American
Cali-Style Avocado Toast
The dish that launched a million debates — done properly, it deserves every one of them.
Recipe by Cyman Huang
Cooked, styled and photographed in his kitchen.
Avocado toast became a cultural flashpoint in the 2010s, alternately celebrated as the pinnacle of California's healthy food culture and mocked as a symbol of millennial excess. The critics miss the point entirely.
A perfectly ripe avocado, seasoned properly and piled onto excellent toasted bread, is a genuinely great thing to eat — especially with bright pickled radishes, everything bagel spice for crunch and salt, and a soft-cooked egg for richness.
Watch it come together
Ingredients
For the pickled radishes
- 1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic
For the toast
- 2 thick slices sourdough or seeded bread, toasted
- 2 ripe Hass avocados
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp flaky sea salt (Maldon ideal)
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 large eggs
- Everything bagel seasoning
- Microgreens or pea shoots (optional)
Method
- 1
PICKLE RADISHES: Bring vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and garlic to a simmer until dissolved. Pour over the radishes in a jar. Cool and refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to 2 weeks).
- 2
MAKE SOFT EGGS: Bring water to a gentle boil. Lower the eggs in carefully and cook exactly 6 minutes for a runny yolk. Transfer to ice water for 2 minutes, then peel carefully.
- 3
PREPARE AVOCADO: Halve the avocados and remove the pits. Scoop the flesh into a bowl with lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Smash roughly with a fork — leave it textured, not smooth. Taste and adjust.
- 4
BUILD: Pile the avocado generously onto the toast. Layer pickled radishes over the top. Sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning and red pepper flakes. Halve the eggs and nestle them on top. Finish with flaky salt and microgreens.
Substitutions
- Chef's tip: ripeness is everything. A ripe Hass yields to gentle pressure at the stem end and has dark, almost black skin. The window is 24–48 hours — check them daily.
Cook this next
American
Cali-Style Grain Bowl
The farm-to-table philosophy in a bowl — wholesome, vibrant, and endlessly adaptable.
American
California Cobb Salad
The composed salad that defined American restaurant dining — every ingredient in its place, every bite balanced.
American
Baja-Style Fish Tacos
Beer-battered cod in a warm corn tortilla with cabbage slaw, crema, and chile-lime — sunshine in a taco.