5 Breakfast Ideas Any Beginners Can DO! (Recipes included)

Most of us have fantasize your partner serving you breakfast in bed, as the aroma of toast and freshly grounded coffee filled up the room. There are only two scenarios. You are the one lying in bed, OR you are the one waking up earlier to make the breakfast. Morons can infer you're the latter (like yours truly) since you're looking at this post.

During the weekends, when I get to work from home, I tend to wake up earlier to whip up a simple breakfast for my family. No breakfast in bed after you have kids by the way, so we had everything proper on the dining table. To save any hassle, most of my recipes here will need less than 20 to 30 minutes of cooking and prep time. Combined. So you can get your beauty sleep as well.

Without further ado, I present to you my easy breakfast ideas that even any noob chefs can make. All this have a pretty high success rate since, you're either using the oven or waffle/pancake machine. If you do not have these equipment, not to worry, most of them can be cooked over the stove as well. If you're one of the noob chefs,  please make sure you have fire insurance beforehand.

Notes:

1. I got to emphasize that all ingredients are flexible. You just pop open your fridge and see what's there to use. As with every recipe, this serves only as a guideline. Like tomatoes? Add more. Don't like you food too sweet? Minus the sugar. Don't have fruits lying around? Sub with raisins. You get it.

2. If you're cooking for more people, apply your primary school multiplication on the recipe.

3. Unless otherwise stated, all ingredients are to be of room temperature. This helps for easy mixing and acquiring the desired texture.

Recipe: Egg Benedict + Literally Pay Lesser with Paylesser!

What's up my beautiful readers, because today, you are in for a treat. Ever thought of making cafe-grade brunch but you're not confident of your cooking skills? Or perhaps you are afraid to mess up your kitchen? I feel you, because that's what I used to be like this. Cooking is supposed to be fun, delicious, and seeing the smiles (hopefully) of people eating your creations is just worth it.

Okay, I am saving my saliva, or rather my finger strength for something else (if you know what I mean - to make more food la. Don't think dirty hor). Presenting to you limbeh's version of Egg Benedict, completed by toasted English bread, fresh Arugula salad, crispy prosciutto ham, and a beautifully poached egg slathered with homemade hollandaise sauce. Sounds complicated? (Actually it's just putting stuff together. lololol)

Kyushu Pancake Cafe @ Thomson Road, Singapore

Good news pancake fanatics! Kyushu Pancakes (from Japan, duh!) has recently arrived in Singapore's Novena Regency, after expanding their franchise to Taiwan. What's up with the craze, that you have to reserve your seats days or even weeks before (or risk being turned down)? Or, what's so special about their pancakes? For one, their batter is made of a mix of Kyushu's finest grains and wheat, and contains no artificial fragrance, additives or processed starch. Two, their food is seriously #instaworthy. 

Pies & Coffee (II) @ Rochester Mall, Singapore

Before I start this post, I want to wish my readers GONG HEI FATT CHOY, may you huat a lot in this new year.

I've been to Pies & Coffee more times than the number of fingers I have, well, mostly to mug before my examinations with a couple of friends. If you still have no god-damn idea where is this cafe located at Rochester Mall, which is just literally a stone throw away from The Star Vista. Okay, since this is not my first post on Pies & Coffee, I won't bore you with more descriptions of the place. Recently I was there again, with my love of trying new things (including girls, just kidding), here are two more food items that you should try out.

Coffee: NOWHERE @ West Coast Plaza, Singapore

When Coffee: Nowhere came to occupy the huge, empty space left by Fish & Co during mid-2014, I was like "Hallelujah,  praise the good Lord, now we have more cafes in my vicinity". However, it was not until recently that we decided to have our lazy Saturday brunch at this Malaysia-based cafe. Their interior was spacious, with their kitchen and counter right in the middle. Unlike many cafes which discourage diners to chill and study there, Coffee: Nowhere have more than enough seats due to their spacious concept. But when all the seats are packed and you're the only one mugging on your lecture notes, be automatic a bit lah. By the way it is Coffee "Now Here", not Coffee "No where" hor. 

