Breakfast at Tibo, Glasgow

It's Sunday today. Instead of having a breakfast at home, we decided to go out for late breakfast so we have just been to Cafe Tibo (http://cafetibo.com) in Dennistoun, Glasgow. This is the place we had always wanted to try every time we parked our car near by to go to Coia's Cafe for their seafood linguine.

We stepped inside - it's a very relaxing atomosphere with displays of paintings and photographs on walls. I later learned from their website that they help promote artworks by local artists through regular displays within the restaurant.

We consulted their menu .... they have good selections for all day breakfast serving until 5pm. I was contemplating having Eggs Florentine but both my husband and I decided to have their Full Veggie Breakfast.

I also notice they have today's specials on the blackboard. Mediterranean vegetable and rice soup ... that sounds nice. Fillet of Seabass with seared scallops, Thai stir-fry and pea puree. That sounds nice too. I take a mental note that I shall come back and try their specials ....

We ordered breakfast tea to go with our fry-ups.

It was a good brew .... We were having a nice cuppa, looking at some paintings on the walls....

And before we know, our veggie breakfast arrived!

Cafe Tibo's veggie breakfast consists of veggie sausages, veggie haggis, baked beans, mushrooms, roast tomato, fried egg, potato scone and toast on a good sized plate.  It's not bad for £7.95.

We enjoyed our breakfast and nicely brewed pot of tea.

As we were eating our breakfast, we notice others were having mac'n cheese or Egg Benedict. Yes, we could come back for lunch, cakes and coffee in the afternoon or even dinner to try other food on the menu. This place always looks nice outside in the evening - I bet it would be just as lovely inside as outside in the evening with soft and warm lighting and their decors.

We arrived just after 12. The restaurant was quiet and we were served fairly quickly. Staff who was serving us was very friendly and welcoming. I would definitely go back and when I do, I would like to try their seafood curry or macaroni cheese from their main menu.

Cafe Tibo is on Duke Street, east end of Glasgow and just next block from Coia's Cafe, Italian restaurant.

That's all forks.

Breakfast at Hotel Avenida Palace, Lisbon, Portugal

*This blog was originally published on 31/Aug/15, which has now been updated on 14/Sep/15.

We are going back to Lisbon for a week for a holiday shortly. This is our 4th time going there and 3rd time to stay at Hotel Avenida Palace (http://www.hotelavenidapalace.pt/en/hotel-overview.html).  We love this hotel ... everyone looks after you with great customer service, situated at great location in the centre of Lisbon AND they do great breakfast buffet!!!

Palace Salon

You can have almost anything you wish for breakfast .... continental as well as cooked breakfast, lots of fruits and lovely and yummy cakes, catering meat eaters and non-meat eaters, etc. You can also have champaign breakfast if you wish though I have never tried that....

I like to start with selection of fresh fruits with a cup of tea....

... and then have a lovely croissant with jam and mini Portuguese custard tart, which is really really delicious!  The custard tarts seem to be very popular with many guests as they quickly disappear, however the hotel now replenishes the plateful of the custard tarts frequently throughout the breakfast period so that guests can enjoy the tarts straight from the oven anytime for breakfast.

Really really yummy custard tarts ....

You can also get other types of cakes and sponges if you can't get the custard tarts....

Small donuts are another of my favourite...

You can also order boiled eggs ...

Or you can get fry-ups from the buffet table ...

However, my favourite is their perfect omelet, very savoury and tasty. One day I saw Spanish omelet or egg frittata on the buffet table but it had some ham in it. I asked the waiting staff if there was vegetarian option and she said no but she could ask the chef to make a vegetable omelet for me. That was the beginning of many vegetable omelettes we have consumed for breakfast at the Hotel. 

I know it's only an omelet but I really love their omelet, and I can't wait to go back and eat that again before setting out to explore Lisbon under the beautiful pure blue sky ....

On our very last day (or I should say very last morning) of last time when we stayed at the Hotel, we had to check out to catch a very early morning flight, which meant that we could not get to have breakfast in the breakfast room. So we had simple breakfast as room service in the very early hours whilst we were getting ready.  Rolls were fresh, juices were freshly squeezed as well as pots of freshly brewed tea and coffee with warmed milk.  It was a very good start of the day but it was also very sad to leave Lisbon ...

Anyway, it won't be long, we will be back to Lisbon soon and have some more omelettes, and I am sure I will also have their lovely cocktails every evening before going out for dinner (see my earlier blog Cocktails at Hotel Avenida Palace). 

That's all forks.

What's for Breakfast?

During the week, I don't have time to eat proper breakfast but if I am on holiday, I like to get up early enough to make sure I eat breakfast. I like to find out what locals eat for breakfast.

When I went to Rome, which was my very first trip to Europe, the hotel we stayed had a roof top terrace where you could relax and enjoy breakfast under the lovely morning sunshine, far away from bustle and hustles happening on the streets in Rome.  I was really thrilled to find that a hot chocolate was available for breakfast as till then I never thought such thing was allowed and thought how great to be an Italian being able to enjoy delicious hot chocolate with breakfast croissant every morning.

Then about 6 - 7 years ago we went to Madrid where my husband introduced me to the delight of Spanish breakfast,  Pan con tomato (bread with tomato), which is simply rubbing a garlic clove across the surface of toasted bread and mashing a tomato until the juice and seeds coat it. You then drizzle some olive oil and salt over top.

In Barcelona it is called Pa amb tomaquet (in Catalan language) and it looks and tastes delicious!

We went to "La Boqueria" last October (2011), Barcelona's famous food market on La Rambla, for breakfast. We sat at a counter and ordered Pa amb tomaquet with strong coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice.

Some of airline flight meals are quite good. These are Emirates's breakfast between Glasgow and Osaka flights via Dubai (December 2011 - January 2012).

English breakfast (vegetarian option)

Japanese breakfast - grilled salmon,  egg roll, vegetable, rice and pickles.

We also had some breakfast at Frankie & Benny's, Glasgow Airport before boarding (December 2011).
 I like sitting at window booth, watching flights coming in and out, looking forward to our on-ward journey abroad.

For meat eaters...

And for non meat eaters!

In Japan, you can go to Starbucks if you want, or can go to local Japanese coffee shop to order a "morning set" that usually comes with thick toast, small salad, boiled egg and a cup of coffee.

Or you can eat a typical Japanese breakfast. Grilled salmon, rice, variety of pickles including Umeboshi (pickled plums - shown below in the middle) which is very very sour, and sometime, if you are in Osaka, Korean Kimuchi (spicy cabbage pickles - shown below, orange vegetables in the back, colour comes from chill so you can imagine this is spicy!).   Typical Japanese breakfast can also include "natto" (shown below, behind rice, brown beans with chopped spring onions and soy sauce), which is fermented soybeans, rich source of protein.  This can be however rather an acquired taste because of its strong smell and slippery texture with sticky and gooey strings.

When we went to Las Vegas in year 2006, we had poached eggs with smoked salmon on top of hush brown for breakfast at Luxor Hotel.

However, my favourite breakfast is the one that my husband has made for a Sunday breakfast. He said this is Gordon Ramsey's recipe with toasted soda bread and scrambled egg with little bit of from age frais.  I am hoping that he will make this again for this Sunday after reading my blog! (hint, hint!!!)