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Turtle Tower's Pho Ga
Turtle Tower's Pho Ga
Janice C./Yelp

10 Asian Breakfasts to Wake Up With In SF

Pho, rice porridge, kimchi benedict and more for your morning meal.

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Turtle Tower's Pho Ga
| Janice C./Yelp

Dumplings are great. Waiting in line for weekend dim sum isn’t. The good news is you can have a hearty, Asian-inspired breakfast (almost) any day of the week. From a kimchi benedict to a simple bowl of rice porridge, this East meets West list rounds up some of the most satisfying, savory ways to consume the most important meal of the day.

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Don’t see your favorite Asian-inspired breakfast dish on here? Let us know where you go in the comments.

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Art's Cafe

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Your all-American diner with a Korean twist, this Inner Sunset breakfast counter is known for its killer hash brown sandwiches (fork and knife required). In particular, the bulgogi beef hash brown sandwich with marinated bulgogi beef and caramelized onion wrapped in a crispy hash brown sheet arrives with two eggs and two pieces of toast, culminating in what could be the perfect hangover cure. Tip: cash only.

Blackwood

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Blackwood’s menu is definitely an East meets West situation. With options ranging from a BLTA to pad Thai, it could be hard to know where to begin at this open-all-day Marina restaurant. But fear no more. The hot stone pots, which may or may not be Blackwood's take on Korean bibimbap, are the way to go, arriving at your table sizzling with your choice of meat, rice, mushrooms, and seasonal veggies topped with a fried egg and ready for you to mix it all in.

Cassava

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Cassava’s Tokyo-trained chef Kris Toliao brings a little slice of Japan to this cute Outer Richmond café. His Japanese breakfast is a collection of small, savory plates that you can mix (or not mix) however you’d like. For $10, you get a heaping scoop of koshihikari rice, pickled vegetables, a sous-vide egg suspended in dashi broth, miso soup with seasonal root vegetables, and wakame with mushrooms, with natto available by request. And if you really want to ball out, you can add house-cured ocean trout gravlax for an additional $3.

Huli Huli Hawaiian Grill

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Though not technically part of Asia, Hawaii’s largest ethnic group is Asian, and the influences come through in the archipelago’s unique cuisine. This Bayview grill is mostly known for its plate lunches, but its loco moco, piled high with rice and a hamburger patty, drenched with gravy and topped with two fried eggs, will really have you feeling those island vibes for breakfast.

Hải Ký Mì Gia

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Phở may be the most recognized breakfast soup, but there are, in actuality, endless possibilities. In the heart of Little Saigon, this Chinese/Vietnamese hybrid soup spot has over 30 steamy bowls to choose from. Its signature dish, braised duck leg with wonton egg noodle soup, is required eating. Post-slurp napping is optional.

This insanely popular breakfast and brunch destination has wait-times of over two hours on weekends. But if you happen to find yourself on Potrero Hill during a weekday morning (preferably before 9 a.m.), the Chinese breakfast bowl, which sells out quickly and is only served Monday through Friday, comes with chunks of salty-sweet pork shoulder, baby bok choy, ginger, chili paste, and Jasmine rice topped with two fried eggs, and might be worth the wait.

Sam Wo Restaurant

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Sam Wo doesn’t open until 11 a.m., but we’re making an exception for this recently revived, century-old Chinatown gem. If you’re a late riser, you can grab a revitalizing bowl of chicken jook topped with shredded chicken and scallions, or any flavor that fits your fancy.

Super Star Restaurant

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This hole-in-the-wall, Excelsior joint serves up very generously-portioned Filipino breakfasts. For a mere $4, you can try the massive Hong Kong pork chop dish: two tonkatsu-style fried pork chops on a heaping bed of garlic rice with an egg and a side of either pineapple or tomato. Plus: coffee is included.

Sweet Maple

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While its Millionaire bacon may be what attracts the flocks of determined brunchers, this Pac Heights corner has several Korean fusion breakfast options that do not disappoint. Easily the most impressive American-Korean combination has to be the Kim Benedict: fried tofu and sautéed Napa cabbage kimchi on served on an English muffin and topped with Meyer lemon hollandaise.

