# Why don't they serve breakfast at ethnic restaruants? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 17, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088 "2012-03-17T23:14:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/21 "2012-03-18T17:12:06Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > If you’re having Dim Sum, it’s _juk_. Specifically, I’m referring to restaurants like Congee Time, Congee Wong and Congee Queen (note: not Juk Time, Juk Wong and Juk Queen). ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/22 "2012-03-18T18:29:41Z")
Americans tend to be pretty conservative about breakfast. If you ask Americans abroad what they miss most, it’s rarely pizza or apple pie- it’s usually the good old fashioned American breakfast. Breakfast just isn’t a time that we like to break out of our mold. And this makes some sense. Americans don’t really eat a lot of “American” food, but our breakfasts are usually purely American. Breakfast occupies a lot of our “comfort food” space. That said, on the west coast, Mexican breakfast and dim sum are pretty common. It’s not really my experience that other countries don’t have breakfast- every place I’ve been has some kind of breakfast standard. But I think a lot of cultures don’t really have the sorts of leisurely “take the whole family out after church and sip coffee and gossip for an hour” kind of going to out breakfast that we have. It’s more likely to be quick street food snacks or cafeteria snacks, or just heated up leftovers. Which isn’t really that alien- how often do we grab a slice of leftover pizza or a couple pieces of bread as breakfast when we rush out to work? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/23 "2012-03-18T21:57:12Z")
You know the “continental breakfast” they have at hotels - coffee and baked/fried pastries or bread? Hotels didn’t invent it - that really is breakfast in a lot of European countries and probably other European -influenced countries as well. I’m sure that people in every country sometimes have breakfast away from home - but I expect that it’s usually not in a restaurant that also serves lunch and dinner , just like I wouldn’t expect to find any breakfast in most non-ethnic restaurants in the US (with the exception of diners,hotel restaurants or Denny’s/Perkins/Cracker Barrel-type places.). If I wanted the NY version of a continental breakfast, I’d go to a bagel shop or a coffee/doughnut shop.If my husband feels like a Chinese breakfast, he’ll go to a Chinese bakery for char siu bao or to a dumpling shop or cart. If I feel like cookies or pastry with my coffee, I go to an Italian bakery or cafe. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/24 "2012-03-18T22:47:36Z")
Here’s a link to a [recent thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=642629) discussing a photo spread showing 50 breakfasts from around the world. In the thread posters discuss whether or not the photos are an accurate representation from each nation. Unfortunately the link to the photo spread is dead but I think [this is a copy of it](http://designyoutrust.com/2011/10/18/50-of-the-world%E2%80%99s-best-breakfasts/). ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/25 "2012-03-18T22:52:22Z")
We have [Edward Bernays](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4612464) to thank for the modern American bacon-and-eggs breakfast. Before 1905, the standard breakfast was toast and coffee. Here in Central Pennsylvania, we have such a strong tradition of diners that in some smaller towns, it’s difficult to find a restaurant open for breakfast that isn’t a diner. Hell, there are diners that are only open for breakfast and lunch; they close at 1 or 2 p.m. We love us some breakfast. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/26 "2012-03-18T23:02:00Z")
> [@JustinC](#): > > even Australia and New Zealand only started eating the ‘cardiac arrest on a plate’ in the 90s. Certainly with regards to Australia this isn’t correct. Amongst farmers in particular, breakfast has always been a big meal. Eggs, bacon, steak, etc. Even amongst non-country people a weekend fry up was popular in the '70s (that’s as far back as my memory goes - no reason to think it wasn’t popular before that). I think it may have dropped off somewhat during the health and fitness conscious '80s, but certainly did not only start in the '90s. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/27 "2012-03-19T10:17:49Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > …However, there is no logical reason for that. It is just an inherited and partially manufactured tradition. Other cultures don’t have the same hard distinction between types of foods that are eaten almost exclusively at one time of the day. I recall reading long ago that the sese of taste is most sensitive after waking. If true, that might be a reason that some foods might end up as breakfast preferences. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/28 "2012-03-19T12:59:07Z")
Funny timing because I just went to a Columbian/Caribbean restaurant that also wasn’t open during breakfast hours but served a meal that would be good during breakfast. Basically it was a lot like the classic British meat plate – steak, an egg, sausage, pork side (tastes like bacon), but added rice and beans. If the serving was a bit smaller I’d go there and have that for breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/29 "2012-03-19T13:24:26Z")
