My trip to Japan was an active one. Outside of the first night’s rooftop footbath in the Asakusa district of Tokyo, I didn’t sit still very much.
It was a wondrous visit: I saw top-level sumo wrestlers and learned the ouenka (cheer songs) at a Yokohama game, chanting for their DeNA Baystars while drinking local beer poured by a uriko (server) with a heavy, bright yellow keg on her back. I sipped and sampled at the Suntory Yamazaki Distillery. I rode the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. I saw the legendary Iron Maiden before a screaming legion of Japanese metalheads in Kanagawa. I climbed Mount Fuji in the black of the wee hours and watched the sunrise from the summit at dawn.
Seriously. I did.
But outside of these and other outstanding special moments, I found myself marveling at the Japanese everyday: the miraculous efficiency of public transport, the cleanliness of the streets, the warm, friendly people and the politeness with which they share tight space and of course, the food.
But before I wax poetic about the convenience store onigiri that powered a reasonable portion of my adventures, I want to tell you something: Japan does breakfast better than we do.
I know most of you will balk, but I will pass on the bacon and pancakes any day for mackerel and rice or fall-apart miso-grilled salmon with pickled vegetables and a mug of earthy hot tea.
Which is why when I heard that Gyukatsu Rose had added breakfast to its simple, streamlined menu of Japanese delights, I had to get in there. Fast.
A choice of tea, green, genmaicha or hojicha, is included in the new Japanese breakfast set at Gyukatsu Rose, available on Saturday mornings only. (Courtesy Lisa Wilk/TasteCookSip.com)
“Fish keeps breakfast on the lighter side and full of protein,” says chef/owner Sean “Sonny” Nguyen. “It gives you all the nutrients and keeps you lighter on your feet for the rest of the day.”
Soup (with an extra little dose of protein via fried tofu), barley rice, pickled vegetables, silky chilled tofu in sesame sauce, a crispy, curry-topped potato korokke come beautifully boxed with miso-grilled salmon as the star. A choice of tea helps whet your appetite. Altogether, it’s $28 per person. And if you feel like being a little bit “American,” you can feel free to grab a Lineage coffee and bring it to the counter, as well.
At dinner and brunch, the specialty here is gyukatsu (fried wagyu). And though they’ve added maguro katsu (a tuna version) since opening, they focus on doing one thing extremely well. Breakfast is no different.
The dinner and brunch menu at the Michelin Guide-recommended Gyukatsu Rose specializes in Japanese cutlets. (Courtesy Alex Gonzalez)
“Our way is definitely an homage to Japan, in general, where folks like to specialize in one dish and just try to execute it the best they can, versus having a large menu where everything might be good, but not the best.”
Breakfast came to light due to the traffic cycle of the market.
“We are open in the market mostly late afternoon and into the evening, even past when the market closes, and the presence on the weekend is really strong at East End Market. There are not a lot of places that do Japanese breakfast in Central Florida.”
Papi’s Burritos is rollin’ fine fatties at East End Market | Review
Though Michelin-starred Kadence offers its own version from time to time, Gyukatsu Rose’s offering, approachable and now available every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, “is more for the everyday, average diner,” Nguyen says.
Reservations for the 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. seatings are available via Resy through the restaurant’s website. Now about a month into service, they’re filling up consistently, so make yours today and power up for an Orlando weekend of fun.
Guykatsu Rose: Located inside East End Market, 3201 Corrine Drive in Orlando; gyukatsurose.com
You don’t have to be good, though. This is the Black Coffee Smash Burger, layered with melted American cheese, sweet onions and cilantro mayonnaise and served on brioche buns with fries. Really solid. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)
Black Coffee Cafe Negro Bistro
Ensconced in Winter Park, the former home of Winter Park Fish Company has transformed into a brunch haven, where even if you’re invested in “being good” with the $19 egg white omelet (guilty as charged), you can bring along a friend who’s more apt to go for the Black Coffee Smash Burger with fries ($22) and enjoy a bite before maintaining your nutrition plan in earnest.
Sure, black coffee is right in the name, but the mimosa selection at Black Coffee Cafe Negro Bistro is wider than most. This is the house favorite: lavender. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)
Best part? Eating light means you can “afford” the mimosa calories. Here, the lavender is the house specialty, but the lemon (just lemon juice, no sugar and fantastic) was my favorite of the breakfasty sips.
Black Coffee Cafe Negro Bistro: 761 N. Orange Ave. in Winter Park, 321-444-6001; bccnb.com
Menemen, a Turkish scrambled egg dish, is pictured atop a slice of fresh sourdough at Sourdough Bread House in Casselberry. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)
Sourdough Bread House
If you’ve been paying attention, you know that this Casselberry castle of carbs took the Critic’s Pick slot this year for Best Breakfast in the Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards. If you haven’t, this is your second chance at what I think is one of the most overlooked venues in town, fantastic for both American and Turkish breakfasts, as well as incredible, round sourdough breads you might consider using as a pillow.
These beautiful boules, it is important to note, freeze very well, ensuring that you can enjoy a toasty slice with an egg breakfast or a soup lunch or anything else you can dream up in the comfort of home. Maybe just a whisper of jam. Or a dip into seasoned olive oil. There are no bad ideas.
Amy Drew Thompson / Orlando Sentinel
A breakfast spread from Sourdough Bread House, enjoyed at home. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)
In-house, my recommendation is the biggest Turkish spread available with an add-on of menemen (gorgeous scrambled eggs with onions, tomatoes, peppers and oregano) and go to town. Hummus, avocado, cheese, honey, jams, dips and more … with strong Turkish tea, it is a heavenly start to any day.
But so are many of the other plates. Labneh, hummus, avocado and smoked salmon on sourdough is never a bad idea, but here you can get good ol’ American pancakes and bacon if that’s what’s calling you.
Just go. And get that bread. And thank me later.
Sourdough Bread House: 5761 S. U.S. Highway 1792 in Casselberry, 407-636-5204; sourdoughbreadhouse.com
Bagel King for breakfast is always a win. Always. (Courtesy Lisa Wilk/TasteCookSip.com)
Bagel King
They are Orlando-area monarchs for reasons beyond the name they gave themselves.
The city has more bagel options than ever these days, but Bagel King was a pioneer in the space, offering up solid, boiled-then-baked bagels for the discriminating palate.
Bringing a paper sack home for your own spread is obvious enough, but if you want to sit and let someone else do the work, you could do worse than a fresh bagel topped with the schmear of your choice (I’m a chive girl), along with belly or nova lox with romaine, tomato, onions and capers.
Yes, they have non-bagel options. They even do biscuits and gravy and chicken-fried steak. I’d still get a bagel on the side.
Being “good” for brunch is easy at Black Coffee Cafe Negro Bistro, where they’ll whip you up a veggie-filled egg white omelet with wholesome sides. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)
Because skipping a bagel at a place called Bagel King just seems like a bad idea.
That said, I’m eyeballing that Jewish Cuban sandwich for my next lunch pop-in.
Bagel King: 1455 Semoran Blvd. in Casselberry, 407-657-6266; bagelking.net
Find me on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com, For more foodie fun, join the Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group.