Food Tasting at Harry's Bar @ Boat Quay, Singapore

Today limbeh is introducing a new place for brunch in the CBD. Harry's bar, better known for its bar grubs and alcohol, has recently launched their breakfast and brunch menu (available from 8am to 10.30am daily). This is definitely good news for office workers who might want a switch from their usual kaya toasts and soft-boiled eggs at nearby kopitiams. If that is not a good reason to attract you, how about its location at boat quay with a 5-star view of the Singapore river matched with some river breeze on a hot day. Oh yeah.

Recipe: Breakfast Scrambled Eggs Croissant

Weekends are coming! Spoil yourself with some really easy croissant paired with fluffy and luscious scrambled eggs, and some cheesy cheddar. Christmas mornings are over, but that doesn't excuse you from making this super awesome recipe. 

If you are adventurous enough to make your croissant from scratch, this beautiful recipe by Izy (from Top with Cinnamon) is highly recommended. Otherwise, you could simply just get any ready-made or store-bought croissants, which could save you A LOT of kitchen work. But well, you just don't get as much satisfaction with the final product.

Provision Shop @ Everton Road, Singapore

We were on a cafe-hopping trip at Everton Park, where dozens of hidden gems reside, when we dropped by Provision Shop, a charming and humble cafe, furnished with trendy wooden furniture amidst a tinge of nostalgia - even the name of the cafe struck me with sentiments from my childhood days. They even used the milo tin for tips!

Pies & Coffee @ Rochester Mall, Singapore

Having been to Pies & Coffee a couple of times, I thought, why not do a damn review about this place already. Located at the vicinity of Rochester Mall, Pies & Coffee is a modern, stylish cafe which seats up to 80-persons, offering diners a choice of indoor and al-fresco style dining amidst the greenery and water features. Given the luxury of space, it is no wonder why it is a favourite spot for students, who sipped on their frappe while mugging for assignments and examinations. That is, including myself.

At Pies & Coffee, there are two obvious highlights - pies and coffees, which one could simply admire in full-view at their counter display. It is not easy though, as anyone would be spoilt for choices. Besides that, they do serve all-day breakfast as well, such as Smoked Salmon Stack - a glorious combination of toasted bagel, stacked with truffle mashed potatoes, velvety scrambled eggs, peas, mushroom, and finally topped with smoked salmon. This dish is completed with a side salad. Who would mind waking up to this beautiful breakfast everyday? Well, definitely not me.

Food Tasting at Charly T’s @ 112 Katong, Singapore

We dropped by Charly T’s to check out their “Best Chicken in the City”!

The name always reminded me of a cartoon character. Well, it turned out that Charly T (not a real name) is a persona of the restaurant, who put together different experiences and interesting recipes he collected and learnt throughout his travel adventures around the globe. On the menu, you can find food orginating from different parts of the world, from Germany to Honolulu to Japan. Most of the food originated from Germany though.

We ordered the Rotisserie Chicken in original flavour.

Recipe: Potato Pancakes

It's been a while since I posted any recipes on the blog, so here's one made out of mainly leftover mashed potatoes, bacon, eggs and cheddar cheese. Yeah, isn't that like the four heavenly kings of breakfast? This recipe is a revamped version of Kelly Senyei's and is simply perfect for breakfast. What's better than to clear out your leftovers and whip out this amazing dish? Well, I can't think of any.

Food Tasting at PODI @ Raffles City, Singapore

Set up by The Bakery Depot which brings you familiar brand names, like Cedele and P.L.T Sandwiches, PODI is a new venture to introduce pure-offbeat-delicious-infusions through adventurous combinations of flavours and ingredients. Just before the grand opening on the 25th October 2013, a lucky group of foodie-bloggers were invited to their pre-launch event at Raffles City. What happened subsequently was a gastronomical journey which lasted for about 3 hours.

Check out their signature Duck Berry Waffle - a brilliant creation featuring gourmet duck confit, blueberry compote, egg and maple syrup vinaigrette set upon freshly baked waffles. Verdict: Waffles were a tad dry, but surprisingly, flavours and textures complement one another. But seriously, who in the right mind would have thought about throwing duck, blueberries, eggs and waffles together? Well, definitely not me. I really gotta award points for their creativeness and boldness.

