Breakfast is often cited as the most important meal of the day, however, many of us rarely mix it up; a big mistake! With a huge wealth of breakfast foods available from around the world, we are spoilt for choice. Here we focus on our region of Southeast Asia, displaying to you what all of our different cultures have to offer. Ask our Singaporean catering service for Asian breakfast options that will stand miles away from your standard continental buffet and will get your guests taste buds and minds revved up for the day ahead!

Congee

Congee or rice porridge

Congee (also called porridge) is a dish that was born in ancient times that is served all over Southeast Asia and is steeped deep in history; especially in China. This is a rice based dish where the rice is “overcooked”, meaning cooked in heaps of water, until it begins to disintegrate (think of it as a rice porridge as opposed to the oat-based porridge in the west). Although mainly considered a breakfast food, it is eaten at all times of the day and is said to be good for the ill and infirm as it can be easy to eat and to digest.

But is it just overdone rice? Definitely not! Each country has its own take on Congee: Indonesians eat it with shredded chicken and a selection of fried vegetables. In Taiwan, it is eaten with sweet potatoes with eggs mixed in to thicken the mixture. In Laos, it is often cooked with chicken broth (instead of water) then topped with fried garlic, scallions, pepper, and other choice items such as quail eggs and century eggs.

Singapore

From Left: Kaya Toast, Chwee Kueh

Here in Singapore, one of our traditional breakfast staples is kaya toast. Consisting of Kaya (coconut jam) and toast, topped with a sliver of cold butter this simple dish is partnered with a cup of locally brewed coffee to create a sweet and energising breakfast. Chwee Kueh is also a very popular breakfast dish in Singapore. A simple dish borrowed from our Chinese cousins, Chwee Kueh is a steamed rice cake topped with a radish relish; a healthy and filling start to the day that will ensure you’re not going to be peckish until lunch! Some of the other common heavy breakfast in Singapore is also Mee Rebus, Mee Siam and Mee Soto.

Philippines

Tapa

Breakfast in the Philippines is often served with a strong coffee, usually kapeng barako, from the mountainous regions of the country. Breakfast food in the Philippines is usually a plate consisting of a variety of different foods – one of the most popular being tapsi; which is made up of sinangág (garlic fried rice) and tapa (dried or cured beef). The tapa can be substituted with many different meats, from bacon to dried fish. When the meat changes so will the name of the dish (a nifty way for you to impress your guests could be to provide a selection of meats for them to have with their sinangág). The sinangág is often served with itlog (egg) and will be sure to ensure that your guests will be satisfied by their intriguingly different breakfast.

Malaysia

Malaysian food is a unique blend between Malays, Chinese and Indian cuisine, and as a result, there are large variety of breakfast foods you can choose from. We’ve chosen some of our favourites to showcase here for you today.

The Sabahan region of Malaysia is famous for the freshness of its fish-based dishes,  so there is little surprise then that seafood is a very popular dish for breakfast. It is usually paired with noodles and can consist of, deep fried fish cakes, fresh fish fillets, fish ball, fish innards or fish paste; sometimes the fish paste is even rolled out to create very flavourful fish noodles.

Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak is often called the national dish of Malaysia and is a staple breakfast food. Its main ingredient is rice steamed with coconut milk and pandan, to give it a rich fragrance. Customarily it is served with ikan bilis (anchovies), peanuts, cucumber, hard boiled egg and sambal (a hot relish made of vegetables or fruit accompanied with spices).

Dosai

Our final selection comes from the Indian influence of Malaysian cuisine and is called dosa. Although traditionally an Indian food, dosa has been eaten in Malaysia forever and serves as a popular breakfast food for all communities. Dosa is a fermented crepe made from rice batter and black lentils, often stuffed with fried vegetables and chutneys (coconut being very popular) but these can also be served on the side for the breakfaster to add at their own leisure and to their own taste. It is a food that is high in carbohydrates yet contains no sugars or saturated fats.

There you have it, from around the region of Southeast Asia, a small sampling platter of what you may be able to have for breakfast. Remember that although these dishes are said to belong to countries they are no means country-specific, they can cross borders and jump cultural boundaries very quickly. So if there is a food that you want at your breakfast bash but believe it’s a bit eclectic or far away don’t hesitate to ask eatz Catering, we may just have the chefs and the expertise to recreate an authentic version for you and your hungry guests. We also have a Nasi Lemak catering offering for all the Nasi Lemak lovers!