Before the day I discovered Sunrise Tacos, my intake of Mexican food was limited to two places in Bangkok – Coyote (Silom) and Charlie Browns. Both were decent, but a bit higher in price… and none did what I was craving most, the Mexican Breakfast. Then one day I went in for a meal and discovered Coyote was now doing a weekend brunch menu…

Fast forward to 2009 and there are now two Coyote locations in Bangkok, one in Samui, and one in Phuket. Same cozy feel, vibe, and kitschy decoration.

They’re franchised, so they’re not all owned fully by the same folks. Unfortunately, due to this detail, experiences can vary widely between the two. Both locations in Bangkok offer the Weekend Brunch from 11 am – 6 pm Saturdays and Sundays which offers diners a choice of main, jalapeno cornbread, and a choice of Bloody Mary / Margarita / or other drinks!

The first time I visited I stupidly ordered the “Waffle Benedicto”. It sounded great on paper, but really why would one come to a Mexican breakfast and get a waffle? It was a bad experience the first time and I’ve never sampled again to see if it was an off day or just something on the menu for the kids.

Thankfully on that first visit a friend ordered the Breakfast Burrito and we were both impressed by the size, flavor, and ingredients. This became my standard go-to on the menu and for 2 years I remained a fan. Complimented with a Bloody Mary and I was off to great start to a lazy Sunday

Unfortunately on my latest visit to the Sukhumvit branch, the breakfast in general lacked the original flare. My breakfast burrito had shrunk considerably in size and the tortilla took a steak knife to cut through. The flavors were still there, though, so maybe I caught them in between shipments of fresh tortillas.

Joanna and Gretchen both ordered Juevos Rancheros (fried eggs and scrambled). Though Joanna ordered a good 15 minutes before Gretchen, her order came out last so she passed the time with the jalapeno corn bread.

When the eggs finally arrived they and the sides were a bit cold. Again the taste was decent, but we really expected more in Bangkok for 500 THB (after tax and service) a head.

I’ve never had a similar experience at the Coyote location on Silom, so possibly the experience is unique to the Sukhumvit branch which isn’t as busy and probably doesn’t have the turnover of the Silom location.

Still there isn’t another place in town currently offering a Mexican inspired Sunday brunch in Bangkok, so if a breakfast burrito is what you’re craving this is it. Try out the Silom location and let me know what your experience is like in the comments.

Coyote Bangkok
Silom
Sivadon Building,
1/2 Convent Road, Silom Bangrak, Bangkok
02 631 2325

Sukhumvit
575-579 Sukhumvit Road,
Klong Toey Nua, Wattana,
Bangkok, Thailand
Phone: 02-662-3838

Sometimes even though you’re surrounded by the freshest ingredients, some very talented cooks, and one of the most interesting cuisines in the world (Thai food) you just need something that reminds you of home. Since I grew up in Texas and New Mexico my comfort foods switch back and forth from BBQ to Mexican food…. and not fancy high end stuff. Living in Asia the things I miss most are the hole in the wall taco shops selling cheap tacos packed with flavor.

In Bangkok, Sunrise is as close as things get…

I’d walked past Sunrise tacos countless times without ever taking notice. Sunrise is located on Sukhumvit just after the Times Square building. The signs I viewed from the road and original shop seemed cheesy… not cheap and chic, just poorly done. I never saw anyone in the restaurant so assumed there was a reason. Eventually I noticed the store was opening a larger space across the parking lot in the same compound. They had proper tables now and people seemed to be eating there.

I took the plunge and visited, ordering what would become my regular dish – 3 Carne Asada Tacos with cilantro, onions, cheese, and mango salsa. These aren’t the best tacos I’ve ever had, but they are the best I’ve had in Bangkok, and when you’re a 27-hour flight from home you can’t get too picky.

Sunrise Taco’s charm, originally, lied in the fact that it didn’t really have any. It was a simple place that was open 24 hours and served up cheap tacos and burritos. It was well located across the street and up a bit from the Soi 11 clubs, so become our de facto post clubbing snack.

For better or worse, depending on who you talk to, they began to get “fancier”. At first it was the addition of fajitas and quesadillas (who can complain about 200 THB fajitas?), but soon things just got odd… I remember Thanksgiving two years ago buying a freshly made Pumpkin Pie from the shop and being offered a turkey and cranberry sauce burrito

As the menu expanded so grew the prices… a common complaint with some of my Bangkok friends these days. Everything became an extra charge, guacamole, sour cream, etc. 3 Tacos went from 129 THB to 179 THB and even more for “signature tacos”. Gone too were the days of 50 THB margaritas. I don’t mind paying 50 Baht more if I’m getting something, but lately it seems like prices go up and quality of food and service slide down – the wrong way for all this to go.

