At the NE Sandy Blvd location in Portland, Oregon! |
Chef with some hash browns working on the flattop! |
Cameo's homemade syrup! |
(L to R) Cameo's spicy seasoning salt, a berry puree of sorts, and hot sauce |
Top half of breakfast menu (January 2012) |
"Specials" menu board (January 2012) |
The menu has your traditional American breakfasts, from pancakes/waffles to meat-and-egg plates. However, there are Korean fusion options, like Sue Gee's fusion pancake with rice, cheese, and vegetables ($8.95); and Pindaettok, a savory pancake with vegetables, beans, rice, and spices ($9.95).
When I saw the "Specials" menu board, I saw one of the highly-praised dishes (at least according to fellow Yelpers): the Kimchi Omelet. I'm not sure if this dish is available every day.
Kimchi, eggs, and a boatload of cheese are combined, then served with hash browns and toast. For an extra $3, I added bulgogi beef to my omelet. For toast, I tried their house-made grain "strong" bread coated on the outside with poppy seeds. The grand total for the meal: $14.95.
My two slices of buttered toast arrived first. A pleasing crunch, with the right amount of butter for me. I love poppy seeds -- maybe a bit too much. Just gotta make sure I don't need to take a drug test anytime soon!
Two slices of Cameo's house toast (Cameo Cafe) |
Kimchi Omelet + Hash Browns (Cameo Cafe) |
Closeup of omelet |
Peek inside to see the bulgogi! |
The pancakes at Cameo Cafe are gigantic, rivaling places like Mac 24/7 in Waikiki and Stepping Stone Cafe in NW Portland. A "1/4 acre" is one large pancake, a "1/2 acre" is two pancakes, and a "full acre" is three pancakes. There's buttermilk, blueberry, and other fruit-inspired pancakes, depending on availability and time of year. Additionally, Cameo Cafe makes their own maple syrup. Is there anything that this place doesn't do? Yeesh.
As I paid my bill, I had to take this picture: three massive pancakes, several portions of hash browns, and a Korean pancake on the flattop.
This should be a food challenge...epic carbs! Honestly, I'd do a few of those Kimchi omelets instead, with maybe one of the pancakes on the side |
If my wallet had a heart, the tab here could have induced a minor heart attack (fitting, since I noshed on a hefty portion of eggs, beef, and cheese myself...woohoo saturated fat!). But overall, I felt the dent to the wallet was at least fairly reasonable, given the quality and portion size.
Yes, Cameo Cafe also serves lunch and dinner. Check the website for their regular menu items. But I'm a breakfast person all the way. I eat at least 2-3 breakfasts a day, so I guess I could at least vie for the title of crazy sick Yelp (and blogger) breakfast dude. I tried something I wouldn't normally see every day, and it was awesome. I'll be back one day to try the pancakes.
Now, if only my server was not so uptight and serious, I'd be talking about a much higher score here. Service makes a huge first impression, and it really plays a role on whether I'd come back. It's probably one of the few times I'd really consider fraction-stars on Yelp (probably the lower end of a 4-star rating there, so as not to take too much away from the blissful meal). 7.25/10
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