Places for early birds to grab a hearty breakfast on the run

Kenny Santana, Contributor, Jakarta

Everyone knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But then why does no one seem to get around to having breakfast before starting their daily routine?

One of the most common reasons is lack of time, because we have to leave early for work to avoid the traffic, and on weekends some of us like to sleep in. In my case, I often just grab a banana on my way out the door.

People who never miss breakfast mostly say that home is their favorite place to eat the meal. Convenience is the main reason, and another is that there are only a few eateries in Jakarta that serve breakfast, other than hotels.

Don't give up, breakfast lovers, because there are a few places in the capital that do make a specialty of breakfast.

One of the few places to get a decent American breakfast is Star Deli in Kemang. Almost one third of their menu consists of breakfast dishes, showing their full concern about the importance of the first meal of the day.

The general manager of Star Deli, Elizabeth Henny said, that on weekends, half of their customers come to the restaurant for the breakfast. She added that the restaurant has around 13 choices of breakfast dishes and it's likely to expand in the future, based on customer demand.

Besides Star Deli, there are others that also serve breakfast. We will just have to cross our fingers that we'll see many other places that will follow their lead and let us get a decent breakfast on the run.

Star Deli, Jl. Kemang Selatan No. 5, Tel. 7818649. Opening Hours: 10 a.m.- midnight (weekends 9 a.m. - 1 a.m.)

It's a great place to have breakfast, an American breakfast that is, with a wide selection to choose from.

Scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, you name it, they have it all. Their menu uses big Hollywood star names, from Pretty Woman Julia Roberts to cowboy legend Clint Eastwood. A favorite is Maximus (Gladiator's hero) that consists of bacon, sausages, eggs and pancakes in one go.

Don't forget to taste their cottage fries, just perfect. They also serve two Indonesian breakfast dishes, the nasi goreng (fried rice) and bakmi goreng (fried noodles). The large portions make this place value for your money.

The comfort of the place makes you want to relax and chat for hours with your friends. With pictures of Tinseltown's famous hanging on the wall, and a free use of the pool table, this place surely has real American diner style. The staff is very friendly and willing to help. Highly recommended.

New York Deli, Jl. Pekalongan No. 26, Menteng, Central Jakarta, Tel. 3144634/35. Opening Hours: 7:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. (weekends 8:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.). Branch: Puri Casablanca.

This place is a sandwich specialist. You can choose the bread, toppings and your favorite type of cheese, or you can just browse from their in-house menu. They have a sandwich for the vegetarian as well (Veg-Out for Rp 22,000).

The beverage section is also worth taking a look at. Here, you can add your own flavor to your coffee or even can change the usual milk to soybean milk. But it's too bad that the juices are not fresh; they only sell the bottled kind.

The Menteng branch is homey and most of its visitors are mainly expats who work nearby. And the best thing about this branch is they have free delivery service to most areas in Jakarta.

So if you don't have time to go for breakfast, this could be the answer: pick up the phone and soon the sandwich of your choice will be delivered to your place.

For busy people out there, the idea of grabbing a quick sandwich in front of the computer seems like the best alternative. It's pricey, however.

Phoenam, Jl. K.H. Wahid Hasyim No. 106, Central Jakarta, Tel. 3147813. Opening Hours: 6:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

I didn't know before that toast can be a great business invention. But that's exactly what Phoenam offers. Toast? Yes, in fact, 80 percent of their menu is toasted.

Personally, I think the owner is smart to mix the idea of toast hawkers in the street and put it in a nice place but with affordable prices. Whether you like your toast with strawberry jam, chocolate spread or fried egg, they'll serve it for you.

My personal favorite is their srikaya jam (made of eggs, sugar and coconut cream). It tastes great with anything. Try to prove it with their buttered srikaya, cheese and egg toast.

Beside toast, you'll also find poached egg or pisang panggang (grilled banana) with many flavors. Don't look for a big breakfast because you won't get it here, it's simply the place for just-right-for-your-tummy breakfast.

If you like tea as your companion for breakfast, try their hot milk tea. And for coffee lovers, there's nothing that will beat the taste of real kopi tubruk (Indonesian style coffee with the grains) in the morning. Not to mention it's affordable.

Ya Udah Bistro, Jl. Jaksa No.49, Tel. 326474. Opening Hours: 8 a.m.-midnight

One of the most pleasant places along famous Jl. Jaksa, Ya Udah is a German bistro that serves European and American breakfasts. They don't call this place a German bistro for nothing, since they have two kinds of German breakfast.

One is Strammer Max or as they call it, the trucker's breakfast with two fried eggs, smoked ham with German dark bread plus German fried potatoes. They also have what they call Swissman's breakfast with bacon, sausages, eggs, with brown bread.

And if an European breakfast is not your fancy, you might like to try their nasi goreng with the fish satay, fried egg, chicken drumstick and prawn crackers, it's yummy. Most of the menu is reasonably priced under Rp 20,000 and quite a large portion too, this is a place you must visit. And they also give refillable tea and coffee as much as you like. Good value.

Now that you've read all the choices, but if you don't feel satisfied, maybe it's time to go back to basics.

Cook your own breakfast, make a quick slice of toast, simple chicken porridge, plus a glass of orange juice and enjoy it with someone special. Not even the most expensive breakfast could beat breakfast in bed served by a loved one. And that's just what I call the most important thing to begin the day!