Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so it’s vital that you also make it the best meal of the day. Somehow, even though I’ve lived in New Zealand for eight years, I still crave a good Chinese breakfast to hit my spot. I call it brunch, my Chinese way.
It’s fortunate also that I live on the Shore and options are plenty. Take a trip to these breakfast and brunch spots, and I think these will do wonders for your day just as they do mine.
Youtiao: Fried dough stick
Dough Sticks that are fried in pairs and connected in the middle are possibly the most popular Chinese breakfast food. The sticks are crispy on the exterior with a soft interior. Back in Guangzhou, where I am from, you can find these sold by street vendors everywhere in the city.
Youtiao can be traced back to the Song Dynasty, when its leader Qin Gui, who was urged by his wife, executed a much-loved general named Yue Fei. As a sign of protest, a cook made dough sticks shaped to resemble a couple - the leader and his wife - deep frying them in hot oil. The nickname for youtiao is “you zha gui”, or deep-fried ghosts.
There are a few places you can get good freshly cooked ones on the Shore, like Tofuman in Northcote. But have them at Little Canteen in Albany, where you can eat the snack for breakfast accompanied by soy milk, tea eggs and Chao Gan (Beijing-style Stir-fried Liver and Intestines in Garlic Sauce)
LITTLE CANTEEN 372 Rosedale Road, Rosedale, Albany Open 8.30am to 6pm (Mon-Fri), 9.30am to 6pm (Sat). Closed on Sundays.
Da bao: Big steamed bao bun
There are many varieties of baozi, or Chinese steamed buns. Da Bao, or translated to mean “Big Bao” is one that you can have as a meal on its own because of its sheer size. The bun, made with yeasted dough, is soft, springy, and delicate with savoury fillings that are similar to other steamed buns but are larger.
Fillings often range from flavourful minced pork or chicken, mushrooms, and green onions, or barbecue pork and Chinese sausage. It is indeed a hearty breakfast or brunch option.
LITTLE YUM Shop 5/51 Pearn Crescent, Northcote. Open 10.30am to 3pm (Tue to Fri), 9.30am to 3pm (Sat and Sun). Closed on Monday.
Jianbing: Chinese crepe
Jianbing is possibly the most popular Chinese breakfast item, where like youtiao, you’d find vendors selling them at every street corner.
The pancake is freshly prepared, cooked before your eyes and can be topped with eggs, then flavored with sauces that include a savoury bean paste called “tian mian jiang”(甜面酱), chili sauce and hoisin sauce(海鲜酱).
They are packed with fillings that can include spring onions, crispy crackers, cilantro, potato slices and protein like chicken, beef or sausage. The crepe is made by spreading batter over a hot cast-iron slab and a woodle paddle.
Crepe Time has several outlets, but there’s a little one in Takapuna that does Jianbing well.
CREPE TIME TAKAPUNA P2, 33-45 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna. Open 10am to 5pm (Mon-Fri), 10am-7pm (Sat and Sun)
Hong Mi Chang: Red rice roll stuffed with shrimp and fried breadcrumbs
Older generation Chinese often have zhaliang consisting of crispy Chinese fried dough sticks (youtiao) wrapped in silky rice noodle rolls. A more elevated version of this is the Hong Mi Chang, where the rice rolls are wrapped around bread crumbs and prawns. Hongmichang is often served with a sweet soy sauce, hoisin sauce, or sesame paste, but I would just have them plain as they are flavourful enough.
The dish originates from Cantonese cuisine, and is commonly served for breakfast or brunch as part of traditional Cantonese dim sum meals.They are cut into bite-sized pieces and served, sometimes with vegetables.
My go-to for Hong Mi Chang is Sum Made Restaurant.
SUM MADE
11 Davies Drive, Albany. Open 10.30am-3pm, 5.30-10pm (7 days).
Wonton noodles
It is common for Chinese to have noodles for breakfast and wonton noodles is a very popular choice. It is also Cantonese in origin, and traditionally consists of stringy egg noodles, wonton dumplings and served in flavourful chicken or pork clear broth.
The wonton dumplings are filled with a combination of minced pork and shrimp, served with spring onions on top of the soup. It is also possible to have them “dry” without soup.
For Cantonese-style wonton noodles, I’d go to Lucky Life Restaurant.
LUCKY LIFE
unit 2/8 Huron Street.
Open 10.30am-9pm.
