In the unlikeliest of places, sandwiched in between a bar (Hair of the Dog) and a tattoo parlor (All Day Tattoo), on the second floor of this shophouse is a new all-day breakfast joint that’s dishing out some incredible western breakfast plates. One of the specialties of Breakfast Story (official Facebook page) is their pancakes. My Viking Princess’s mother is visiting us for the holidays and I thought this might be a great opportunity to settle a debate in our household.
As an American I believe “pancakes” should be fluffy, thick discs that result from frying up pancake batter. These discs are then smothered in real maple syrup (not that high fructose corn syrup garbage) and generous pads of real butter (not that nasty margarine crap). My Viking Princess believes that “pancakes” are wafer thin sheets that I would identify as “crepes”. These are then rolled or folded up with smears of butter and jam. Really?
I thought Mamma could be the great decider in this international breakfast drama!
Let’s begin.
Amazing pancakes!
Breakfast Story sells pancakes by the Half Stack (150 baht) or Full Stack (250 baht). I ordered the Breakfast Story (300 baht) meal because it comes with a nice sampling of pancakes, bacon, eggs, seasoned potatoes, and a fruit cup. These pancakes are amazing! They’re light, fluffy, and they come with a generous serving of whipped real butter and real Canadian maple syrup. If you’re a fan of flapjacks (aka pancakes), then prepare to have your mind blown.
The eggs are organic with the creamy yolks lightly dusted with their in-house potato seasoning. The bacon is thick cut, meaty, and perfectly cooked (not brittle, and not limp and fatty). The potatoes are also delicious and seasoned with rosemary and thyme. Not pictured is the fruit cup which is a mix of dragon fruit, melon, pomegranate, and grapes.
The perfect bite for this plate is to take a bit of maple syrup and butter soaked pancake with a bit of fried egg and bacon. You can reset your palate with a bite of potatoes and do it all over again!
Mamma (I assume fearing that if she judged on the contrary wouldn’t be able to return to Sweden) loves the pancakes but still feels that Swedish pancakes (aka crepes) are “real” pancakes. It’s a shame really, I thought she could be impartial. Though I might consider her a poor judge of pancakes, I can’t deny her potential career as a hand model!
Wow! Now THIS is French Toast…
Classic French Toast (250 baht)
Of course I wanted to do more than just settle a pancake debate. I actually wanted to see what Breakfast Story had to offer. At the table next to us was a couple enjoying some French Toast. Yep…that’s happening. So I ordered the Classic French Toast (250 baht).
You see the picture. What can I say? This is two large thick slices of bread (in the States we’d call this “Texas Toast”) that are soaked in egg and spices and fried. It’s dusted with a bit of confectioner’s sugar and a couple of fresh raspberries and blueberries. Drown it in real maple syrup at your will.
This was Mamma’s personal favorite. It’s like a light, fluffy omelet cake. I know that sounds weird. But this toast is thick and soaked in delicious egg. The perfect bite is bit of butter and syrup soaked toast with a bit of fruit!
Breakfast Story is a page from the 80’s!
As a fan of the 80’s I love this place. The music is soft upbeat 80’s tunes so you can have a conversation, yet still tap your foot. Think the Bangles “Walk Like an Egyptian“. This little cafe is also chock full of Americana such as the old-time tin advertisements and even a sleeping Furby!
A chat with one of the owners…
Dao with Mamma Lola
I was fortunate to be able to talk with Dao, one of the Breakfast Story owners and recipe creator for their menu. Though very new to the Bangkok breakfast scene (it opened November 1, 2017), the idea to open an all-day breakfast cafe began 5 years ago. But Dao’s heart wasn’t in committing to opening and operating a restaurant at that time.
But this past year, breakfast cafe’s started trending in Bangkok. Dao was encouraged by her husband, Mike, to open up a restaurant and strike while the hammer was hot. He felt she could do better than the hype. So after perfecting the recipes (as an example there were over 100 batches until she felt the pancakes were perfect) Breakfast Story was born!
Consistency is key!
Dao felt that perfecting the recipes was important as she wanted to be able to provide a consistent experience with the dishes for customers. If you love the pancakes today, you’ll love them tomorrow and the next day and the next. She uses simple, organic, and eco-friendly ingredients in her cooking (real butter, organic eggs, and bacon from a source she keeps secret). She even makes her own homemade granola with honey, maple syrup, and pecans.
Also consistent is the customer service they provide. They want everything to be “right”. During my visit I observed them going to the tables after customers received their orders to follow up and make sure that everything was “right”.
I’m hungry! Where is it?
The Breakfast Story is located an easy walking distance from the Phrom Phong BTS station on the little side street that connects Sukhumvit Soi 33/1 with the the Villa Market. In order to get to it you have to go through the Hair of the Dog bar (marvel at all the neat dentist equipment as you do) and go up to the 2nd floor of the shophouse building.
UPDATE (November 26,1019): Breakfast has an additional venue at Phloen Chit!
Breakfast Story is open 7 days a week from 7am to 11 pm. They do not take reservations (first come, first served) so note that on Friday through Sunday between the hours of 10am to 1pm this 25 seater restaurant can be quite busy.
Agree with this, this is my favourite breakfast place in Bangkok and I love looking for breakfast places. Everyone of my friends that I have taken there has loved it.
Bronson, that’s great to hear! I appreciate your feedback. It makes me happy to find other folks that also find the places I write about as special. 🙂