Buzz
Before science proclaimed breakfast as a personal sacrament, Saigon had long embraced the concept. In Saigon, the Mahabharata of the nation, breakfast unfolds in a symphony of spaces and times.
Spaces
Many still recall the breakfast ambiance in a Chinese eatery in Cholon – more aptly termed a liquid haven, a bustling space filled with familiar faces, each person's taste dictating a familiar rhythm, always sounding like a lottery announcement to the kitchen, as Binh Nguyen Loc or Minh Huong would narrate:
– Table 3, east side, the short lady, coffee light on milk!
– Table 4, east side, clear noodle soup without veggies.
– Table 1, west side, add a sweet bun for the little one.
– Table 2, west side, old man with a beard, large black coffee, oversized dumplings.
At a sidewalk bun rieu stall, two or three people sharing a table, enjoying both breakfast and evening soccer commentary or discussing the latest parliamentary session.
With each passing day, industrialized fast-food joints have encroached upon the breakfast spaces – spaces for current affairs discussions and chit-chats under the sky and on the ground.
Nowadays, some breakfast joints recreate a serene garden scene, with a stack of old and new newspapers, allowing diners to leisurely enjoy their meal and the green surroundings, a mix of old and breaking news, and the morning bird songs.
Or drop by for a bowl of Northern-style rice porridge at the stall near Hoa Hung station, as if nothing happened, order an extra bowl of pork organ soup, sip a cheap medicinal wine, then hastily return to the daily grind.
Some daredevils play dice on the rooftop of Saigon Trading Center for breakfast, enjoying the miniature Saigon streets and savoring the early Saigon breeze.
As epic as the Mahabharata, Saigon breakfast spaces are equally expansive. The scope of this article can hardly contain such abundance.
Time
The breakfast time in Saigon extends from the faint dawn to nine o'clock. After this, the richness in both space and dishes diminishes significantly.
For each person, breakfast time falls within a specific timeframe, depending on their job. You may witness starkly different scenes here – at 7:30, some are anxiously speeding on their bikes to the office, munching on a sandwich with determination, while others leisurely return home with a tennis racket. Their breakfast times do not overlap.
From before 4 a.m., the tofu vendor carts start bustling in places with a crowd engaging in morning exercises. Many take a few laps on foot, then settle down on a stool, hastily enjoying a couple of bowls of fragrant tofu soup with the scent of sugar and ginger, and head home to freshen up for work.
At the local market, breakfast for small traders is a familiar scene – a pho vendor serving steaming bowls of pho to regular customers. Mid-morning, he gathers used bowls and utensils, collecting payments with finesse.
Venturing into the outskirts extends breakfast time, as suburban folks seem more serene. They leisurely sip coffee, watch TV series, and sometimes stretch breakfast until 10 a.m. or even linger through to lunch if work permits.
Temporal Essence
One day, while browsing a supermarket, picking up dried snakehead fish for a morning rice feast, you might rediscover lost time, akin to Marcel Proust finding it through a Madeleine cake.
Personally, every time I indulge in cold rice with braised fish for breakfast, memories flood back to my mother setting out dishes under the early sun on the field, after a morning of plowing the fertile soil.
Imagine hot bowls of rice, sometimes paired with braised fish, or accompanied by the aroma of dark-roasted sugar cane, or a unique type of fish sauce, perhaps with hints of lemongrass.
But what I adore most is preserving breakfast as the sole reunion amidst family members in a city that has embraced the 'rush' lifestyle and stress-infused hues. Some may retort, burdening women with yet another responsibility!
In truth, every family member from the age of 10 can manage breakfast for the whole household: if unable to cook, a simple trip to the store will do...
By Yan
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourJune 10, 2014
