If you’re an American, then you might associate breakfast with heaping piles of scrambled eggs and bacon, a stack of pancakes soaked in maple syrup and butter, creamy hollandaise sauce atop a poached egg and tomato, or breakfast hash and thick, juicy, sausage links. In fact, the idea of anything but the items just listed might not only strike you as strange and undesirable, but downright yucky. However, if you can relinquish your hold on boxed cereal and Belgian waffles, gather the courage to try something new, and bring yourself to make the trip to Classic Kitchen in Sharpstown in the morning hours, you might be pleasantly surprised by a breakfast that defies your traditional norms.

Start Your Day

If you want to start your day well, we suggest one of the jellied tofu dishes at Classic Kitchen. Whether sweet, salted, or served with veggies and cilantro, the tofu is silky and satisfying. If there’s no way you’re going to eat tofu for breakfast, try the Thousand Layer Pancake, which is mainly just layer after layer of delicious fried dough, and might be more in line with the side of you that seeks comfort food. Some other great breakfast dishes are the Taiwanese breakfast quesadilla, which is basically a tortilla with an egg and fried dough inside; the baked beef bun; and the salty sticky rice, which is an outer layer of sticky rice, and an inner layer of shredded pork and fried dough. Order a sweet soymilk to accompany your breakfast. Yum.

Fill Up Your Wallet

Only cash is accepted at Classic Kitchen, so make sure you stop at the ATM and fill your wallet before dining here. However, entrée items on the menu aren’t very pricy, which kind of makes up for the fact that they won’t accept credit.

Totally Chinese

You either need to go to this restaurant as someone who’s gone before, as someone who’s going with a friend who’s gone before, with a translator, or as someone who speaks (and reads) Chinese. The menu is in Chinese characters, and the staff isn’t fluent in English. However, if you can make it past ordering, the food that reaches your table is unique and tasty. Plus, the experience of it all makes for a fun story!

Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover

This place doesn’t look like much. The bathroom is scary, the waiters glare, and the establishment itself is a bit rundown. However, considering you can get some of the best Taiwanese breakfast in Houston for under $25 (for four people), try not to let the hole-in-the-wall nature of it scare you away.

End Your Night

In addition to breakfast items, Classic Kitchen serves lunch and dinner too, and is open until 9 PM. However, while some people go here for afternoon or evening meals, the breakfast has definitely received the most acclaim and is what’s recommended.