A Michelin-recognized Hong Kong congee chain is opening its first Canadian location at Richmond’s Aberdeen Centre.
Noms community member (Jes) spotted signage for Trusty Congee King, known in Chinese as 靠得住 粥麵小館, up on the mall’s third floor.
It covers the unit Man Ri Sung left in June, when the Korean restaurant closed its upstairs dining room after 10 years and moved down to the food court.
If you’re into a proper bowl of Cantonese fish congee, this is the one to keep an eye on.
In Hong Kong, the name carries weight.
The original shop opened in Wan Chai in 2000, and the whole thing is built on one idea: congee cooked in fresh fish broth.
According to a Michelin Guide feature, the broth is made with five to six kinds of fish, then whole rice grains go in and cook for a full four hours
The signature here is the Heart and Liver Treasure Congee (心肝寶貝粥), a fish congee with Hokkaido sashimi-grade scallops and pork liver.
Michelin recommended it every year from 2011, and in 2018 it became the first congee restaurant named to the Bib Gourmand list for Hong Kong and Macau.
The Bib Gourmand is Michelin’s nod to good cooking at a fair price, and no congee shop had landed one before.
The brand later joined Hong Kong’s Tai Hing restaurant group, which now lists 13 Trusty Congee King locations across the city.
Only the Wan Chai original holds the Bib Gourmand, so the Michelin credit belongs to the founding shop rather than every branch.
Richmond will be the brand’s first location in Canada.
Who is running it, and whether it’s the group itself, hasn’t been announced.
The signage shows what’s coming: congee topped with green onion, wonton noodles with broth poured from a teapot, and claypot rice with Chinese sausage.
Aberdeen Centre has turned over on almost every floor this year.
LUCA left the food court in August and was replaced by El Comal Express, Chef Hung left the mall after a decade and Taoke moved in with its Taiwanese cuisine.
Meanwhile on the first floor, Hazukido Cafe Plus shut down and is in progress of being taken over by a new pho restaurant.
A Hong Kong name with a Michelin story is a different kind of arrival for the third floor, which has mostly been losing tenants.
Trusty Congee King joins other upcoming Richmond spots like Lai San Wan Noodles, Sangoku and Kano Sushi Market.
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.
Address: Aberdeen Centre, 3rd Floor, 4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond, BC
Google decides which local food news you see. Tell it you want Noms
One tap adds Noms Magazine as a preferred source. No signup, no email.