A Good Morning

For those who relate to an English breakfast complete with eggs,sausages and a stack of pancakes,there are plenty of options. At Ovenfresh in Sector 26,they urge you to arrive hungry. A look at the offerings on the All-Day breakfast menu and it’s not hard to understand why. Apart from a range of omelettes,Ovenfresh offers breakfast platters. We start with the Sunday English Breakfast (Rs 169) that brings in two fried eggs sunny side up,a serving of sausage,ham,bacon with a grilled tomato on the side. The bread is baked in-house and one can choose from white,whole wheat,bran,honey oat,sunflower seed and flax seed. For those looking for a more hearty meal (and willing to put calorie worries on the backburner),go for a Bolognese omelette,which is stuffed with mutton mince in a Bolognese sauce and served with creamed,baked potatoes. For vegetarians,the Vegetarian Delight (Rs 94) with its potatoes,cheese,broccoli and grilled button mushrooms served with baked beans and tomatoes is worth a bite. We team up our meal with a Chocolate Banana probiotic smoothie (Rs 97) that is very filling. Litchi,blueberry and rose lassi are the other flavours one can try. Wind up with a Flapjack Stack (Rs 139),a stack of four pancakes served with caramel syrup and fresh whipped cream. “The probiotic smoothies are a hit with the kids. These dishes are served all day at diners abroad and we want to do it here as well,” says owner Bobby Garg.

Also offering an English breakfast spread is Backpacker’s Cafe in Sector 9,Chandigarh. We recommend ‘Eggs to order’ where you have a choice of three farm fresh eggs cooked your way – sunny side up,scrambled,double fried served with choice of country potato wedges or hash browns with ham or bacon and choice of bread all for Rs 150. Another meal worth digging into is Bangers and Mash for Rs 165. Two grilled sausages arrive over a bed of buttery mashed potatoes with caramelized onion and gravy. The much popular Spanish omelette is available for Rs 145. Team it with freshly brewed Espresso for Rs 65.

However,if you tire of English breakfasts,head to Cafe Nomad in Sector 7 that has rolled out a new ‘Eggs A-Go-Go’ addition to their menu. “All eggs come with preserves,butter,hash browns and country-styled breads that are served plain or toasted from the wood-fired oven at the cafe,” says owner Priya Garg,who points out the trend of diners choosing to order breakfast in the middle of a day. We chose Oudja,a spicy Moroccan omellete with prawn and sausage for Rs 175. The Arabian Night’s Masala Omelette (Rs 135) with its green chilli,coriander,onions and tomatoes is also highly recommended. Interestingly,all the cafes dish out breakfast meals all through the day.

Those who relish South Indian cuisine can savour the same over breakfast as well. Sundarams,the South Indian restaurant in Sector 26,offers a Healthy Breakfast Special. Priced at Rs 85 and served till 12:30 pm,the breakfast thali brings in two pieces of idli,a bowl of Upma and sambar along with three types of chutney and a glass of spicy buttermilk. The latter will have you asking for a refill.

But if you are looking to a relish a traditional Punjabi breakfast of Puri Channa with lassi on the side,then head to Gopal Sweets either in Sector 8,Chandigarh or Sector 8 in Panchkula. A Sunday special only,the two puris are fluffy and surprisingly large while the aloo sabzi has the perfect flavour. Once you are done,all you will need will be an early afternoon snooze.

Ovenfresh,Sector 26,Chandigarh: Contact – 0172 4658862;
Backpacker’s Cafe,Sector 9,Chandigarh: Contact – 0172 6541459;
Cafe Nomad,Sector 7,Chandigarh: Contact – 0172 6541469;Gopal Sweets: Contact – 0172 5062424;
Sundarams,Sector 26,Chandigarh: Contact – 9316017509.