Superbowl on Goulburn, Haymarket, Chinatown

EDIT: Superbowl has now been replaced by Super Meal.

Sometimes there are days when you've had enough of rich heavy oily foods and you just want fat-free plain plain plain. That's when congee comes to the rescue.

Non-Asian colleagues don't seem to understand the allure of rice porridge. "Watery rice?", they ask with a nervous tremor. An eyebrow is raised and the question mark hanging in the air says it all. It's a bit like Vegemite though. Once you get the taste, you have it for life. And Vegemite in congee (try it!) is a flavour sensation that combines two favourites in one.


Preserved egg and lean pork congee

We headed to Superbowl Goulburn one day, sister restaurant to Superbowl on Dixon which I blogged about only a week ago. It was funny that there was a recommendation to have the preserved egg and lean pork congee, as that was exactly what I'd ordered before I'd even published that post.

This was in part because I'd been lured by the value-driven offer of the $8.80 set lunch menu, a carb-oholic's dream of cheap rice-based noshing.

In addition to my congee dish, I also received steamed rice noodles with shallots. Who needs to skimp on carbs?


Steamed rice noodle with shallot (scallion)

My lunch companion for the day had the har gow prawn dumplings which were poor imposters for the gems these should be. Oversteamed with excess water, these were swollen, gluggy, sticky beasts that made me weep with grief.


Har gow prawn dumplings

Much better was the hot and sour soup which was filled with mushroom, prawns and fluffy tendrils of beaten egg.


Hot and sour soup

Meanwhile I was busy alternating between mouthfuls of rice noodle (a little soggy but much helped by the sweet salty peanut sauce) and spoonfuls of heartwarming homestyle rice porridge congee.

Within the depths of my congee lake, ribboned with delicate trails of soy, lays treasure: preserved egg, also known as century egg or thousand-year-old egg. This Chinese delicacy traditionally arrives from eggs which are placed in a mixture of clay, ash, lime, straw and salt, and, contrary to their name, this process usually only takes a couple of weeks or months.

A good quality century egg has a white which is a transparent deep caramel colour, the yolk should be grey-green with an intense creamy flavour. The century egg in my congee was so-so, but it was tasty nevertheless.


Century egg

$8.80 Set Lunch from 11am - 5pm

Choose from:

1. Sampan congee with steamed rice noodle with shallot or mixed vegetables
2. Preserved egg and lean pork congee with steamed rice noodle with shallot or mixed vegetables
3. Chicken fillet with Chinese mushroom congee
4. Shredded lettuce and homemade fishball congee
5. Fried handmade noodles Shanghainese-style in XO chilli sauce with steamed vegetables and oyster sauce
6. Fried handmade noodles with shredded pork and pickled cabbage with steamed vegetables and oyster sauce
7. Duo meat ball with rice noodle in soup
8. Wonton with egg noodles in soup

Superbowl on Goulburn Chinese Restaurant
EDIT: Superbowl has now been replaced by Super Meal.
39 Goulburn Street, Haymarket, Chinatown , Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9211 1568

Open 7 days 11am-2am
Licensed, BYO Bottled Wine Only, Corkage $2 Person

Related GrabYourFork posts:
Superbowl Dixon Street, July 2006
Superbowl Dixon Street, November 2004
Superbowl Dixon Street, October 2004