Maya Congee Cafe
Cafe · Bedford-Stuyvesant ·
Asian grocery, cafe, and restaurant specializing in congee
Asian grocery, cafe, and restaurant specializing in congee
"Maya Congee Cafe offers playful interpretations of congee inside a colorful general store that highlights a variety of Asian pantry staples that are otherwise hard to find in the neighborhood. The menu features generous bowls of congee made from a mixture of jasmine rice, brown rice, and quinoa. Several vegetarian congees are available, including one made with peanuts and sambal." - Eater Staff
"In 2017, Layla Chen took over the sandwich shop Bed-Stuy Provisions and slowly transformed it into Maya Congee Café (563 Gates Ave.), named for her now five-year-old daughter." - Hannah Goldfield
"When Layla Chen took over a storefront on Bed-Stuy’s Gates Avenue in 2017 she initially kept the Bed-Stuy Provisions name and its farm-to-table sandwiches, then a year later transitioned the space into Maya Congee Cafe to focus on modern interpretations of congee. Influenced by growing up in Guangzhou and time in Hawaii, she stocks provisions like chile oil and Maggi alongside menu items built on a congee base of mostly white rice with quinoa and brown rice; offerings include braised chicken congee with shaved broccoli and seasonal vegetables, a vegan congee with salted peanuts, sambal and shaved broccoli, and a pork congee with ginger, garlic and jalapeños. Bowls are meant to be highly customizable with add-ons such as eggs, avocado or whitefish, and a preserved duck egg cured in lime and ash has become a signature. The cafe also serves sandwiches and morning coffee and pastries, doubles as a general store selling AAPI-made pantry staples (Omsom, Fly By Jing), Variety coffee and Koda Farms rice flour, was well-equipped for delivery during the pandemic, and currently operates for to-go and outdoor seating only; Chen weathered early criticism from some Asian customers about “whitewashing” traditional congee but has stayed true to the food she grew up with as a first-generation Chinese American." - Emma Orlow
"Part-general store, part-cafe, this colorful Bed-Stuy business is one of our all-time favorites in the neighborhood. Owner Layla Chen puts her own spin on the breakfast staple with a congee made with quinoa and jasmine rice. The Wake Me Up version — with pork, avocado, and cheese — will motivate you to get out of bed even on the hardest mornings." - Emma Orlow
"I love this part-general-store, part-cafe in Bed-Stuy that specializes in congee; the protein-packed “Wake Me Up” congee ($10.50) came with spicy pork, avocado, smoked cheese, and a jammy egg. Owner Layla Chen’s menu (consulted on by Matthew Tilden) uses a blend of jasmine and brown rices with quinoa and dates, making the bowl incredibly filling and usually leaving me with leftovers to snack on later." - Eater Staff