Turtle Tower Restaurant

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You can’t make a list of Asian breakfasts without phở, and you can’t talk about phở in SF without mentioning Turtle Tower. The TL location opens at 8 a.m., and its northern Vietnamese-style soups taste like you’re slurping up a steaming bowl on the streets of Hanoi. Try one of the stir-fried noodle and beef options to add extra richness, if you please.

Art's Cafe

Your all-American diner with a Korean twist, this Inner Sunset breakfast counter is known for its killer hash brown sandwiches (fork and knife required). In particular, the bulgogi beef hash brown sandwich with marinated bulgogi beef and caramelized onion wrapped in a crispy hash brown sheet arrives with two eggs and two pieces of toast, culminating in what could be the perfect hangover cure. Tip: cash only.

Blackwood

Blackwood’s menu is definitely an East meets West situation. With options ranging from a BLTA to pad Thai, it could be hard to know where to begin at this open-all-day Marina restaurant. But fear no more. The hot stone pots, which may or may not be Blackwood's take on Korean bibimbap, are the way to go, arriving at your table sizzling with your choice of meat, rice, mushrooms, and seasonal veggies topped with a fried egg and ready for you to mix it all in.

Cassava

Cassava’s Tokyo-trained chef Kris Toliao brings a little slice of Japan to this cute Outer Richmond café. His Japanese breakfast is a collection of small, savory plates that you can mix (or not mix) however you’d like. For $10, you get a heaping scoop of koshihikari rice, pickled vegetables, a sous-vide egg suspended in dashi broth, miso soup with seasonal root vegetables, and wakame with mushrooms, with natto available by request. And if you really want to ball out, you can add house-cured ocean trout gravlax for an additional $3.

Huli Huli Hawaiian Grill

Though not technically part of Asia, Hawaii’s largest ethnic group is Asian, and the influences come through in the archipelago’s unique cuisine. This Bayview grill is mostly known for its plate lunches, but its loco moco, piled high with rice and a hamburger patty, drenched with gravy and topped with two fried eggs, will really have you feeling those island vibes for breakfast.

Hải Ký Mì Gia

Phở may be the most recognized breakfast soup, but there are, in actuality, endless possibilities. In the heart of Little Saigon, this Chinese/Vietnamese hybrid soup spot has over 30 steamy bowls to choose from. Its signature dish, braised duck leg with wonton egg noodle soup, is required eating. Post-slurp napping is optional.

Plow

This insanely popular breakfast and brunch destination has wait-times of over two hours on weekends. But if you happen to find yourself on Potrero Hill during a weekday morning (preferably before 9 a.m.), the Chinese breakfast bowl, which sells out quickly and is only served Monday through Friday, comes with chunks of salty-sweet pork shoulder, baby bok choy, ginger, chili paste, and Jasmine rice topped with two fried eggs, and might be worth the wait.

Sam Wo Restaurant

Sam Wo doesn’t open until 11 a.m., but we’re making an exception for this recently revived, century-old Chinatown gem. If you’re a late riser, you can grab a revitalizing bowl of chicken jook topped with shredded chicken and scallions, or any flavor that fits your fancy.

Super Star Restaurant

This hole-in-the-wall, Excelsior joint serves up very generously-portioned Filipino breakfasts. For a mere $4, you can try the massive Hong Kong pork chop dish: two tonkatsu-style fried pork chops on a heaping bed of garlic rice with an egg and a side of either pineapple or tomato. Plus: coffee is included.

Sweet Maple

While its Millionaire bacon may be what attracts the flocks of determined brunchers, this Pac Heights corner has several Korean fusion breakfast options that do not disappoint. Easily the most impressive American-Korean combination has to be the Kim Benedict: fried tofu and sautéed Napa cabbage kimchi on served on an English muffin and topped with Meyer lemon hollandaise.

Turtle Tower Restaurant

You can’t make a list of Asian breakfasts without phở, and you can’t talk about phở in SF without mentioning Turtle Tower. The TL location opens at 8 a.m., and its northern Vietnamese-style soups taste like you’re slurping up a steaming bowl on the streets of Hanoi. Try one of the stir-fried noodle and beef options to add extra richness, if you please.

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