Food for Thought @ Botanic Gardens, Singapore

Amidst the lush greeneries of Botanic Gardens lies Food for Thought (FFT), a brunch-dinner place big enough to sit at least two-hundred hungry diners. As most of you all might know, the FFT outlet at North-Bridge has closed down and currently, the other outlet is at Queen Street's 8QSAM. Different from the latter, Botanic Garden's is mostly self-serviced - you order directly from the cashier and the service staff delivers to you. Oh, and you get the water yourself from the water-station as well. The result is the waiver of 10% service charge, or as they put it nicely - it is their pleasure to serve you.

Imperial Treasure Noodle & Congee House @ Orchard Ion, Singapore

"Sorry, we are closed" are the four words that hit me hard when the service staff at Taste Paradise told us. To be honest, we did went all the way to town to try their highly acclaimed Custard Bun and Baked BBQ Pork Pastry. My insatiable craving for good dim sum was growing gradually, I whipped out my iPhone immediately, punched in "best dim sum in Orchard Road", and  lo-and-behold! Imperial Treasure came out next.

Establishing their first restaurants of Imperial Treasure in 2004, it has since garnered numerous ravings and media interviews, and has opened more than 10 eateries and bakeries under Imperial Treasure's trademark, serving authentic Chinese cuisine with great passion.

Looking at their extensive lists of Shanghai/Hong Kong dim sum, Xiao Long Bao (S$4.80 for 4) struck my eyes like a pretty girl across the street (okay, this makes no sense). I mean, who wouldn't love these delicately crafted steamed pork dumplings? Their version has a smooth bouncy texture to the dumpling skin, which is thin, yet strong enough to hold the succulent fillings in. And as with all the good food - One is never enough.

Recipe: Best Scrambled Eggs

What is breakfast without a couple of eggs? Be it scrambled, poached, boiled or however it is done, breakfast is just not complete without this Godchicken-given gifts. Scrambled eggs are my favourite way of doing them, the obvious reason - they don't take much time and are really easy to do! What's more? You could even get all creative and add all sorts of your favourite bites, such as chillies, bell peppers, tomatoes, minced tuna , chopped potatoes, good ol bacon (and the list goes on and on..)

So without furthur ado, here's the recipe I've always used for my scrambled eggs. I swear this doesn't even take up 5 minutes of your time, and it is so simple to do and absolutely delicious.

Five & Dime Eatery @ River Valley Road, Singapore

At the outskirts of Orchard Road lay Five & Dime, where drivers and passer-by find it hard to be missed with its one of a kind vintage-chic facade. Stepping into the restaurant was like entering a space of nostalgia - soft sunlight streaming through their ceiling-high glass panels, rustic wooden furniture arranged neatly on their tessellated mosaic flooring of white and black tiles, and my favourite childhood snacks (chocolate waffles and sweets, ooh~) placed inside several glass containers.

Beanstro by Coffee Bean @ Ngee Ann City, Singapore

Following the huge success of its first American casual dining outlet at Marina Bay Sands, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has recently opened another Beanstro amidst the bustling streets of Orchard. I used to drop by Cedele (which was later replaced by Beanstro) quite a bit for its aromatic coffee and lovely red velvet cakes, hence I was torn down in tears (exaggerating a far bit here) when news of Cedele will be replaced by this weird-sounding cafe reached me. But since what done has been done, I decided to visit Beanstro for a light brunch to see whether it lives up to Cedele's standards.

 

Nam Nam Noodle Bar @ Wheelock Place, Singapore

Opened by well-known Les Amis Group of restaurants, Nam Nam Noodle Bar (probably derived from Vietnam)  features iconic, tantalising Vietnamese favourites, including signature Banh Mi (baguette sandwiches) and delicious rice flour pho, paired with traditional beef/chicken broth or more sophisticated options, such as Flower Crab Noodle Soup or Dry Yellow Curry Duck Noodles.

Similar to Pho Stop's concept of bringing authentic Vietnamese cuisine to our doorsteps, it is not difficult to see why Nam Nam attracts snaking long queues, especially when their weekday lunch set meals (includes fresh southern rolls, a bowl of pho chicken/beef and a cuppa classic Vietnamese iced coffee or lotus tea - S$9.90) is up. Singaporeans, like me would be glad to know that  is absolutely no service charge and that GST is already included in prices listed.