The other nagging problem with the shop is the service. At times the service is almost too good – a glaring contrast to most Bangkok restaurants. Constantly approaching to ask about drink orders, the meal, etc. Then the next time you go you’ll need a flare gun and bull horn to get anyone to even acknowledge your presence in the shop. At 3 AM I don’t mind shoddy service so much, but at 1 PM on a business lunch break, the poor service is agonizing.

So where do I stand on Sunrise Tacos? Right now I’m torn. I visit every time I come back to Bangkok, and for a reason – it’s some of the best budget, rustic, whatever you want to call it Mexican food in town and possibly Southeast Asia. I’d recommend it whole-heartily for a late night snack, delivery food, and if you go with open expectations.

The only problem as I see it is they are approaching a line where they’re no longer a “good value”. For me they’re approaching a price point where I start to expect more in terms of service, preparation, consistency, etc… I was fine to let the little things slide when it was 129, but once you get up over 200 then I’m starting to consider the details more But in the end Sunrise tacos makes better food than I had at a overly pricey Dempsey Hill Singapore restaurant charging upwards of 30 SGD a plate! So the value is still there for me and I’ll return again on my next trip to Bangkok, hopefully to be pleasantly surprised again

Sunrise Tacos
236/3-4 Sukhumvit Rd
Bangkok Thailand 10110
Phone: 662-229-4851
Fax 662- 229-4852

Paul

Hey all,
Our first visit to Time Out’s breakfast of the year, Epicurious, left us feeling slightly frustrated. After a couple months of sampling other breakfast options around town, the timing seemed right to venture back and see if possibly our expectations were too high before, it was a bad day, someone was sick etc…

I have to say, short of one recurring mistake, this time Epicurious was completely redeemed.

This time we went with the breakfast gang so more dishes were ordered and sampled. I think Epicurious is made for this kind of breakfast. If you’re busy talking with friends, joking, laughing enjoying the early morning breeze…the timing of the food is perfect.

Service was notably better this time around as well. Our servers filled our water bottle probably 15 times during the meal, remembered everyone’s orders and placement, and were really on top of things. This was almost a complete 180 from our first visit.

Joe, our “eggs benedict guy”, ordered up his usual….finally an eggs benedict actually served on an english muffin! According to Joe these were the best he’s had in Singapore, and good for him, they’re also about 10-15 SGD less than the other offerings.

Kalpana had the smoked salmon. Good flavor, but if you’re not a huge fan of capers you might steer clear of this one as the flavor can be a bit intense if you’re not expecting the salty punch these little guys carry.

I went with the burrito again. Don’t know why I didn’t venture out. It was the same as last time…not great, but not bad in any way as well. I still wish they’d use a spicier chorizo and have more chunks throughout the burrito….also maybe a zesty cheese in there as well. But then again, I lived in Santa Fe for three years eating green chilli enchiladas for breakfast, green chili cheeseburgers, and even green chili fettuccini Alfredo (won’t be repeating that one)… so maybe my Latin food cravings don’t represent most folks tastes.

Lyan ordered the baked eggs and toast soldiers. The taste of the eggs was good, but the toast soldiers were basically hunks of bread.. Lyan felt a bit let down…he really wanted little soldier formed out of bread

I can’t remember who ordered the pancakes, but they were fluffy and fresh. I think the next time I go I’ll be ordering these guys. They just look like the perfect start to a Sunday.

The only downside to the breakfast was once again the Hobb’s Choice. Surely lightning wouldn’t strike twice…it did. But less so this time. The eggs came out runny the first time. The server promptly took the plate back and within a few short minutes Joanna had perfectly cooked eggs (she prefers fried but not runny).

Coffees, OJ, and Teas were all fresh and fast. The serving of tea comes in a tea press which is a nice touch.

We ordered desserts of brownies and ice creams and various other menu items, but by this point the conversation was rolling, jokes flying across the table, bellies full, cravings for afternoon naps creeping up on us…I just didn’t have it in me to take any more pictures (or maybe I just forgot, but the above sounds better I think).

In the end we left the restaurant full, happy, and with remarkably thicker wallets than from other brunch places. After starter drinks, mains, desserts, finishing coffees, etc we still only came out to about 30 SGD a head. That’s a pretty remarkable deal in Singapore now that we’ve seen some of the other options out there.

