breakfast place

When I was in university in Vancouver, Sunday morning breakfast with friends was an important weekly ritual.  I think now that this might have been because breakfast was the most affordable restaurant meal, but I remember it fondly.  We went to funky little places on Commercial Drive, or the Guatemalan place on Main St.  These were good breakfast places with big tasty portions and I've sought out something similar everywhere I've lived since.  In Costa Rica this was easy.  Gallo Pinto (beans and rice fried together), with sour cream or fried eggs is a typical breakfast.  A good breakfast (and by this I mean, really yummy) in Costa Rica is cheap and easy to find.  Panama is quite another story.

The typical breakfast in Panama is a plate of fried food.  Fried dough (hojaldre) fried plantain, and maybe some meat or sausage.  I love Panama, but the typical breakfast here is not for me.  I've tried; doused in hot sauce with fried egg I will eat and even enjoy it.  But I do not seek it out.  So the breakfast place thing became a bit of an issue for me.  I lamented the lack of breakfast as I like it.  Now that I've lived here a few years I've figured it out.

Dim Sum is popular and Chinese restaurants do brisk business on Sunday morning.  Also, the Marbella location of the Colombian Chain, Crepes and Waffles, has a Sunday brunch with waffles and pancakes and eggs benedict.  My favourite place though, is The New York Bagel Cafe in El Cangrejo.  You have no idea how happy this place made me the first time we went.  They have pancakes and bagels and egg things, hash browns and toast.  The music is decent and the vibe is relaxed and fun.

Everything we've eaten here has been good.  I love that the huevos rancheros are served on Panamanian tortillas (which are thick and chewy).  It's probably better to order regular coffee rather than expresso (this would be my only quibble).  It's a yummy place for breakfast and now that they've expanded it's possible to be leisurely.  Sunday morning exactly as it should be.