OK, that is not entirely true. Partially. Oh well.
Breakfast in Chennai, beyond the idly and dosa will lead you to breakfast buffets in nice hotels or coffee shops with some bread, sausages and tomatoes. And some potatoes thrown in. And an egg, your style. Can you think of anything else? Nope? I guessed as much. If you did think of something different, please please let me in on that secret.
Now, there is something else. Nasi & Mee, that set up shop bang opposite a popular (and fun) Asian restaurant and ended up doing extremely well has taken the big plunge. To start the cash counters ringing from 830 am. While I don't know how that is going to do during the week, I'm starting to think that their regulars will have another meal to dine at Nasi and Mee. Thankfully, there is neither Nasi or Mee on their breakfast menu. A beautifully Malaysian inspired breakfast.
Milo? Yes. Coffee with condensed milk? Yes. Kaya? Oh. Yes. Baby. For the uninitiated, Kaya is an egg based jam used extensively in Malaysia. One that I love to death.
An avocado feta toast was the first to arrive. Priced at 229, that number was the only thing wrong with it. I know butter-fruit is expensive and so is good feta, but take the price off your mind and the smooth avocado paste with generous feta feeds your soul. Nothing Asian about it, but who cares!?!
The next two dishes arrived, one clearly Malaysian and one Asian inspired. A simple kaya toast. Stuffed with Kaya, butter and with more Kaya on the side, you can choose to have it the classic way, with poached egg. Personally I prefer kaya without the egg and I was glad to see the option, but my friend, a sucker for egg wanted both. I simply loved the generous 4 slices of bread for Rs. 99.
And then, what would have been the undisputed king of the menu, the Eggs Benedict with Asian twist. A toast instead of the English muffin, chicken ham instead of bacon and hollandaise sauce with tom yum. Everything Asian about it and everything right about it. At Rs. 249 for two eggs, generous chicken ham and a rocket salad, this dish was a winner. Just that the avocado feta on toast was fabulous. Maybe the use of good feta and avocado without compromising on the price wasn't so bad after all?
Well, yes, I came for a 'healthy' breakfast, but with a pudding on the menu, we couldn't say no. While it feels healthy and sounds healthy, with basil seeds and all that, this is a pudding. A good one, but I would probably skip the next time and use that space for something on the fabulous savoury menu.
When do we go back!?!
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