Epicurious
#01-02 The Quayside
60 Robertson Quay
Singapore 238252
Telephone:  +65 6734 7720

Note: Breakfast starts at 9am Saturday and Sunday. No reservations for weekend breakfast.

A Singapore favorite strikes this breakfast lover as a little lackluster. Updated experience here

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Not the cereal on-the-go breakfast, but the something eggy, something cheesy, maybe a pancake here or there and endless cups of coffee kind of breakfast. Breakfast for lunch is good. Breakfast for dinner is better. But a proper leisurely weekend breakfast is simply divine.

With my it-doesn’t-get-any-better-than-breakfast mindset it was natural that I had to check out what Time Out Singapore called “the best breakfast in Singapore.” And so it was that this Sunday we found ourselves strolling to Robertson Quay to Epicurious to see what all the fuss was about.

We sat outside, as everyone does, at one of the several hodge-podge, mismatching table sets. As one would expect at 11am on a Sunday the place is a bit overrun – the crowd being made up of couples, friends meeting up, families with kids, with some folks even bringing their dogs! As a result, it took a good long bit before we were able to capture the waiter’s attention to order.

I ordered the Full Monty aka Hobb’s Choice ($20SGD – pics up top) which is a full on English-style breakfast with three fried eggs, sausage, bacon, grilled tomato, grilled mushrooms, baked beans, buttered toast, orange juice and coffee. Paul decided on the Breakfast Burrito ($12SGD) including two scrambled eggs with chorizo, tomato, cheddar cheese and tomato chilli relish, wrapped in a flour tortilla with a side of salsa. Water was served in repurposed liquor bottles – which Paul found alarming at first after seeing a mom pour her child from a bottle of Absolute Mandarin…that is until he realized it was water.

It was a good thing they offered the Sunday paper, because service is to put it politely…quite leisurely. We actually asked for our own bottle of water but in the end it never arrived and for the remainder of the meal we served ourselves from the stand by the door.

When coffee arrived I was unexpectedly delighted by the homey coffee cups decorated with roosters and then ultimately quite pleased with the quality of the coffee – a nice rich brew signified by the crema on top. This perhaps was the highlight of the meal…

Paul found his burrito good, but a tad bland. And he was also disappointed by the chopped onions and tomatoes passing themselves off as salsa. Paul wished that the chorizo had been spicier and would have preferred it to be chopped rather than included as big chunks, giving the aromatic sausage an opportunity to permeate the burrito.

Unfortunately my eggs ordered well done, clarified in description by “please, no runny yolks,” stumped the chef. The first batch sent out was so overcooked that it was in fact burnt in appearance in and flavour. And then when I requested a re-do, the second batch was over-easy and therefore runny. I gave up and did not ask for yet another, but it seems the restaurant wanted to make sure we were pleased and tried yet a third time. The result was perfectly cooked eggs, but they arrived only after I had finished and was ready for the check. Not only was this disappointing, but also some other aspects of the meal were less than ideal – the bacon was undercooked and the orange juice a bit watery. The sausage and potatoes were rather average, but interestingly enough, the grilled tomato and mushrooms were excellent and became the unwitting stars of the show.

This one is too burnt...

This one is too runny....

This one is just right...

Lest I think that our experience was isolated, our neighbour ordered the baked eggs and upon lifting their blanket of cheese found them to be undercooked enough to also be sent back.

Top be fair, Epicurious did appease my sense of indignity by removing my dish from the bill without my even having to ask – which was a unexpected bit of service that made me feel better, knowing they acknowledged the severity of the [repeated] mistakes. I mean, fried eggs are about as easy as it gets in the kitchen.

So with all this said, can I recommend Epicurious ? Being a breakfast lover, I wanted to like Epicurious. In fact, I wanted to love it. I wanted to make it my regular weekend haunt – bringing friends, family, visitors.

In talking to the couple seated next to us who sent back the baked eggs, they reassured us that Epicurious has been around for years and that they had been regular patrons for quite some time. If not for the personal voucher from these friendly Australians I am honestly not sure I would have the patience to try again. But I still need a favourite breakfast haunt, so who knows…maybe I can find it in myself to give them another chance. I believe in second chances – especially when it comes to breakfast.

Morning Glory – Time Out Singapore on breakfast at Epicurious

All in Good Taste – Time Out Singapore’s round-up of top restaurants

Epicurious
#01-02 The Quayside
60 Robertson Quay
Singapore 238252
Telephone:  +65 6734 7720
www.epicurious.com.sg

Note: Breakfast starts at 9am Saturday and Sunday. No reservations for weekend breakfast.