Quang Style Egg Noodle (S$10.90, left) is an interesting combination of pork rib, prawn, fish cake and rice crackers. It has an acquired taste of Chinese mee-pok (yellow flat noodle) mixed with herby leaves among other greens. The crackers look interesting with lots of sesame seeds, but tasted too bland for my liking. On the other hand, Dry Stewed Beef Noodles (S$8.90, right) resembles Cantonese Beef Hor Fun with savoury beef chunks.

Toasted baguettes stuffed with assorted ingredients, are recommended if you prefer a ligher meal or snack. We had the Fish cake and Tofu version (S$5.90), and it tastes surprisingly refreshing. Definitely for the health-conscious as well. Oh, and did I mention that they do not add MSG in their food?

Not particularly "wow-inducing", however if you adore Vietnamese cuisine, drop by Nam Nam Noodle Bar and enjoy a delicious bowl of pho.

Nam Nam Noodle Bar

Tel: 67351488

Opening Hours

Mon - Sun: 08:00 - 21:30

501 Orchard Road

#B2-02

Wheelock Place

Boon Lay Raja Restaurant @ Jurong East Central, Singapore

Amidst all the blessings and well-wishes while tossing the Prosperity Toss, or better known as 鱼生 (yu sheng) and Lo Hei, our "HUAT AH" probably came out the loudest. It was noisy and rowdy, not to even mention - messy, with bits and pieces of the rainbow-colored dish flying all over the place. But again, that was exactly what the Chinese New Year atmosphere is supposed to be.

My paternal grandma's birthday was usually held right here in this particular restaurant, but somehow this year, we had it in Moi Lum Restaurant which was located at Maxwell Road. Hence, I thought fate brought me to Boon Lay Raja Restaurant once again, when my maternal relatives selected this place for our New Year's lunch during 初一 (beginning of the year).

Established in 1979 at Boon Lay Shopping Centre, they had since moved to Jurong East Central (beside Jcube) for better convenience and to accomodate the large dinner crowds. With an extensive menu of dim sum and Cantonese cuisine, they also specialize in seafood dishes, especially shark fin's soup which is proudly presented on their signboard.

Another favourite of mine is the Crispy Roasted Chicken, which was lightly salted just enough to enhance its taste and flavour. Unlike most roasted chicken which happened to be tough and dry, their rendition was juicy and had retained the smooth texture. If you happened to drop-by during this festive season, do try out their unique creation of fried prawns and strawberry sauce.

Besides your usual weekend dinner, Boon Lay Raja is also catered for a range of functions, such as buffet caterings, wedding banquets and functions. In addition, the dishes that they present certainly appeals to the elderly, not less the younger generations though.




Boon Lay Raja Restaurant

Tel: 6563 6643
Opening Hours
Daily: 11:30 - 14:30, 16:00 - 22:30

Blk 135 Jurong Gateway Road
#02-337

Recipe: Easy Pancakes

Nothing beats waking up late and having breakfast in the comfort of their own bed on a lazy weekend. Well, but someone got to make things happen. Breakfast in bed is not just going to appear with a snap of your finger (unless you got a maid, or butler). Lucky for the one who is still cuddling amongst the blankets, while someone had to set the alarm a little earlier and slog it out on the kitchen tables.

 

Drizzled with maple syrup and melted butter, pancakes are an ideal choice for breakfast in bed or brunch, as it is also fuss-free and simple to make. And to make things even simpler, this recipe that I chanced upon recently while searching for various pancakes recipes, requires only 3 basic ingredients to make. The end result? Light and fluffy pancakes that took little effort and time, BUT no less the love. To complete the brunch, I added a slice of briefly fried breakfast ham and topped it up with some lovely scrambled eggs.

 

Difficulty: Easy

Makes 5 regular-sized pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup milk
1 egg

Butter or oil for greasing

Steps

1. Preheat a large non-stick frying pan.

2. In a large bowl, beat the milk and egg lightly together.

3. Add in the self-raising flour. Stir until just combined.

3. Lightly grease the frying pan.

5. Cook large spoonfuls of batter until bubbly and the edges go dry.

6. Turn and brown the other side.

Tips

1. Complete the dish with bacons, eggs or sausages for a fulfilling breakfast/brunch, or topped it up with a scoop of your favourite ice cream and chocolate sauce for late afternoon snacks.

View Original Recipe here.