Nothing against omelets, yogurt or a classic bodega sandwich, but they’re not the only ways to start your day.
Just look at other countries’ morning meals: In Korea, for example, brunch might mean a soothing bowl of broth, whereas in Israel, the first salad of the day hits the table at breakfast, not lunch. India serves up spicy curries as a sort of sensory alarm clock, while Italy brings its hallmark sense of la dolce vita to otherwise ho-hum scrambled eggs and pancakes.
Get a taste of breakfast from far-flung places at these new New York eateries — then try chefs’ tips for using global flavors and techniques to jazz up your own homemade breakfasts.
Get souped up Annie Wermiel/NY Post
Americans start their days with hot coffee, but in Korea, there’s something else warm and comforting on the breakfast table: soup. “Our food is healing food,” says Mihyun Han, owner and chef of Korean restaurant Hwaban — which is why Korean “hangover soups” dominate the weekend brunch menu at the Flatiron District restaurant. The good news: You don’t need to be having a rough morning to enjoy Hwaban’s kimchi-and-bean-sprout elixir with scallions and an egg ($18) — nor the flavorful, mostly veggie-forward side dishes, called banchan, that are also hallmarks of Korean cuisine. Hwaban, 55 W. 19th St.; Hwaban.com, 917-261-2020
Try it at home: Consider starting your day with a nourishing broth — and stirring in veggies, such as fiber-filled leafy greens or antioxidant-rich bell peppers or carrots, for a health boost. Han, for example, puts bean sprouts in her hangover soup because they “help the liver break down alcohol.”
Don’t settle for basic Tamara Beckwith/NY Post
“Italian breakfasts tend to be short and sweet,” says Massimiliano Eandi, chef of Hotel Hugo’s new restaurant, Mav Soho. But — as with most things Italian — they’re luxurious, too. Eandi’s multigrain “pantortas” ($16), served daily starting at 7 a.m., are the perfect example. Unlike roadside diner pancakes, these thin, small griddle cakes are topped not with sugary syrup, but savory indulgences: prosciutto and burrata. “The sweetness of the burrata is balanced by the saltiness of the prosciutto for the perfect bite,” says the chef, who similarly upgrades his scrambled eggs with a truffle-infused cheese ($18). 525 Greenwich St.; MavSoho.com, 212-608-4848
Try it at home: Turn breakfast into something you look forward to by investing in a fancy ingredient: think cocoa nibs for your yogurt, goat cheese crumbles for your eggs or apricot compote for your toast.
Veg out Zandy Mangold
A proper Israeli breakfast “has to have a nice, fresh vegetable side salad,” says Eldar Hadad, general manager at 12 Chairs Cafe, which has locations in Williamsburg and the West Village. She recommends the eatery’s traditional Israeli breakfast ($17.50), which includes a picnic-like spread of eggs, dips, bread, cheese, coffee, juice and, yes, chopped salads made with cucumbers and tomatoes. 342 Wythe Ave., Brooklyn, and 56 Macdougal St.; 12ChairsCafe.com, 347-227-7077
Try it at home: Knock your daily dose of veggies out of the way early with a side salad. Go full-on Israeli by mixing chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, onions and parsley in olive oil and lemon juice — or simply toss together your go-to lunch salad a few hours early.
Try tricked-out tartine
“Typically, breakfast in France was a baguette with butter and jam and that’s it,” says chef Sylvain Aubry of Williamsburg French bistro La Cafette. “But in Paris, brunch is getting really trendy.” La Cafette’s brunch table includes savory baked egg casserole ($13), tartine with smoked salmon ($17), brioche French toast ($14) and, if you brought your squad, an entire rotisserie chicken (priced daily), which is customary for a Sunday meal in France. Aubry recommends washing it all down with a cleansing Bloody Mary ($12), made with the restaurant’s house-made beet horseradish. 103 Havemeyer St., Brooklyn; LaCafetteBrooklyn.com, 347- 529-4060
Try it at home: Turn your almond-butter toast into something special, by loading it up with tartine-esque toppings: cinnamon, fresh fruit, even some chocolate shavings.
Spice it up Lizzy Snaps Sullivan
Breakfast in India is “about having a bunch of different, really flavorful components in a whole spread,” says Jai Lakhwani, chef de cuisine at the Bombay Bread Bar. So for their weekend brunch, the Soho restaurant serves up variety in its tiffins, the stackable round metal containers typically used as lunch vessels in certain parts of India. Each tiffin order (from $48) serves two to three people; dishes include samosas with chickpea chaat and semolina polenta with veggies in a crepe-like Uthappam. 195 Spring St.; TheBombayBreadBar.com, 212-235-1098
Try it at home: Prevent breakfast boredom by dressing up your go-to morning eats with strong Indian flavors. Try stirring classic curry spices, such as turmeric or cumin, into scrambled eggs. Or take a cue from the Indian dipping sauce raita: Dress up your Greek yogurt with chopped cucumber, cilantro and a drizzle of olive oil.
Taste the tropics Zandy Mangold
“Nobody else eats plantains for breakfast — only in Cuba,” says Pilar Cuban Eatery’s chef and owner, Ricardo Barreras. While that’s not quite true — you’ll also find plantains on the morning menu in other Latin American countries — Barreras gives them pride of place. At his new Bed-Stuy eatery, he serves Cuban eats — café con leche, buttered Cuban toast and chorizo-packed sandwiches — with a side of the sweet tropical starch sliced thin and served crispy. 397 Greene Ave., Brooklyn; PilarNY.com, 718-623-2822
Try it at home: Swap out your usual white-potato hash browns for a hash made from plantains, sweet potatoes or even parsnips.
Swap sweet with savory Lizzy Snaps Sullivan
Typically, breakfast-only restaurants in Taiwan “open at 3 a.m.,” says 886 chef and owner Eric Sze. “You can either go really early in the morning, or after a night of drinking, like you would with IHOP.” At his East Village restaurant, the brunch hour starts a bit later — at noon on Saturdays and Sundays — but traditional Taiwanese specialties still steal the show. The one that’s nearest and dearest to Sze is the thick soy milk soup ($6), made with dried shrimp, vinegar and crispy fried dough. “It’s a taste of our childhood,” says Sze, who says that it’s a mainstay for early risers and recovering partiers alike. 26 St. Marks Place; EightEightSixNYC.com, 646-882-0231
Try it at home: Take inspiration from Taiwan’s classic soy porridge and try savory oatmeal toppings — such as a runny egg, mushrooms and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese — rather than sweet ones.
Do the salsa
At sunny Greenpoint Mexican spot Oxomoco, breakfast comes with a kick: chilaquiles ($17), doused in both hot sauce and salsa verde, topped with crema, cotija cheese and an egg, for good measure. “It’s nice to have a bit of spice in the morning,” executive chef Justin Bazdarich says. “It’s another way to wake up and get your brain moving.” He recommends coming with a couple hungry friends to get a table of their savory-sweet concha breakfast sandwich ($18): green chorizo, fried egg and cheese nestled into sweet bread, a morning specialty at Mexican bakeries. 128 Greenpoint Ave., Brooklyn; OxomocoNYC.com, 646-688-4180
Try it at home: Liven up your morning — and add extra veggies — by adding tomato-heavy salsa and avocado to your eggs.
