"Post-Vietnam War, the Vietnamese diasporic community dotted Portland with phở restaurants, bánh mì shops, and cafes selling cups of strong coffee sweetened with condensed milk. Now, a new generation is building a sizable scene of Vietnamese cafes, and Mémoire Cà Phê, where three of Portland’s buzziest restaurateurs have teamed up for the most ambitious crossover since the Avengers, is the paragon. Before opening Mémoire, each of its co-owners was a star in their own right — Richard Le in his exploration of Việt Kiều, or “overseas Vietnamese” cuisine, at Matta; Kim Dam and her championing of Vietnam-grown coffee beans in specialty espresso drinks at Portland Cà Phê; and Lisa Nguyen with her mission to share cultural flavors through doughnuts and baked goods at Heyday. At Mémoire on the busy restaurant row of Northeast Alberta, the trio draws equally from childhood memories (hence the name Mémoire, the French word for “memory”) and the collaborative strength forged through their friendship to serve Vietnamese-inflected brunch standards. Gluten-free fried chicken is served atop a chewy, fragrant pandan waffle. Fluffy biscuits are smothered with umami-rich fish sauce gravy. For the table, Nguyen’s black sesame cinnamon roll with marionberry jam is a treat that recalls both Cinnabon and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Dam supplies the brunch-time caffeine boost with drinks like cà phê sữa, or coffee with condensed milk, and coffee topped with silky egg cream or salted sweet cream. At less than three months old, Mémoire already feels intrinsic to the Portland restaurant multiverse, thanks to the shared vision of its creators. Not all heroes wear capes; some reflect on their roots and end up defining the future of brunch. — Janey Wong, Eater Portland reporter" - Eater Staff
