Category: Breakfast (25 listings)
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After spending years with the Ritz-Carlton, Chef Dee Nguyen started Break of Dawn, a gourmet Orange County restaurant featuring breakfast and lunch, to enrich the Irvine, El Toro, Irvine, Lake Forest and Newport Beach neighborhoods.
Chef Dee's vision is to integrate a hint of Vietnamese flavors with refined European sophistication. The resulting food explodes in your mouth with exciting flavors giving all patrons a longing to return to experience another dish. When you want to impress a friend or business associate in the Irvine, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Newport Beach or Laguna Hills area, visit Break of Dawn -- treat your mouth to something special!!!
must try it!
I recommend Break of Dawn restaurant because Executive Chef and Owner Dee Nguyen is AMAZING!!! He is incredibly innovative mixing Vietnamese flair with traditional classics. His recipes are some of the best I have ever experienced. Every bite is so delicious and is what makes you want to keep coming back for more. Braised Short Ribs with Merlot Poached Eggs is one of my favorite dishes! Dee is extremely hard working and strongly dedicated to his family and his career. Break of Dawn deserves to be number one and I highly recommened everyone to go there and try it out!!!
Creative, delicious, comforting and unique food combinations. Always impress my friends when I take them to Break of Dawn!
I had lunch one day at "Break of Dawn" because it was highly recommended by a friend. The service was excellent. I'm kind of a "meat and potatoes" eater, so it was a bit exotic for me, but the meal that was served was well-prepared and I enjoyed it.
I'm only commenting today because I find LolaLaguna's review very offensive. She really gave us "her side of the story" didn't she? I agree that the chef was most likely being friendly, but apparently she and her husband completely lack a sense of humor and felt persecuted. Maybe Lola and Mr. Lola should try taking themselves a bit less seriously, and next time, give someone the benefit of the doubt when they are trying to make friendly conversation with a customer.
I seriously doubt he told them to "never come back," but from Lola's attitude, it sounds to me like he certainly had a right to do so.
I must respond to LolaLaguna's post, the only negative one about this amazing restaurant. Surely she and her husband were dining in some restaurant other than the one we frequent.
Let me take things one step at a time. She states that he treated her (an Asian) differently about finishing her food than he treated Caucasian Americans. How wrong can you be? It sounds at the outset that perhaps she doesn't know how to take Dee's comments....we all need to have a sense of humor and realize when it's in play... because my husband is Asian and we have eaten there multiple times and Dee often teases us a bit, even our grandkids, about leaving food. He's just wanting to make sure it tasted good and it's rather like your mom, when you were young, mentioning that your plate wasn't clean. We don't throw a rant over a mommy comment if we are decent kids at all. It's a subliminal kind of love and caring.
Dee is one of the kindest and big-hearted people that God ever invented, as his customers, friends and some of his Ritz-Carlton co-workers that we know all confirm. To say that he is bigoted is as far out a statement as I have ever heard. If only you knew his life story...some of it so tremendously hard...you'd be thankful to be in the same room as him.
As someone who earns a living by taking small VIP groups to countries around the world to experience the culture (including dining with the best chefs and visiting the most prestigious wineries, etc) I can add that a few who have done the 3-star chefs in France and Italy with us agree that Dee's food is nothing less than marvelous and that he is a wonderful person.
You may think that the food is mediocre for Asians but my husband, born and raised in the Orient, wishes to join me, and all those other fans of Dee and his food, in almost adoration of this very special place that we were so thankful to find.
We are all entitled to our opinions, but ours is so diverse from yours in every way that it bothered me enough to have to respond....especially the parts alluding to Asians. None of us can speak for everyone or for a whole ethnic group and my husband, since he never tires of going to Break of Dawn or being kidded about something, doesn't seem to be your sort of Asian.
It seems that his comment urged your husband to make another comment and who knows what went through anyone's mind. Not every situation in life is the same for everyone and our diversity is what also makes the world rather interesting....if we don't get too far off track. So, I'd say that it's just not the restaurant for you and better that you don't return.
Alas, for us personally, this has gotten our taste buds going again and we'll be in B of D again within the next few days to get our "fix" of Dee's great food and see his smile as he visits with his customers. As the French say, "Viva la difference."
I have eaten at Break of Dawn 3 or 4 times. Although the food was alright, each time we ate there the service was OK, bordering on slow and apathetic.
Today we had the honor of being served by chef Dee himself. I guess he didn't feel like cooking today, instead he tried his hand at being a waiter. Our food was alright. I had pecan waffles, my husband had the portuguese sausage and rice. I also had a side of eggs and sausage -- I like variety and needed a little protein to balance out the carbs.
