As the weather cools, it may be time for new breakfast options. Check out this roundup of savory breakfast options from local restaurants.
Congee
In much of the world, breakfast is some kind of savory porridge. In East, Southeast, and South Asia, you’ll find people eating congee, which is made by cooking rice in water or broth to achieve a creamy texture. So Yen in St. Paul’s Lowertown offers pork or chicken congee with toppings like green onion, soft-boiled eggs, and fried shallots, plus chili oil to mix in. The combination of creamy, crunchy, chewy, and fresh/raw textures makes for a satisfying bite.
If you are looking for a gateway breakfast item before diving into congee head-on, might I suggest the congee hash browns with ginger scallion dipping sauce at Saturday Dumpling Co. (available only at the South Minneapolis location). They also sell Szechuan cinnamon French toast sticks.
Llapingachos
Fried potato-and-cheese patties known as llapingachos (pronounced “yah-peen-GAH-chos”) get their bright orange color from achiote (annatto in English). You’ve seen this color before — think Goldfish crackers, Velveeta, and Mimolette cheese.
At Ecuadorian restaurant Chimborazo, they’re served with a peanut sauce and can be purchased individually or as part of other large plates, such as the Llapingachos Breakfast that comes with toast and eggs and a choice of roast pork, chorizo, or bacon, or the Saltado Breakfast with avocado and a beef tenderloin stir-fry. Other dishes on their weekend morning menu include humitas, corn husks filled with Ecuadorian corn mixed with cheese and onion, and beef empanadas served with the spicy condiment, aji criollo.
Llapingachos can also be found at Galápagos Bar and Grill. Both restaurants serve another traditional Ecuadorian dish, mote pillo, made with hominy corn scrambled together with eggs and onion.
Galvan Foods & Tortilleria make their breakfast tacos to order at the St. Paul Farmers’ Market. (Roseanne Pereira/City Cast Twin Cities)
Breakfast Tacos
At the St. Paul Farmers’ Market, you can find the folks from Galvan Foods & Tortilleria cooking up tacos and selling packages of their “handmade from scratch” tortillas. In addition to flour tortillas, they also sell rotating heirloom corn tortillas in a variety of colors — blue, red, yellow, white, purple hibiscus, and red chile, each with “its unique properties, from vibrant blues packed with antioxidants to earthy yellows bursting with flavor.” I was most struck by their green tortillas made with nopales, which is Spanish for cactus.
The breakfast tacos feature ingredients sourced from Minnesota farms, such as Eichtens cheese for the chorizo and egg taco and pork from Farm on Wheels. The tortilleria goodies are also available year-round at the St. Paul Farmers’ Market indoor store, Tuesday through Sunday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Fava Beans
Spicy can also be a part of breakfast. Try fuul (or ful), a stewed fava bean and Ethiopian breakfast staple made with tomato, onion, and spices, at the Franklin Avenue location of Rebecca’s Bakery and Café or at Lulu EthioVegan Cuisine in Steven’s Square.
Lulu’s breakfast menu also includes porridges like kinche (made of cracked wheat), bula (made of enset flour), or genfo (made of wheat flour) and served with vegan butter and berbere dressing. Firfir and chechebsa (kita firfir) are also available and are made with torn-up injera and spices.
