Already a firm fave with health-conscious lunchtime office workers and the pre-Forum evening crowds, Kentish Town’s Vietnamese stop-off, Carrots + Daikon, launched a brand new breakfast menu this week.
Now open from 7.30am, they are trialling a fusion of early-morning power foods to appeal to those dashing off to work, or from the gym.
“Our concept is to bring a traditional breakfast in Vietnam, like congee and banh mi, together with the kind of items we have here in the UK, like cereal and fruits,” says Carrots co-owner David Chu.
“We aim to provide simple, nutritious breakfasts on-the-go for those looking for a healthy, quick fix in the mornings, to help start the day in the right way.”
So, look out for their Breakfast Banh Mi, the traditional Vietnamese baguette, filled here with full-English staples bacon or eggs, or perhaps you might settle for a warming Morning Congee, the classic Asian rice porridge with chicken or veg, perfect for those desperate souls looking to take the frosty edge off another dark Highgate Road morning.
There are also custom-made cereal pots, where you choose from a range of cereal grains, fruits, nuts and seeds (and a few decidedly less virtuous sauces, like Nutella or maple syrup) to scatter liberally over milk or Greek yoghurt.
And for maximum speed-to-health ratio, they offer some serious breakfast protein shakes such as peanut butter and oats, or avocado matcha. Proper virtuous breakfasting.
It’s a soft launch this week, with the full menu up and running for Wednesday Oct 14th.
All sounds eminently worth dragging yourself out of bed for.