does take quite a while to cool down. Mine took almost 20 minutes to reach an edible temperature without the fear of burning my tongue – which I’ve done quite a few times initially. But once I took my first mouthful, it was absolutely worth the wait.
The reason I’ve associated congee with ‘sick people food’ is mainly due to it being bland in taste and easy on the stomach. I’m happy to report that this particular bowl was anything but that. It was seasoned perfectly with a robust flavour profile from the stocks used. Texture-wise, it was incredibly smooth and velvety, to the point where I could easily slurp the whole bowl down.
There were liberal amounts of century egg, which added a nice salty, umami flavour profile to the congee. However, I feel that they could’ve been a tad bit more generous with the meatballs as I counted only 3 in my entire bowl – though they were incredibly soft, tender, and flavourful, packing a punch in every bite. Of course, the freshly fried you tiao peppered generously on top just tied everything together perfectly.
Apart from the congee, I decided to try their Fried Tofu (S$5.50). I’m personally a huge lover of tofu despite controversial comments online calling it bland (to that I say, you’re bland). Here, silken tofu is deep-fried and plated with a generous drizzle of sweet Thai chilli sauce, topped with crushed peanuts and thinly sliced cucumbers and carrots.
This dish, although a side, deserved to be a main on its own, in my opinion. The tofu was nice and crisp on the outside while still soft and luscious on the inside. The sauce was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy, while the crushed peanuts and vegetables added a fun bonus crunch and rounded out the whole dish.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Xin Mei Congee was a winner in my eyes – keeping traditions and standards alive after decades is no easy feat. While I may not have tried their food in previous years, I can imagine how good it would’ve been then. It’s definitely changed my perception of congee, making it something I’d eat more regularly in the future, regardless of my physical state of health.
Expected damage: S$10 – S$15 per pax
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