In an age of wellness obsession, breakfast smoothies, chia seeds, granola bars and superfoods, we at MR PORTER have decided now is the time to revisit the old-school savoury breakfast – formidable concoctions that may fly in the face of health, but deliver on sustenance and taste. From a beachside café in Los Angeles to a Nu-New York deli via a renegade mangal joint in London, here are recipes for three of the best breakfast sandwiches in the world.

When chef-owner Mr Eli Kulp originally conceived High Street on Hudson, he wanted to create a breakfast menu that went beyond American staples like waffles, pancakes and French toast. Growing up, he’d never been a fan. “I grew up eating breakfast sandwiches in the morning and wanted the stars of the menu to be interesting riffs on the classic BEC (bacon, egg and cheese), which you'll find on any downtown street corner in an American city.”

The inspiration for the Pastrami and Hash was Mr Kulp’s favourite American diner breakfast – the ubiquitous corned beef and hash. Pastrami – “which packs more flavour” – replaces the corned beef and the potato is included as a standalone hash brown.

At High Street, the pastrami is house-cured; both the hash brown is made, and the Kaiser roll baked, in-house. But you can get these things pre-prepared and merely assemble.

For 1 sandwich:

• 60g sliced pastrami
• 45g “soffritto” (sautéed finely chopped onion and peppers)
• 1 hash brown
• 30g Russian dressing (mayonnaise, ketchup and a spike of chilli sauce)
• 1 egg
• 1 Kaiser (poppy seed) roll
• 1 long hot pepper, charred

1. Sauté the soffritto in a drizzle of olive oil or butter for 10-15 minutes until the onions are translucent and the vegetables have softened. Leave to one side.
2. Warm the pastrami on a medium-heat griddle pan or under the grill for 5 minutes.
3. Ideally the hash brown is deep- or shallow-fried. It can also be oven-baked or grilled.
4. Cook the egg how you want it.
5. Split the Kaiser or poppy seed roll and lightly toast. Apply a little butter and the Russian dressing to the inside of each half.

Simply put all the ingredients together with the hot pepper in the Kaiser roll. Season to taste and serve.

Chef Mr Lee Tiernan recently opened BAM for weekend brunch and decided to include the classic British sandwich. “Mainly because we were given some amazing bacon by our friend and supplier Farmer Tom from Hereford,” says Mr Tiernan. “Great tomatoes were in season and we were getting sick of the Reuben, so decided to switch. When the first check came on, we knew it was a winner.”

One reason for the success of this particular sandwich is that the grilled bacon is about 80 per cent fat; the cut Mr Tiernan uses includes the whole loin and belly in one slice, which is quite unusual. The flatbread is charred over charcoal to order and then slathered in melted butter. Not for every day, but a regal breakfast.

For 1 BLT:

• 1 flatbread (preferably sourdough)
• 1 knob of melted butter
• 4 slices of good belly/back bacon (grilled and rested to harvest juices)
• Four slices of bull’s heart tomato
• Chopped romaine lettuce (dressed with a squeeze of lemon, aioli and a drizzle of oil)
• Smattering of pickled red onion
• A touch of fermented chilli sauce
• Black chilli
• Guindilla (hot, pickled) peppers

Spread the melted butter on the flatbread. Add the bacon, with its juices, to the flatbread then the tomato, romaine lettuce, pickled onion, a dash of fermented chilli sauce, black chilli and black pepper. If you like it extra spicy, add the guindilla, then wrap the flatbread round and serve with crisps on the side.

Whilst this might not be in the spirit of the anarchic Dogtown and Z-Boys of Santa Monica, the Surfer’s Breakfast burrito from The Butcher’s Daughter in Abbot Kinney, Venice Beach, is headstrong, SoCal breakfast fare: a restorative “sandwich” to power you through the day, if not the waves. Being hearty and vegetarian, this breakfast burrito harnesses the two qualities that characterse Mr Darwin Guzman’s stylish menu at his and Ms Heather Tierney’s voguish, health-conscious “vegetable slaughter house”.

For two wraps:

• 1 tin of black beans
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large (russet) potato
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 85g cheddar, grated
• 1 medium hass avocado
• 2 12in large flour tortilla

1.  For the black bean mole: Add beans to a pot with a sautéed onion, spices of choice (pinches of cumin, chilli, coriander), a little water, salt and black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, shut off heat and finish with tomatoes. Add water if it’s drying out; you want the beans in a thick sauce.
2. While your beans are building flavour by resting, shred the potato on a cheese grater till you have hash brown consistency. Rinse the potato hash in water till the water runs clear. Spread out on a sheet to dry out the potato. Once dry, cook potato in a pan with a little olive oil for about 5 mins on medium high heat. Mix the potato around in the pan till the whole batch is nicely brown and crispy. 
3. Clean cheese grater and shred your cheese.
4. Whisk your eggs, cut up your avocado and warm up the tortilla.

1. Place tortilla on a large surface, then pile on half of the potato followed by half of the black beans.
2. Quickly scramble your eggs, then place on top of the beans followed by the cheese and avocado.
3. You can roll this tortilla wrap, fold it or make it into a burrito if you choose. You can pair it with some fresh sour cream and salsa. We prefer a salsa verde.