Dig into an Asian breakfast, from mapo eggs to kaya toast
Summary
India loves breakfast and with the heat bearing down, it’s time for flavourful, light Asian dishes while dining out
Ours is a nation with a longstanding breakfast culture and if not eating at home, one is never too far from a great local option. With more diners being well-travelled and looking for global dining experiences, the Asian breakfast culture is making in-roads across cities. Bengaluru has Nasi & Mee, Muro Café, Kopitiam Lah and Kampot, among others. Chennai has Zhouyu—A Chinese Kitchen, Mumbai has Mokai and Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport has Shoyu at the domestic departures gate.
“The parallels between Indian and Asian breakfasts are striking—both focus on warm, comforting and carb-rich dishes that pair beautifully with strong beverages. For example, in Teh Tarik and Indian chai, the “pulling" technique and frothy finish are identical. For younger consumers seeking new flavours, Asian breakfasts are both familiar and exciting," says Joonie Tan, team lead, Kopitiam Lah, India’s first Malaysian kopitiam (coffee house), in Bengaluru.
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Nasi & Mee’s flagship outlet on Bengaluru’s Convent Road launched Shiok (Singaporean for excitement) Breakfast Club in February. The ice-blended Milo, a chocolate malt drink, pairs well with Bao Dang, scallion bao pancakes with rendang, a combination resonating with the Indian habit of pairing curries with dosa or roti at breakfast, says Dilip Krishnan, co-founder-CEO of Foodsta Kitchens India, the parent company.
The largely Malaysian and Singaporean breakfast menu also has dishes like kaya (coconut jam) toast, laksa and XO Eggs Benedict. Nasi & Mee began offering seasonal breakfast menus in 2017 at its Koramangala outlet. “This time we are creating a permanent menu with ingredients our customers seek like matcha," says Krishnan. The flavour is also in the Fren-Cha Toast, a pan-fried brioche dipped in a matcha-infused egg and milk mixture, served with a matcha foam and berry compote.
Mokai has a matcha pairing guide that helps guests create flavour experiences. “One popular matcha combination is with kaffir lime avocados. Sliced avocados with cream cheese, topped with an in-house kaffir lime drizzle and sun-dried tomatoes," says founder Karreena Bulchandani. Mokai has traditional dishes like the Japanese chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) and congee (rice porridge), and also offers technique-driven creations like the Miso Eggs Benedict. This is an 82-degree poached egg with an airy miso hollandaise and ginger scallion sauce.
The breakfast menu at Muro Café is a selection of Thai and Cantonese breakfast staples, including dim sums, savoury and sweet baos, khao man gai (Thai chicken rice), Thai-style crab omelette, and pandan custard French toast.
“We stay true to the traditional flavours, but present some dishes in a format that is more familiar and accessible to local tastes. For example, we serve an open Danish with classic toppings like chicken satay and grilled pork neck, and sandwiches feature fillings such as roasted pulled lamb with Massaman sauce," says co-founder Niharika Raval. She says rice-based dishes are already a staple in local breakfast traditions, so it’s not surprising that people enjoy congee or khao man gai.
Chennai, however, surprised Chindi Varadarajulu, managing director, Zhouyu—A Chinese Kitchen in Alwarpet. “People enjoy our Supreme Soy Noodles—two kinds of noodles tossed in dark and light soy, mushroom sauce and green onions for breakfast. To see Chennai devour noodles for breakfast has been reassuring considering the city has taken a while to break its habit of choosing Indian food for breakfast," says Varadarajulu. A classic like chai tow kway (steamed radish stir-fried with eggs and soy) is as popular as Mapo Eggs, a play on mapo tofu—which is like a shakshuka with mapo tofu sauce, vegetables and eggs.
At Kampot, an Asian restaurant with a focus on Cambodian and Vietnamese cuisine in Bengaluru, the breakfast menu was launched last year. “The banh mi and bao are our key breakfast dishes and we have ensured that our Vietnamese and Khmer food are as close to the real deal as possible. We use fish sauce for our meat dishes and have alternatives for dietary restrictions," says Bhuvan Karki, area sales and operations manager.
To make what might be strong flavours more palatable, the restaurants do make adjustments. Mokai uses fish sauce only in dishes that traditionally call for it but tones down the levels in dishes like the nasi goreng to ensure it is not overpowering on the Indian palate. At Kopitiam Lah, the sambal has a touch less of shrimp paste.
Most of these breakfasts are served on weekends, presented as indulgent, linger-with-family-and-friends meals. With more Indian tourists travelling to other Asian countries, the demand for such breakfasts within the country is rising. Tan feels there will be more ingredient-driven innovations to enhance authenticity.
Diners can sit back look forward to more delicious breakfasts coming their way.
Ruth Dsouza Prabhu is a features journalist based in Bengaluru.
