8 Places to Get Really Good Jook

Your don’t need to be under the weather—or chilled by the weather—to savor a good bowl of jook, especially with the countless options in Honolulu. From simmering Chinese congee with pork and century-old egg to a Vietnamese version brimming with beef, herbs and a fried egg, rice porridge sheds its bland reputation with bold options. Here are eight of our faves.

Aloha Manapua

This is our hidden gem of jook. Tucked in Mānoa Marketplace, Island Manapua may be more well known for its dim sum, roast pork and of course, manapua. But they also make a delicious turkey jook ($9.95), which tastes like what your mom makes the day after Thanksgiving, with chunks of roasted turkey.

2752 Woodlawn Drive, (808) 988-5441, alohamanapua.com, @alohamanapua

Golden Duck

Frolic contributor Melissa Chang describes this congee—the pork and preserved egg ($13,99) is her favorite—as “simple, and relatively cheap. And they have the 100-year-old egg (pidan), which I always want in my jook. Whenever I get sick, and if I’m mobile, I go there.”

1221 S. King St., (808) 597-8088, goldenduckchinese.com, @goldenduckchinese

Photo: Diane Seo

Golden Eagle

HONOLULU’s Andrea Lee says the jook here—she gets the pork and century egg too ($14.99)—is savory and smooth, not too thick or watery and with generous portions of meat and egg.

2334 S. King St., (808) 955-5080, goldeneaglehawaii.com, @goldeneaglehonolulu

Ireh

This is our go-to for Korean-style jook ($16.95–$20.95) with lots varieties, including abalone, beef, seafood, chicken, vegetables and more. Ireh has mastered the clean congee category, with mild seasonings that are comforting to the belly. Plus, it comes with kimchee and pickled onions to add both spice and tang.

629 Ke‘eaumoku St., (808) 943-6000, @irehkoreanrestaurant

Photo: Andrea Lee

Kapi‘olani Seafood Restaurant

Mr. Lee—HONOLULU’s Andrea Lee’s father and our resident Chinese food expert—singles out the jook here as “exceptional.” One spoonful of the sliced pork with preserved egg rice porridge ($14.50), and we understand the reason for the rave. It’s the perfect consistency, not too thick or soupy, and the pork and century egg deliver just the right amount of flavor, with no need for extra salt or pepper or soy sauce.

1538 Kapi‘olani Blvd. #107, (808) 946-8688, @kapiolaniseafoodrestaurant

SEE ALSO: Good-Time Dim Sum at Kapi‘olani Seafood Restaurant

Koko Head Café

The breakfast congee here ($19) takes your classic rice porridge and kicks it up much more than a notch with Portuguese sausage, ham, a poached egg, cheddar, scallions and (hello!) cinnamon bacon fat croutons. While that may seem like a meaty mess, the unexpected combination of savory ingredients melds into a breakfast entree worthy of being your repeat order.

1120 12th Ave., (808) 732-8920, kokoheadcafe.com, @kokoheadcafe

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Lam’s Kitchen

We love Lam’s for its beef noodle soup, but it also turns out eight varieties of congee ($8.25–$11.50) that are gingery and thick, made with a hearty beef broth. These include otherwise hard-to-find options like pork liver jook. Always add a youtiao (Chinese donut stick) and chile oil.

1152 Maunakea St., (808) 536-6222, lamskitchenhawaii.com

SEE ALSO: Restaurants We Love: Resonant Stories From the Best Restaurants in Honolulu

Photo: Thomas Obungen

The Pig & the Lady

At the KCC farmers market on Saturday mornings, The Pig & the Lady offers chao, a Vietnamese jook with bits of beef, a mountain of herbs and a fried egg. “It lasts multiple meals or can be shared. They always have broths that are dialed in, and the chao is no exception,” says Frolic’s Thomas Obungen.

KCC Farmers Market, 4303 Diamond Head Road, thepigandthelady.com, @pigandthelady