Secret Congee in Wallingford

Secret Congee

Recommended by: On one of our trips to pick up from Dumpling The Noodle, we noticed around the corner a group of people standing out in the rain. We assumed that if people were willing to stand out in the rain for something it must be good. We did some research and figured out people were getting congee.

Description on the Secret Congee’s website: Secret Congee is a congee specialist shop located in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle. Our congee is authentically influenced by the South East Asia style of cooking.

Neighborhood/Type:  Wallingford

Address: 4405 Wallingford Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103

What we ate/drank:  Garlic Blue Crab Congee – 3 ounces of blue crab lump meat. Fried garlic. Jasmine rice cooked in chicken bone broth. Chopped ginger and scallion. Pepper. Soy sauce -$16. Tom Yum Shrimp Congee – Colossal shrimps. Fried garlic. Jasmine rice cooked in chicken bone broth. Chopped cilantro and scallion. Pepper. Tom Yum sauce -$14.00. Slow-Cooked Beef & Kimchi Congee – Slow-cooked prime brisket. Jasmine rice cooked in chicken bone broth. Young’s Kimchi. Chopped scallion. Pepper. Sesame oil -$14.00

Comments:   I give credit to any restaurant that decides to open during the pandemic. Secret Congee, which opened in October,  is actually located in Juisala, which is a vegan smoothie and juice bar. It’s located right off the busy corner of N 45th St & Wallingford Ave and is a take-out only operation.

Congee is a thick rice porridge that’s found throughout Asia. It’s Asia’s version of what chicken soup is to Americans. It’s a meal often given when people are ill.  The rice porridge is often served with different types of toppings depending on what country your in.  And as far as I know Secret Congee is the only place in Seattle that really focuses on congee as the main dish.

Before diving into each individual dish, what we enjoyed most about the congee, is that the flavor is not reliant on the toppings. The toppings add to it.  If you eat the congee all on it’s own without the toppings, it’s still a very flavorful dish, but the toppings definitely take it to another level. Even though it’s take-out, the presentation is still very good and the congee was delivered piping hot.

It also mentions on Secret Congee’s website that “in an effort to help with sustainability, we use organic meats and sustainable seafood in all of our congee choices.” if that matters to you.

My favorite is the Beef & Kimchi Congee. The beef is perfectly seasoned and paired with the kimchi and congee provides the perfect “slurp”.  Savory, a bit spicy and warm.

My wife’s favorite is the Tom Yum Shrimp Congee. We weren’t sure what to expect mixing Tom Yum’s sourness with congee, but it really works. What we really loved is the size and quantity of the shrimp . There were 5 huge pieces of jumbo shrimp that we were not expecting.

The Garlic Blue Crab Congee was no slouch either. Like the shrimp, we were shocked by the amount and size of the crab toppings. The fried garlic and ginger were perfect compliments(again) to each other and the congee. A really good combination of flavors.

You can also add in for $1 a soft boiled egg or a century egg. The other side you can get is Youtiao Crispy Fried Dough which is great for dipping in the congee.

We’re not gonna lie, the price is a bit on the high side for the quantity, but trust us, the topping quality and the amount of toppings(especially the crab and shrimp) along with the deliciousness make it worth it in our minds.

Secret Congee is only open from Wednesday – Sunday in between 11AM – 3PM, so if you are ordering for dinner, you’d better plan ahead.

We ordered from Secret Congee right around the time of the February 2021 snow storm in Seattle and this was the perfect cold weather comfort meal to get us warmed up. Quality ingredients and ample amounts of toppings. The other thing about congee as a hot comfort food it keeps better for take-out/delivery better than some of our other comfort foods like pho or ramen.

Ratings:

Atmosphere: N/A  Take Out only

Service: 4.50

Food/Drinks: 4.75

Bang for the Buck: 4.50

Overall: 4.60

Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.

• • Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
  • Most locals know about it
  • Locals “in the know” know about it
  • Only those who live close by know about it.
  • You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!

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