Neither my husband or I can eat huge portions of food, nor do we want to. Rarely do we finish our plates at restaurants because the portions are just too big for us. Chef Dee made it a point to comment on the fact that I did not finish my food, and that he's noticed that everytime I eat there that I don't finish my meal. I told him that the food was excellent, and I like variety, but I just can't eat all of it. It's not like I took 2 bites and left the rest. I ate over 3/4 of my meal.
I noticed that Dee did not say anything to the other diners around us who left food on their plates. They were Caucasian Americans. I am Asian, so I suppose he thought he could guilt me like an Asian parent. Sorry, but I don't tolerate that kind of bigotry and disrespect, especially when I'M PAYING. When Dee brought the bill, my husband asked him, "please don't give us a hard time about not finishing our food. The meals were excellent, but we just couldn't eat it all." When he returned with the payment slip, Dee said, "thanks but never come back to my restaurant. I didn't mean to offend, I was just trying to have a conversation with you. Don't ever come back here."
He kicked us out because we wouldn't tolerate his complete rudeness and lack of respect?? The chef's ego completely outweighs the quality of his food. We weren't going to return there anyways, but I guess he had to win the pissing contest and show us who's boss.
Folks, the food here is mediocre, period. Maybe for some people it's "exotic" but if you're Asian or Pacific Islander, or you just travel, not so much. You can get most of what he serves at Pho 99, Nalu's and Ihop. And really, what incentive is there to eat there if the man making your food is also going to be the rude, ego-maniacal a-hole that serves you your food?
We feel, Break of Dawn is Awesome, and with no peers...
C & D
We also second what Fifi Chao, Orange County's restaurant critic said below.
By Fifi Chao
Orange County Business Journal Staff
No restaurant has been more addictive for us than Break of Dawn in Laguna Hills.
It opened in 2006, and I dubbed it the best little gem to open in the county in a long time. I am sticking with my assessment.
It’s always such fun to have one more meal and meet even more people who have become loyal customers of the former executive sous chef of the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. This is where we get food that takes breakfast and lunch (they are not open for dinner) to a new stratosphere.
Lately, we’ve been trying some of the new dishes on the summer menu and finding out about the growing catering business. Owner and chef Dee Nguyen cooks such illuminating food in his casually sweet place.
Here we are having alluring cuisine that is every bit as elegant in flavor and looks as that purveyed by our most chic restaurants and yet we are comfortable in our jogging casual or relaxed California attire.
Dee manages to bring his breakfast and lunch dishes down to a level where we enjoy the culinary pampering without any hints of pretense intruding. He honestly has no competition in this genre of dining.
I've tried 5 different menu items so far and each one has been tasty, satisfying, and healthy. Easily the best food for the price. My favorite dish is the Chilaquiles Ranchero. Because each ingredient tastes good by itself, the combined flavors tickle the palette. You can taste why food tastes better when prepared by a top-tier chef. Chef Dee is usually serving customers and is very personable. It's a mom and pop restaurant that doesn't make mom and pop kind of food. Every menu item at Break of Dawn is superior. NIce relaxed atmosphere indoors and a beautiful patio. So glad I found it!
Probably in danger of closing due to lack of patronage (Hello?! A five second wait for sunday brunch?!), you must MUST must try this place and help save affordable and creative cuisine in the OC!
I was touched by the family story in OC register when they first opened and stopped in for support. I was so impressed by the food and the warm environment that Break has been our family favorite since. It's great to see this nomination. Best wishes...
Break of Dawn is Innovative, Gourmet, Down Home and Fantastic. I just found this restaurant and it is my new favorite for breakfast!!! If you haven't tried it you MUST!!
#1 in my opinion!
Break of Dawn serves the nicest breakfast in Orange County the flavors are amazing.
The coffees are served in appropriate cups and the pastries are Yummy
I dig that voodoo that you doo, Dee!
Nobody has mentioned the fantastic outdoor eating area. Besides the most creative and best breakfast you'll ever have, that you would never take the time to cook yourself, Break of Dawn has a wonderful ambiance. Sun or shade. Oh, and easy parking too.
So good, soooooo good.
this place is so close to being that "feel at home" type, except the food tastes way better than the way mom cooks. and the chef ain't too bad to look at.
Perfect hole in the wall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Best Breakfast in ever, my husband, kids, 2,4, 12 & 17 love it.
This place rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not only is the food unique and wonderful---but the behind-the-scenes story & the making of "The Break of Dawn" reads like Rocky-ish script. What's not to love about it??? This is one place to try if you're not a breakfast eater. You'll change your mind.
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Best Breakfast in Orange County