My favorite all-time breakfast is served at a [Mexican Restaurant](http://tacotown.org/2007/12/25/manuels-port-isabel-tx/) that unfortunately is 1100 miles from where I live. I try to eat there at least twice a year. ---
**Author:** ![ashtayk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@ashtayk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashtayk)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/30 "2012-03-19T18:04:36Z")
The South of India has very specific breakfast foods and you can find a large number of eateries in the South that will serve them early in the morning. For those familiar with the food - you might recognize idlis, dosas, uttapams, uppuma. In traditional South Indian households (mine was one while growing up) - you got to eat these for breakfast only and on rare and special occasions you had breakfast for dinner…but almost never for lunch. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/31 "2012-03-19T19:32:24Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Do you have any examples? I’m genuinely curious. > > I’ve lived in America, Taiwan, and France, and all three places had more or less distinct breakfast ideas. Lunch and dinner were more similar, though dinner was usually more extravagant. In Germany and Austria when I was at a conference the breakfasts consisted of what we’d call cold cuts, which my wife loved. These were at small places, not fancy hotels. In Tokyo at a fancy hotel I got a nice soup with seafood. They had an American breakfast also, but a bizarro version with a salad, cocktail franks and really runny eggs. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/32 "2012-03-19T19:37:51Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > _Desayuno_. I know, but they spell it “desalluno” on all of the signs around here. Must be a regional thing. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/33 "2012-03-19T19:38:43Z")
> [@ashtayk](#): > > The South of India has very specific breakfast foods and you can find a large number of eateries in the South that will serve them early in the morning. For those familiar with the food - you might recognize idlis, dosas, uttapams, uppuma. In traditional South Indian households (mine was one while growing up) - you got to eat these for breakfast only and on rare and special occasions you had breakfast for dinner…but almost never for lunch. That’s kind of interesting. My wife’s family is South Indian and while some of those are still distinctly breakfast-only (uppuma in particular), they often have idli and dosa for lunch (or even dinner). I think many Indian restaurants that have South Indian cuisine you could probably get dosa and idli with sambar even at non-breakfast hours. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/34 "2012-03-19T19:54:28Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > In Germany and Austria when I was at a conference the breakfasts consisted of what we’d call cold cuts, which my wife loved. These were at small places, not fancy hotels. In Tokyo at a fancy hotel I got a nice soup with seafood. They had an American breakfast also, but a bizarro version with a salad, cocktail franks and really runny eggs. LOL -I still have nightmares of the “American” breakfast in Tokyo and Kyoto hotels. Oddly enough there’s a small shop across the street from the KyotoRoyal hotel that does a very nice American style breakfast. Last time I was there (5 years ago?) 2 eggs any way, bacon, toast, juice, and coffee was $6. A cup of coffee only? $4 - go figure. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/35 "2012-03-19T20:50:49Z")
Even if the owners of an ethnic restaurant WANTED to open for breakfast, they’d face a dilemma. A chicken and egg dilemma, of sorts. At lunch or dinner time, when people picture an Italian or Chinese resaurant, they generally THINK they know what will be on the menu. But if an Italian or Chinese restaurant started advertising, “Open for breakfast,” well, what would prospective customers expect to see on the menu? Does anyone know what an Italian or Chinese breakfast would entail? Mexican joints have been selling migas and breakfast tacos and fritattas and the like for a long time, so people generally have a good idea what will be available for breakfast at a Mexican joint. But breakfast has never been an option at most other ethnic restaurants, so people wouldn’t even know what to expect. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/36 "2012-03-19T23:48:51Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > But if an Italian or Chinese restaurant started advertising, “Open for breakfast,” well, what would prospective customers expect to see on the menu? Does anyone know what an Italian or Chinese breakfast would entail? Chinese breakfast can vary wildly depending on where you are. It’s a big country. You might have dim sum, but more typically you would have noodles, or jook (congee), or you tiao (a fried bread; you or I would call it a cruller), or jian bing (crepes), or scallion pancakes, or bao (buns, filled or unfilled). ---
