The feeling inside is that of a Taiwanese summer – hot and greasy.  Oddly it is an overcast day and cool outside with a nice breeze.  Adding to this oddity is that their front doors are WIDE open.  I can only assume that a serious amount of heat generates from their kitchen.  In hindsight, I’ve experienced similar situations at establishments.  The staff at a salon in my neighborhood leaves the front door open on 95 degree days and flips on a $10.00 floor fan.  Just another relaxing day at the foot spa – phew!  Needless to say, I avoid the summer months there now.  But worry not, it turns out to be well worth the in-climate weather.

The chef-owner is Dee Nguyen whose prior gig was that of a chef at the Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel.  His Vietnamese heritage is incorporated throughout his menu but in a very innovative way.  As a result, this is not your standard eggs and bacon simple cooking diner so if exotic or “outside of the box” dining aren’t for you, you’re likely better off moving on.

Break of Dawn: Interior

We order the following: French toast crème brulee and a three-egg omelet with mushrooms, Italian sausage and cheddar cheese.

The French toast has a Mexican chocolate and coconut custard beneath raisin and cinnamon brioche with caramel-chocolate sauce drizzled on top.  For the record, I didn’t taste the coconut or the cinnamon due to the rich chocolaty taste.  Also, I didn’t notice any raisins (maybe I mistook them for chocolate chips) or again the chocolate overwhelmed their disgusting decaying carcasses within the brioche.  Yes, I hate raisins that much.

French Toast Creme Brulee

The crème brulee is about 1/8 inch thick, a very light milk chocolate color with a perfectly caramelized crunchy top layer.  In a nutshell, this culinary experience is an overwhelming explosion of taste, smell and texture.  The crème brulee is silky and creamy with a rich chocolate taste.  The texture reminds me somewhat of the passion-fruit pudding we get at Chinese restaurants.  The bread is firm, not soggy yet cuts easily with a fork.  A modest dusting of powdered sugar and maple syrup tops off this delicacy.

French Toast Creme Brulee

The omelet has a slightly oily appearance but tastes better than any I can recall.  And these are standard ingredients we order in omelets.  The coffee (not their specialty Vietnamese coffee) is served piping hot and is not for “Whitey McGhee’s”.  Strong would be an understatement given that plenty of cream and sugar is required to make a dent in the color.  The restaurant’s service is gracious.

Omelet: Mushrooms, Sausage & Cheese

Date of Visit: 5/9/2010.  Restaurant:  Break of Dawn. A: 24351 Avenida De La Carlota, Suite N-6, Laguna Hills, CA  92653.  P: 949-587-9418.  W: breakofdawnrestaurant.com.  Key: (5 star maximum per category).  Ambiance: ****; Service: ****; Food/Drink: *****; Grade: A.