The influence from Asian cuisines has long been felt on American menus: Chinese American food is well-established as a favorite go-to, and the flavors from South Korea, Japan, the Phillipines, Thailand and Vietnam continue to make deeper inroads, offering diners new flavor experiences at every turn. With all of this influence and infusion, consumer appreciation and enthusiasm have only increased, forging a natural next-step into the realm of breakfast. Today, we see an array of trending Asian flavors popping up across morning menus.

For menu development that explores this trend, it’s worth drilling down into two popular formats that are relatively easy to tinker with—the breakfast sandwich and the brunch burger. Both provide an apt vehicle for flavor infusions. Simple, strategic additions can generate a large impact, whether subtle or daring.

Here is a range of ideas aimed at sparking culinary innovation:

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• Brekkie Banh Mi: Soft-scrambled eggs + sweet chile-glazed smoked pork belly slices + pickled jalapeño and daikon + Thai basil aïoli + crusty baguette
• Tonkatsu Egg Sandwich: Crispy fried pork loin cutlet + fried egg + miso-maple aïoli + untoasted milk bread
• #FOMO Bagel (open-faced): Toasted bagel + cranberry-miso cream cheese + pork floss
• Char Siu “Swicy” Slider: Char siu pork + pepper Jack cheese + sweet potato slider roll (with sticky brown sugar butter-Chinese hot mustard coating)
• Benedict Breakfast Sammy: Bacon fat confited pork shoulder + fried egg + candied ginger-cashew “hollandaise” + English muffin
• Pretzel B.O.C.: Bulgogi beef ribeye + folded omelette + white American cheese + soft pretzel bun
• Angry Bird Biscuit: Buttermilk biscuit + Korean-spiced Nashville-style fried chicken tender + yuzu lemon curd

ON THE MENU:

• Gochuracha Royal West: Gochujang-Sriracha-glazed spicy tteokgalbi (galbi/beef short rib patty), over-medium egg, cheddar cheese, pickles, grilled onions, snipped chives, housemade premium brioche bun
  —Egg Tuck, Los Angeles
• Brunch Burger: Korean Barbecue Kewpie, kimchi, fried egg
  —Central Provisions, Portland, Maine
• La Baca Loca Burger: Hoisin mole, roasted jalapeño and poblano pepper, yuzu-pickled radish, onions
  —The Box On Wheels, Kirkland, Wash.
• Jeepney: Akaushi beef, longanisa, fried egg, tomato, banana ketchup aïoli
  —Flip n’ Patties, Houston

FEATURED RECIPE: Breakfast Banh Mi

Photo Credit: Smithfield Culinary

Bend the craveable, popular Vietnamese banh mi toward breakfast with a few twists. This Breakfast Banh Mi features sage-infused sausage patties, scrambled eggs, hoisin, cucumbers and cilantro.

GET THE RECIPE FOR Breakfast Banh Mi