Around the world in eight breakfasts
Arabic
Layali Zaman: This is essentially a shisha café, so the service may err on the relaxed side. The waiters laugh heartily with regulars while sweet smoke wafts across the room. The Oriental breakfast is a toothsome mix of foul (a tasty, beany spread), labneh, two boiled eggs, bitter olives and flatbread. Try washing this down with an Egyptian tea of fenugreek, a floury warm concoction rather like a sour Ovaltine. Alternatively, just grab a Turkish coffee, some shisha and wile the morning away.
For those who don’t want their morning to end
Egyptian
Abu Shakra: ‘Do you serve Arabic breakfasts?’ we ask. ‘We serve Egyptian breakfast,’ comes the hot retort. Inside, queues of labourers and cab drivers grab an early morning take away. Meanwhile, we shuffle through the crowd to sit in the fresh, cool restaurant. Foul and falafel are staple breakfasts at dirt cheap prices. It’s a good deal, too. Just sit back and wonder if Tutankhamun’s coffee ever tasted this good.
For those who want to work like an Egyptian
Filipino
Oriental Korner: ‘Tapsilog? Where did you here of that?’ the waitress demands, as if we’ve uncovered the Filipino secret to ultimate happiness. In reality, it is a dish with all the polite decorum of a kick to the face. Forget croissants and tea, tapsilog is a greasy, force-10 occupation of the lower intestine. A fried egg accompanies sugar-sweet, deep-fried strips of beef and a mountain of stodgy fried rice. The habitual banana sauce ups the tooth-rot factor to new heights, but essentially it is a Filipino translation of the good old British fry-up, and just as enjoyable. Just don’t expect to live much past 30 if you make it your morning ritual.
For those who think hardened arteries happen to other people
French
La Brioche: We like the Khalifa Street branch – a fine people-watching spot – but in fairness, La Brioche is more Franglais than French. The presence of a tasty full-English on the menu bears testament to that – there isn’t even any French bread. The petit déjeuner is worth a punt, though, even if our chocolate and pistachio Danish arrives microwave warm. Still, add to that decent coffees, a good 70 per cent hot chocolate and some juicy omelettes, and you’re set for the day. While La Brioche might not be the full Sarkozy, it’s a decent Clouseau.
For those who believe Peter Sellers was actually French
Indian
Chettindad: Set in a grungy downtown neighborhood populated largely by stray cats and tat merchants, it’s a relief to step inside Chettindad and find it clean and air-conditioned. The restaurant is quiet in the morning, except for a radio broadcasting prayers and a handful of diners slurping cups of chai tea. There are a few breakfast offerings, but most diners opt for the dosas, paper-thin crêpes usually stuffed with curried potatoes, dusted with chilli powder and smeared with ghee. On the side are a few chutneys for dipping and a dish of sambar, a thin, watery concoction of lentils. It’s hearty fare, but maybe not for a delicate stomach.
For those who want to begin the day fanning their lips and slurping water
Pakistani
Karachi City Restaurant: There’s no shortage of decrepit cafés in Abu Dhabi, but the KC is cheap, clean, cheery and the grub is tasty. Huge discs of chewy flatbread are used to scoop up mild chickpea curry and keema, ground mutton in a thin red sauce flavored with garlic, onion and a touch of chilli. The bread in particular is delicious, if greasy. It’s crisp on the outside but with a soft and chewy centre. Wash this down with a cup of milky chai tea and try to ignore the stares of other diners. Non-regulars are a novelty here and are usually escorted upstairs, where those over 5 ft 8 in will feel like they’re taking breakfast in Lilliput thanks to a peculiarly low ceiling.
For those who appreciate curry at 5am in the morning
Romanian
Transilvania: Don’t expect to be battling the crowds at Transilvania. Romanian breakfasts are clearly as popular here as Vlad the Impaler at a blood drive, so at least the newbie stare factor is low. Inside, the decor is neat, if a little dark, and the atmosphere laid back. A starter of toasted bread with melted cheese, olives and tomato whets the appetite, but cold cuts are the order of the day, served with salami, mushy eggplant, a light salad and cheese saltier than a sailor’s vocabulary. Certainly the cascaval (a briny Romanian sheep’s milk cheese) is a shock to the system, but it is filling and not a bad way to start the day.
