Tiong Shian Porridge

This old-looking coffeeshop store has many varieties of Cantonese-style porridge. It offers more than 10 choices such as Century Egg, Claypot Frog legs, Raw Fish, Minced Pork, Chicken, Mixed Pork and etc. Whatever you can think of, I am sure you can find it here. This shop has been around for ages and it has a huge loyal group of customers. Besides the open air seating on level 1, you can go to level2 for the comfort of air-con.

I have been here several times. Previous visits have been good. However, today, this visit to here proves to be a disappointment. I am talking about the food quality rather than the service. Cantonese porridge is meant to be thick which we don’t really get to see the rice grains. I remember my first visit here; the porridge is thick and smooth. However, the porridge that I get today is slightly watery. It is becoming like Teochew porridge. Fortunately, the ingredients used in the porridge are fine.

For ordering here, you need to order, pay and mention the table number at the cashier. Once done, you just need to wait at your table waiting to be served. However, be prepared to wait (maybe 20mins) especially during peak hours.

The Century Egg is shredded and you can actually taste the creamy texture of the egg. The pork meat that comes with it is well-marinated.

For those who like mixed pork porridge which includes the pork intestines and liver, you have to try this. The ingredient comes in chucks and reasonable portion. It is crunchy and tasty. It is certainly a heaven for those who tried it.

The raw fish is a MUST if you are a fish-lover. It is served with ginger, fried shallots, spring onions, sliced Chilli and some lettuce. You just need to squeeze the lime juice, spread over the fish and mix them up. You can either eat it on its own or add as a compliment to the porridge.

Next, the Braised Bean Curd ($2.60) is a MUST as well. It is soft and silky on the inside, but the skin is crunchy on the outside. This bean curd is quite different from what we eat normally. The gravy that served with it has a nice herbal taste unlike the normal dark soya sauce.

The final item is the Claypot Frog Legs. Two frog legs cost $16. In the past, I don’t really dare to eat Frog legs because of its look. But my wife keeps insisting me to try it. After a few attempts blind-folded (just kidding), I slowly started to accept it. Frog Legs tasted similar to Chicken meat, but much tender. The Claypot is served with right amount of dried Chilli. You can simply add the dark gravy from the Claypot to the plain porridge and finish on its own without the frog leg meat.

To conclude, the standard of the porridge has dropped a lot since my last visit here. It is quite disappointing. Nevertheless, the ingredients are still accepted. Maybe, it will take me a while before I visit here again.

Location
Tiong Shian Porridge 長城粥品
265 New Bridge Road (Ann Kway Building)

Opening hours
Daily: 24hours
Tel: 6221 1596