A dish typically made with a simple mixture of rice and water and boiled until it softens, rice porridge (or congee) is one of the traditional Chinese foods with a history spanning thousands of years. Plain porridge is bland to the taste and is often served with an assortment of side dishes, while porridge cooked with additional ingredients such as meat, fish, and flavorings is served as a meal on its own. Prior to serving, various types of condiments such as white pepper, soy sauce, and sesame oil are sprinkled on top of a bowl of piping-hot porridge to boost its overall taste.

#1 Opera Seafood Noodles & Porridge

Opera Seafood Noodles & Porridge offers something out of the ordinary – salmon porridge. With the sought-after salmon fish as their main ingredient, the menu consists of seven types of porridges you can choose from, which include prawn and tenggiri (mackerel) fish paste. The hearty combination of salmon and porridge make this dish a wholesome, yet delicious meal.
 

#2 Restaurant Teochew Lao Er

Strategically located in the bustling neighborhood between Jalan Brunei and Jalan Pudu, Restaurant Teochew Lao Er is often frequented by patrons for its wholesome lunch sets. The restaurant offers a wide variety of Teochew-style dishes ranging from pork, poultry, seafood, and desserts. Of course, no Teochew cuisine would be complete without mentioning their signature porridge varieties. Not to be missed are their robust Salted Egg with Pork Porridge and their delightful Fish Porridge.

#3 Porridge Stall @ Jalan Ipoh

Jalan Ipoh is home to some of the best Chinese foods you can find. Among them is the famous porridge stall that has been around for decades. The menu is a no-fuss choice of porridge served plain or with pork, fish, and chicken floss. Alternatively, you can opt for all three ingredients together if you are feeling like a glut. A highly recommended side dish is their signature poached chicken which is smooth and succulent and complements the steaming bowl of porridge very well. Do note that the stall also offers a variety of light bites such as fried noodles (mee or mee hoon), century egg, and tong sui dessert.
 

#4 Porridge Time @ Sunway Velocity

Boasting more than 10 varieties of porridges served in a hot clay pot, Porridge Time is renowned for its Farm Frog Porridge, Pork Innards Porridge, and Peanut Porridge with Salted Egg. Despite the above-average pricing, serving sizes are decent enough and full of fresh ingredients. The porridge is cooked to the right consistency that is neither too watery nor too starchy. If the clay pot porridge alone fails to satisfy the hungry beast within, do top up your porridge meal with the addition of century egg, salted egg, crab stick, minced pork, shredded chicken, and fried intestine.

#5 Onn Kee Claypot Seafood Porridge

Another must-visit porridge restaurant within the vicinity of Jalan Imbi, Onn Kee’s porridge is served in a hot clay pot. Every spoonful of porridge is smooth and creamy, while the ingredients – pork, fish, frog, and century egg flavor this simple dish. Fried shallots and crispy yau char kwai (Chinese crullers) are the perfect condiments to complete this savory meal.
 

#6 PJ Old Town Pork Porridge

Gone are the days when porridge was meant to be plain for the sick, as you can now enjoy almost-sinful porridges at PJ Old Town's Selera Jaya 223 today. If you are a pork fan, you cannot give this long-running stall a miss. The pork porridge here has been particularly famous for centuries due to the bountiful amount of pork innards and meat. On top of that, you'll also get a smooth, creamy, and light serving of perfectly cooked porridge, seasoned beautifully with plenty of white pepper and chopped spring onions. There will also be soy sauce on the side, just in case you need them.

#7 Hon Kee Famous Porridge

Believe it or not, this famous porridge stall has been around in Chinatown (better known by locals as Petaling Street) since 1949. Hon Kee has even been featured on television and has received rave reviews from various local newspapers. So, what’s the big deal about this place? It’s their porridge, which is silky smooth and wonderfully dense to the taste. Meat lovers will dash their homemade pork ball and crispy innards porridge. For those not seeking a porky affair, there’s always the signature raw fish porridge and frog porridge. Also available as a side dish to go with your piping-hot porridge, it tastes especially scrumptious as you scald your fish slices in the hot porridge.

#8 Restaurant Geylang Lor 9 @ Jalan Klang Lama

With outlets already spanning various Asian countries from Malaysia to Taiwan, the Singapore-based Geylang Lor 9 (in case you’re wondering, it stands for “Lorong 9”) is famous for its frog porridge. They have three types you can choose from, but if you’re clueless about what to order, do opt for their signature Claypot Kungpo (Dried Chilli) Frog. Served in a hot clay pot, the frog meat is juicy and spicy enough to rock your taste buds. Best of all, the frog legs are freshly prepared upon every order to ensure that they still deliver a kick in your mouth!