Breakfast at Copa Cafe

Returning from a Toronto trip last week, one of the things that I was really hankering for was Asian-Style Breakfast. Don't get me wrong, I had some good food in Toronto (such as Cafe Boulud, Edulis and Hapa Izakaya) but sometimes, you just crave the simple things! Wandering into the King Ed and Cambie area, we ended up at Copa Cafe. Sure I've been here for lunch and dinner, but never for breakfast. I was delighted to find out that they served both a traditional HK-style breakfast, as well as Western-style breakfast. The first of the HK style? This is the Century Egg and Pork Congee. It's hard to take a good picture of congee.

Once served from the larger bowl though, the fixings are a bit more evident. This Century Egg & Shredded Pork Congee was super smooth and almost creamy. I have never made a congee like this, despite hours of trying. The rice kernels seem almost blended, though they aren't but the texture of this is ultra silky. And there is an abundance of shredded pork and century egg, more than you would expect from the first photo. Add a bit of white pepper and you're all set. This is Part A of the HK Style breakfast, and you can get it for just $5.25. But, if you don't think this is enough, you can add a supplement (Part B) for just another $2. So for the second part of my HK Style breakfast, I got one of my favourites, the Steamed Rice Noodle Rolls. I was especially pleased when the manager informed us that these would take a bit longer, as that implies that they were steamed to order. These tender little rolls were steamed to perfection. How do I know? 
As anyone who has had dim sum with me would attest, one of the things I love to do is to unroll these in my mouth (sort of like trying a cherry stem with your tongue). Once they are overcooked or reheated, this becomes much harder to do. This was not the case here, I was in love (and in shock)! Two amazing dishes for just $7.25. Better than White Spot any day! But if you want something crazily decadent, give The Flying Pig a try!   So there is a second style of breakfast being served here, the Western Style which starts with Two Eggs with your choice of ham, sausage, luncheon meat and bacon. As you can see, we picked sausage. These eggs were done well as sunny-side up, and they weren't oily at all. 
And the bigger shock? The sausages were actually really good, tasty with a nice punch of saltiness and not oily at all. I would have liked to see more grill marks on them, but at only $5.25, I can't really complain. So for another $2 (as with the HK style breaky), we got another entree to complement our breakfast.   And as part two of the Western Breakfast, we picked Veggies with Shredded Pork in Vermicelli in Soup. Yes, I know it doesn't sound Western, but if for some reason, the folks at Copa do, and I'm not about to argue. The bowlful of noodles wasn't as aplenty as the congee, but it was still a larger portion that you would expect. And the pork was marinated well and very tender. In short, if you are looking for comfort food, this fits the bill.

Take Note:

• Extra charge applies for Visa/MC/Amex if bill is less than $25
• Opens early for breakfast
• Parking lot in the back gets full day or night, aim for street parking