For those who fear daylight and a salt shortage
Swedish
IKEA Restaurant: A sudden willingness to abandon all hope is the only reason to ever enter the IKEA canteen. It is a grim affair, with limp, cling-wrapped dishes peering out from behind (one imagines) bulletproof glass. Dishes of gravadlax and salmon wave the flag for homesick Scandinavians, but it’s the dull heartache of the Swedish Plate, a mix of pale salmon, rock hard meatballs and a potato salad which can only be described as ‘cruel’, which irks us most. No wonder Scandinavia has such high depression statistics.
For those who want to end it all
Breakfast of champions
For tea lovers…
Vivel Patisserie: The breakfast menu here is fairly succinct; the words ‘omlette’ and ‘continental’ sum it up pretty neatly. The French toast, maple syrup and fresh fruit are great; but let’s face it, we come here for the brews. Posh, black menus display around 20 exotic teas, listing extensive descriptions and even optimum infusion times and temperatures. Forget Tetleys, we now wake up with a craving for a Cylon Opi Kenilworth. At around Dhs17 a pot it’s not bad value either. If they could just tone down the loud Arabic music, it would be perfect.
Try… Casanova – a cheeky little tea with an aroma of bergamot, red berries, rhubarb and flower petals
For simplicity’s sake…
Bite Rite Resto Café: Modern, lime green interiors, an Indian/ European menu and more breakfasts than a weekend at Dr Kelloggs’ B&B, Bite Rite is a welcome surprise. From masala dosas and eggs bhurji (Indian omlette) to French toast, crêpes and even a bowl of bran flakes, each dish comes with a nutritional rundown just the right side of guilt-inducing. A good choice of ‘inos’ and ‘essos’ keeps coffee and mocha lovers happy, but we love the ‘healthy’ milkshakes!
Try… Bread & jam – at Dhs10 you might question their sanity, but it is simple, tasty and surprisingly good
For pure relaxation…
The One Café: It may be rather out on a limb, but class will out. Certainly, sunk into The One’s plush leather sofas, dipping our complimentary marshmallow into our hot chocolate, we were more than content. The choice isn’t huge, but the zaatar and halloumi omlette is a novelty, as is the breakfast wrap, while the sweet cous cous, fruit and granola homemade muesli is something else.
Try… Eggs benedict – a rarity on the streets of the capital, we were delighted to discover this English gem
For Americans…
Miss J’s: We say shun the Marina Mall for the Khalidaya branch, which opens far earlier and has a better atmosphere. MTV may play on the suspended TVs, but Miss J’s isn’t as garish as first feared, even if they did serve French fries with our omelette. Waffles and doughnuts are a firm favourite, although the former takes 15 minutes to arrive. The espresso milkshake is a guaranteed morning pick-me-up, but our tip is the crêpes. Each one is named after a different country, though why the Miss Scotland should contain turkey, cheddar cheese and, of all things, Béchamel sauce remains a mystery.
Try… The fry-up – get stuck into the fried eggs, French toast and sausage
For your convenience…
Café Moka: Having set up shop in Abu Dhabi and Marina Mall, early-bird bargain hunters will know this café well. Moka isn’t cheap, although it walks a good line between Arabic (labneh, halloumi and foul) and Western (vegetarian omelette) breakfasts. But while we like that their English breakfast has baked beans (always overlooked in the capital), can someone please explain why it also has cucumber?
Try… Shakshouka – a three-egg omlette with tomatoes, onions and Arabic spices, though at Dhs35, it comes at a cost
For the best hot chocolate…
Galler Le Chocolat: Seriously good. The trio of hot chocolates, each from a different period, where you have to guess what’s in them, is heaven! Elsewhere, its mall locations makes Galler La Chocolat good for people watchers, while their all-day breakfast menu has a few treats, particularly the grilled halloumi. We even got a bar of chocolate with our bill. Ah, the fine art of bribing customers. We approve.
Try… Club pancakes – a tasty savoury pancake, with mozzarella, pesto and cream cheese