**Author:** ![wheresmymind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@wheresmymind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheresmymind)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/37 "2012-03-20T08:03:04Z")
Speaking as an American, it’s because American-style breakfast foods are the best in the world, and no other breakfasts come close. They simply can’t compete with the sublime eggs/pig/carbohydrate/animal fat combination. Seriously though, I think it’s a combination of things: 1. Generally speaking, Americans enjoy trying new/ethnic foods for lunch or dinner, not so much breakfast. I suspect this is because we’re used to eating a wide variety of foods for lunch/dinner, but have a fairly specific set of “breakfast foods.” Maybe we’re just not that daring in the morning, or maybe we just like to start the day with something familiar. 2. Many cuisines don’t have specific “breakfast” foods, or don’t place as much importance on breakfast. 3. It seems that regardless of cuisine, there are fewer traditional breakfast foods than other foods. There just isn’t as much variety there to offer, so they stick with lunch and dinner. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/38 "2012-03-20T08:59:09Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Here’s a link to a [recent thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=642629) discussing a photo spread showing 50 breakfasts from around the world. In the thread posters discuss whether or not the photos are an accurate representation from each nation. > > Unfortunately the link to the photo spread is dead but I think [this is a copy of it](http://designyoutrust.com/2011/10/18/50-of-the-world%E2%80%99s-best-breakfasts/). A+ Great link! (The second one works) I had to stop and make me a snack half way thru checking out all of the different types of breakfast foods from around the world. I hadn’t realized that there was such a wide diversity. > [@BubbaDog](#): > > My favorite all-time breakfast is served at a [Mexican Restaurant](http://tacotown.org/2007/12/25/manuels-port-isabel-tx/) that unfortunately is 1100 miles from where I live. > I try to eat there at least twice a year. Ahhh… Port Isabel (and Manuels Tacos)! _ **A+** _ 🆒 > [@DCnDC](#): > > I know, but they spell it “desalluno” on all of the signs around here. Must be a regional thing. I think **John Mace** just spelled it like it’s pronounced. (Not _everyone_ knows that the double ‘L’ is pronounced as a ‘Y’ in Spanish.) > [@wheresmymind](#): > > Speaking as an American, it’s because American-style breakfast foods are the best in the world, and no other breakfasts come close. They simply can’t compete with the sublime eggs/pig/carbohydrate/animal fat combination. > > Seriously though, I think it’s a combination of things: > > 1. Generally speaking, Americans enjoy trying new/ethnic foods for lunch or dinner, not so much breakfast. I suspect this is because we’re used to eating a wide variety of foods for lunch/dinner, but have a fairly specific set of “breakfast foods.” Maybe we’re just not that daring in the morning, or maybe we just like to start the day with something familiar. > > 2. Many cuisines don’t have specific “breakfast” foods, or don’t place as much importance on breakfast. > > 3. It seems that regardless of cuisine, there are fewer traditional breakfast foods than other foods. There just isn’t as much variety there to offer, so they stick with lunch and dinner. See **ZipperJJ** ’s post and click on the second link, you’ll be glad you did. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/39 "2012-03-20T09:46:27Z")
> [@wheresmymind](#): > > Speaking as an American, it’s because American-style breakfast foods are the best in the world, and no other breakfasts come close. They simply can’t compete with the sublime eggs/pig/carbohydrate/animal fat combination. The Spanish idea of “American breakfast” is “a bowl of cereal-that’s-had-things-done-to-it with milk”. The way you feel about that description is the way I feel about “Continental breakfasts”. I like that the second link for the 50 breakfasts explains things better than the original link did: as I’d WAG’ed in that other thread, they’re not supposed to be “the breakfast most people in [Insertplace] eat,” but “breakfasts you may run into in [Insertplace].” _Desayuno_ is the correct spelling. I’m not surprised about the misspelling, but in the dictionary it appears with a y. It’s not “a regional thing” any more than misplacing apostrophes is; you can find it anywhere bad spellers are found. ---
**Author:** ![Entheogen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Entheogen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Entheogen)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088/40 "2012-03-20T11:45:52Z")
A lot of Islamic people in my 'hood eat shawarma at breakfast, as well as throughout the day. My Missus (Pinay-Bahrani) will usually take it over the stereotypical NA Lumberjack’s Breakfast. [My favourite shop](http://www.yelp.ca/biz/ibrahim-pizza-and-bbq-toronto) closes at 5 am and opens at 7 am. There’s always people there, any time of the day. New Year’s eve in the wee hours of the morn there’s a huge line, even. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-serve-breakfast-at-ethnic-restaruants/616088.md?page=3)