Secret Congee — Restaurant in Seattle

The secret is out that Secret Congee is the best congee restaurant in Seattle. The new location in Ballard is right along the bay and in a cozy spot alongside the dock. I got the beef and kimchi congee but am excited to come and try all their other congees as well.

Food The beef and kimchi congee was excellent and I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to try Korean flavors in their congee. I’m pretty sure the congee is all the same but has different toppings to create new flavors. The congee was very good and a great consistency. It was not too salty either and you are able to add in soy sauce to your liking. The beef was good and there was a good amount of meat. The kimchi was good as well and not too sour. The Chinese donuts are a perfect side to pair with your congee. Definitely dip it in your congee soup!

Atmosphere The Ballard location is along the water and docks. The inside of the restaurant is very cozy with plenty of natural lighting and can seat about 10 people in total. Otherwise there are some tables outside that could seat about another 10 people. On a summer day, the outside would be very nice! The noise level is not too loud. The seats were not very comfortable but this is a very casual place that I would not sit down and eat for an extended period of time.

Pricing The congee prices were average to slightly above average compared to other places that service congee. The food quality justified the prices and I would happily come again.

Service Service was excellent and I was not expecting so much hospitality. My group of about 10 people sat outside and the staff helped us pull our table together. They brought out all of our food and also brought out extra soy sauce. Staff was very friendly.

Other There is street parking alongside the road as well as a parking lot next to...

have you ever had a meal that felt like home? i had a rather difficult milestone that i threw a party for to celebrate back in february, and to soften the emotional pains that came with the event, i decided to surround myself with only comforts. my friends and family, dopamine dressing in beautiful traditional garments, and of course, the food.

there is a healing power that comes with eating not just deliciously - but well. the warmth that spreads through your body reminds us that we're breathing, growing things; good food reminds us of life. that is what secret congee helped provide for me when they catered my event.

one of the siblings spoke to me through DMs for months, tolerating my annoying check ins and constant worries, always being so generous with their time and patient with me. it felt like speaking with a friend who i knew wanted to take care of me, and every worry i threw at them was always met with kindness. i even got a hot tip for which brand sells the best frozen yaotiao (iykyk) to serve with my bowls! the menu was completely customizable, perfectly packaged and delivered to me directly. their delivery driver was just as kind as the siblings were in making sure my order was everything i wanted.

i think that's actually what the magic of secret congee is. i've never stepped foot in their restaurant, but i've tasted their food and i've spoken to their people, and all of it felt just like home is supposed to feel. all of it was warmth, and signs of life.

sorry there are no pictures of the catering set up! we were all too eager to eat and totally forgot. you wouldn't be able to find what we got on the menu, anyways! but i can guarantee everything they have will be just as good as the menu they helped...

I’d give a 4.5 stars. BTW, currently they share space with the juice bar, and dine-in is in the outdoors space with individual “sheds” with roof overhead - so it’s rain-proof.

Congee is great with good flavor (due to the chicken broth) and good consistency. The menu has a good variety of toppings and congee flavors - I can see the creativity of the owner!! I ordered the Seabass congee, an unusually choice indeed, and the fish was very tasty (in 2 big pieces).

Fired dough（油条）was just okay - you can try if you’ve never had. It’s in small pieces and very crunchy and airy, which seems to be more of a localized preference because a lot of people like crunchiness nowadays? It’s not like the authentic ones I used to have though. A good Chinese You-Tiao, should be just a bit crispy on the outside but more chewy inside thanks to the glutinous dough.

Chili oil tastes like the store-bought 老干妈(Lao Gan Ma) chili oil. So if you really like it, drive to an Asian supermarket and ask for Lao Gan Ma - the one with peanuts. Plus, adding chili oil into congee is not very conventional from my experience, so if you prefer a more balanced and mild flavor like congee is supposed to be IMO, feel free to skip the chili oil. Because everything gravitates toward the chili oil once you add it - especially THIS chili oil.

Ginger and green onions might be too much and overtook the congee a bit, at least from the one I got. Ideally, I’d prefer fewer ginger slices since it’s a strong flavor.

The staff is very nice and kept the wait line calm since it was quite busy during the weekend.

I have been missed having congee for breakfast like when I was little, and it’s a good place for some nostalgia! Especially in a rainy...