Where does the best breakfast?

Apart from your own country, what and where is the best breakfast you have had?

Banana pancakes in Thailand? Hash Browns and sausages in a diner in the US?

For me...nothing tops a veggie roti and mango lassi that is so common in Malaysia, cheap, filling and utterly delicious!

I like Japanese breakfast buffets; you can get them in most hotels in Japan. They have a wide variety of Japanese, Western, and sometimes Chinese foods. I especially like eating smoked fish, miso soup, congee, and fresh fruit at such buffets.

My best overall breakfast experience has to be the time, many years ago, when we stayed in a Balinese bungalow and had all kinds of fresh fruit -- pineapple, mango, rambutans, lychees, star fruit, etc. -- in a picturesque garden. It was ridiculously cheap too.

Istanbul: the plumpest, most ripe olives, the reddest and juiciest tomatoes I've ever had, cheese that melted in my mouth, hard boiled eggs, and the crustiest softest bread. Ohhh I want some right now!

and

Ireland: fried eggs, potatoes of some/any kind, beans, fried tomatoes, bangers, (and the stuff I don't like:) black and white "pudding".

And then Europe for its Muesli. This American misses Muesli!

The best overall breakfasts in the world are found in the pacific northwest USA especially Oregon. The rest of the US would be #2. Outside of the US, hotel breakfast buffets in the farang-centric areas of Thailand are great (Thais can cook anything well), and to a lessor degree the English fry-ups in the UK (sans bangers). The Philippines is OK too. I find Japanese hotel breakfast buffets horrid. I despise congee, and I don't want fish, rice, raw eggs, natto, steamed lotus root, or green salad for brekkie. I survived breakfast for several months total there on miso soup, toast, and scrambled eggs when they had them.

I like the Punjabi dishes that I had tasted while I was in a hotel in Chandigarh. I admit that it was too heavy and my stomach was about to burst but it tasted delicious. The spices that these people use in food smells great. I remember two such dishes that I had tasted and found great. One is chole-bhature and the other one is makke-di-roti with sarso-da-saag(as they call it).

Nothing beats huevos rancheros in Central America... mmmm, lard-base handmade tortillas with over-medium eggs smothered in a rich ranchero sauce with papas and refried beans... YUM. Especially after a night of enjoying cheap beer.

Wow they sound great! Are they available through CA?

Back in the day, we used to hunt dove and quail in California's Imperial Valley. There was a little diner on Highway 111, just south of Niland, called the Highliner. Always stopped in for breakfast.

They served classic American breakfast, eggs, potatoes, biscuits and homemade sausage. Felt like we were eating down on the farm.

I have to second the traditional Irish/English/Scottish breakfast - eggs, bacon, sausage, black pudding, beans, tomatoes, toast...and I'm sure there's some component I'm forgetting!

I forgot to include Mexico. Very good breakfast there. In fact even breakfast at Mexican restaurants in the US is usually a welcome treat.

Most places I've traveled seem to drastically undervalue breakfast. England wins hands down for the complete, filling breakfast that's standard accross the country. Except the cold toast. I'll never understand that.

Ecuador was pretty good, too. But mainly for the fresh juice. None of the solid food stands out as "man that was good breakfast."

The big losers, IMHO, are the Mediterranean countries, where a hardboiled egg and some olives seems to qualify as a meal. Sometimes we couldn't even find anywhere serving food before 11am.

I'd say my favorite is Turkey, where you can get wonderful lentil soup and fresh from the oven bread. I don't know why more places don't do soup for breakfast.

There's also a lot to be said for Amsterdam, where everything tastes good if you prepare by stopping by a coffeeshop en route.

I have to agree with Turkey. I love the olive/cheese/tomato/cucumber/crusty bread thing.

And the juevos rancheros in Mexico too! mmmmmm

Overall, though, I don't do breakfast much while traveling... unless it's free where I'm staying. A little coffee is all I need until lunch time.

Haci Richard wrote:There's also a lot to be said for Amsterdam, where everything tastes good if you prepare by stopping by a coffeeshop en route.

It's always 5 o'clock somewhere.....

lard-base handmade tortillas with over-medium eggs

Experience has taught me that pretty much anything made with lard, ie, Manteca, ie pig fat, tastes great, including:
fish
chicken
french fries
and yes, Huevos Rancheros!!

Why do they use it so much? Practicality plays a large part., Manteca stores easily, and stays fresh in hot climates without refrigeration.

Butter can be stored without refrigeration, but rancid butter is an acquired taste.

I have to agree that the Turkish breakfast is pretty good.

I want to add another contestant, however:

Two scrambled eggs, fresh toast, and Jam with coffee in Darjeeling with a pastry for desert.
PLace: The only sports bar in town.

It is so utterly civilised after months of eating Thali day in and day out!

I also want to nominate the breakfast buffet in doencastle Stayokay, because it gives cold cuts, eggs, orange juice, and cereal in the same buffet. One can stuff ones fact for breakfast, then save some more to make a lunch sandwich.

That was years ago. The offer for free breakfast with ones stay may have expired.

The USA:

Denny's four dollar slam: two eggs, two pancakes, two pieces of bacon, four dollars.

Any Waffle house

Any IHOP

Just make sure to take your diet pills before going to a Waffle house, or your stomach and hips will automatically expand.

For full expansion, go to a Cracker barrel.

Bideshi wrote:It's always 5 o'clock somewhere.....

I think that should be 4:20