How to have a "reliable" breakfast
Chris Kong of Dearborn in Singapore explains why it's actually a good thing
What’s your favourite meal of the day? Mine is breakfast, because I get to eat something sweet, salty, sour, crunchy and even mushy first thing.
I can’t tell you exactly what my favourite breakfast is, or choose the best I’ve ever had (it depends on my mood). But other people might find this easy to answer.
Like Chris Kong, the chef and founder of Dearborn in Singapore, for example.
“When I was growing up, I’d spend my summer holidays in Taiwan with my mum’s family,” he recalls.
“For breakfast, we used to have a dish called Fan Tuan, which is a you tiao with vegetables, pork floss and pickles wrapped in glutinous rice. The mix of flavours and textures, sweet and salty, is so incredibly comforting and always brings me back to being a kid.”
Maybe we’ll see these kinds of combinations at Dearborn?
Dearborn actually began as a private supper club in 2018 before it transitioned into a small batch bakery known for its granola in 2020.
Now the team is set to launch their flagship store in New Bahru, where as a micro-bakery and all-day breakfast club they’ll offer freshly made breakfast staples, bread and coffee in a cosy setting.
Even if they won’t offer the above-mentioned dish, we can still get Chris’ breakfast tips and granola recommendations here.
What makes an unforgettable breakfast
Chris: “Breakfast is a meal that should make you feel comforted and ready for the day. It’s not a meal that you should necessarily take risks with. It should be familiar, nostalgic, easy to eat and understand – something that is delicious and nourishing. There are plenty of things that will challenge you through the day. Breakfast should set you up for that.”
How to create (or recreate) a great breakfast experience
“Good company, hearty whole food, no distractions.”
What makes a granola a granola
“Baked oats.”
How to have your granola
“I like to get some extra protein in the morning, so I’ll have some Dearborn granola with Greek yogurt and a protein shake.”
The benefits of having Dearborn’s granola
“Dearborn is a brand that reinvests into the planet and community. We track our emissions with Zuno Carbon. This involves recording the transport of our raw ingredients all the way down to employee commutes, daily trash outputs and delivery routes.
“We invest in the restoration of Indonesian mangroves with Green Steps Group, which in turn offsets the carbon we can’t avoid.
“Most recently, we have installed Singapore’s first Belu water filter in our New Bahru outlet, which contributes its net profits to WaterAid to help get clean water to underserved communities.
“Dearborn is a small locally grown and owned company, but we are determined to make better decisions for our planet and the humans in it.”
4 tips for granola
Tip #1: Prepare it with intention.
Tip #2: Be present when eating it.
Tip #3: Don’t “use” it, eat it.
Tip #4: Store it airtight and in the fridge.
How to look at breakfast (and granola) in a new light
“Breakfast, for me, is not something to just get done. I believe wholeheartedly in the importance of starting your day well. When we start to embrace that, we find that there is a huge space to play, innovate and create.”
Find Dearborn here and on Instagram.
Breakfast bullet points
Here’s what else you can do:
• Try breakfasts from different countries to liven things up
These days, there are restaurants that offer a range.
• Take advantage of any free breakfasts you happen to come across
I used to only have breakfast during weekends and vacations. (Who can think of breakfast when you have to rush somewhere and battle sleepiness?)
• No rules
Have rice. Have something sweet. Or hot. And cold. If breakfast is a luxury, eat whatever you want, however you want, in whatever combinations you want.
• You don’t necessarily have to be with someone
Sometimes eating breakfast by yourself, quietly and/or with a nice view (if you’re lucky), is more than enough. In fact, it could be the best.
You can listen to your thoughts; appreciate the stillness; have only your glasses or cups, plates and cutlery making clinking sounds; and calm yourself down.