Foreign restaurants that open early

[97prizm]

Hi all,
Apparently not too far from where I work there is a strip mall with a Vietnamese grocery store, and not one but three Vietnamese restaurants among pawn shops etc. One of the restaurants opens at 9am with the full all day menu as I don't really know what Vietnamese breakfast looks like. I've never seen an Asian restaurant open so early. Is this a common thing among certain Asian cultures? There is a large Vietnamese population near my job and it's cool to see families eating there and you don't hear much English spoken.

 

[skyactiv]

Have you had food from one yet?

 

[Vil_Riker]

In Vietnam it's not uncommon for restaurants to open at 4am. Mainly due to the hot weather.

 

[97prizm]

Have you had food from one yet?

Yeah I had one called Tu's Kitchen and it was fantastic. Pho Duy was great but they don't put cucumber in their noodle bowl, just my preference. I went in right at opening and the owner was my waiter go figure. I don't know if three independent burger restaurants went into the same stripmall they'd get along.

 

[wander2039]

Based on what my wife tells me they don't have a breakfast like Americans do. She's Lao.. they typically just piece together something from last night's meal. Most restaurants I've seen open 10:30-11.

 

[GON]

Based on what my wife tells me they don't have a breakfast like Americans do. She's Lao.. they typically just piece together something from last night's meal. Most restaurants I've seen open 10:30-11.

On a supplemental note- Vietnam has some of the best bakeries/ bakers in all of Asia (and the world). French baking influence is strong in Vietnam.

 

[edyvw]

Yeah I had one called Tu's Kitchen and it was fantastic. Pho Duy was great but they don't put cucumber in their noodle bowl, just my preference. I went in right at opening and the owner was my waiter go figure. I don't know if three independent burger restaurants went into the same stripmall they'd get along.

Usually, they are run by family. Ethnic immigrant restaurants are basically family businesses. They can cut costs dramatically, worker retention is not an issue etc., etc.
You never know what you will stumble upon with them. I ate absolutely the worst Chinese food of all places in Seattle, WA. And best? Fort Smith, AK!!!

 

[wander2039]

On a supplemental note- Vietnam has some of the best bakeries/ bakers in all of Asia (and the world). French baking influence is strong in Vietnam.

We agree.. On our travels we always try to find one. There's been so many I can only remember one which is Lee's sandwich's but technically isn't a bakery, the bread on the sandwich's though.. wow.

 

[Pew]

Based on what my wife tells me they don't have a breakfast like Americans do. She's Lao.. they typically just piece together something from last night's meal. Most restaurants I've seen open 10:30-11.

Correcto; there's really no such thing as breakfast nor foods relegated to certain meals of the day. It's just leftovers or whatever is on hand. In an attempt to attract Western customers, certain foods like eggs may be incorporated to make things seem breakfast-like.

 

[f355spider]

Hi all,
Apparently not too far from where I work there is a strip mall with a Vietnamese grocery store, and not one but three Vietnamese restaurants among pawn shops etc. One of the restaurants opens at 9am with the full all day menu as I don't really know what Vietnamese breakfast looks like. I've never seen an Asian restaurant open so early. Is this a common thing among certain Asian cultures? There is a large Vietnamese population near my job and it's cool to see families eating there and you don't hear much English spoken.

Call and ask. I have a friend and her family runs a Vietnamese restaurant, and they serve traditional western breakfast through lunch, along with the Vietnamese menu. But that is clearly the exception, rather than the rule. Most Asian restaurants I am familiar with, even if they open in the morning hours...say 9am or 10am just have a standard menu without breakfast items. Hong Kong style might be the exception, they have odd items like french toast, Borsch and stuff on the menu...and serve them at any time of day.

 

[f355spider]

Usually, they are run by family. Ethnic immigrant restaurants are basically family businesses. They can cut costs dramatically, worker retention is not an issue etc., etc.
You never know what you will stumble upon with them. I ate absolutely the worst Chinese food of all places in Seattle, WA. And best? Fort Smith, AK!!!

If you remember the name of the Chinese place, please share so I can avoid.

 

[97prizm]

We agree.. On our travels we always try to find one. There's been so many I can only remember one which is Lee's sandwich's but technically isn't a bakery, the bread on the sandwich's though.. wow.

It helps that Vietnam was "From the late 1800's to 1954, Vietnam was part of a French colony called French Indochina".
I get the feeling that if you were a colony of France then you'd better start learning French baking and cooking techniques.

 

[Vil_Riker]

It helps that Vietnam was "From the late 1800's to 1954, Vietnam was part of a French colony called French Indochina".
I get the feeling that if you were a colony of France then you'd better start learning French baking and cooking techniques.

Yeah, the French were not as nice colonizers as the Brits were.

 

[edyvw]

If you remember the name of the Chinese place, please share so I can avoid.

Something in downtown. We were like: "Hey, it is Seattle; Chinese food must be good."

 

[f355spider]

Something in downtown. We were like: "Hey, it is Seattle; Chinese food must be good."

There are good ones in Seattle, but plenty of subpar. There is a higher percentage of better Chinese and Taiwanese restaurants in neighboring Bellevue. Huge influx of Chinese and Taiwanese have moved there in the past 15 years so standards are much higher.

 

[vavavroom]

Pho King in Oakland opens at 0900. I'm not going to Pho King Oakland anymore. and the one in San Jose is too far for food I don't crave. I sometimes have a Vietnamese sandwich but I don't care much for the fish sauce they use.The only sauce with fish in it I like is Worchestershire. Fermented fish just isn't my thing. I do like other fermented foods.

 

[y_p_w]

Depends on what the place is. Once I was in San Jose, California early in the morning with my kid to go to the Happy Hollow Park and Zoo. We could bring in our own food, so I looked up places to get sandwiches in the area. Quite a few are also bakeries that open as early as 7 or 8 AM. And they were very accomodating at the place we went to. They had premade sandwiches, but my kid couldn't take the jalapeños they had and they gladly made a fresh one without any chili.

 

[Pablo]

There are good ones in Seattle, but plenty of subpar. There is a higher percentage of better Chinese and Taiwanese restaurants in neighboring Bellevue. Huge influx of Chinese and Taiwanese have moved there in the past 15 years so standards are much higher.

This!

There are actually some authentic (close enough) to real mainland China foods in Bellevue. One of the few things I miss from the whole nasty metro area.

Now we must go over the border for decent restaurants.

Anyone who lives in the PNW must know you cannot under any circumstances randomly pick a restaurant. I can say honestly the PNW has a history of the WORST restaurants in the whole USA. I mean it is improving. But 30-40 years ago? Forget about it.
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Wife maybe will have an egg on some rice, some small tiny dried fishes, small breakfast