PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — One of the latest additions to Portland’s dining scene has been recognized alongside the nation’s best new eateries this year.
Eater annually scours the U.S. to determine which recent openings have stood out among a variety of businesses defining the restaurant industry.
As the national food media brand searched places that debuted from September 2023 to September 2024, it tapped Mémoire Cà Phê as one of 14 “sensational newcomers.”
The brunch spot opened its brick-and-mortar space in the Alberta neighborhood on Aug. 31, after months of hosting pop-ups with other local businesses. The restaurant is a joint effort between Richard Le, Kim Dam and Lisa Nguyen, who are behind Portland’s Matta, Cà Phê and Heyday, respectively.
Mémoire Cà Phê is the “most ambitious crossover since the Avengers,” according to Eater. Its menu is a culmination of different Vietnamese-inspired dishes and drinks. The restaurant offers gluten-free fried chicken served with pandan waffles, black sesame cinnamon rolls, salted sweet cream coffee and more.
In a statement, the restaurant crew told KOIN 6 they are in “complete awe” of the praise they have received — and they will do their best to accommodate new customers in their small space.
“We (Kim, Lisa and Richard) sought out on this venture for us to just have fun as chosen family, with no real clue of how this would all turn out other than putting out good food and coffee,” Mémoire Cà Phê. “To be named one of the best restaurants in 2024 is a huge honor, and a title we will work to uphold as the hype around us builds.”
Seattle’s New American eatery Atoma was the only other Pacific Northwest restaurant on the list. Other entries included New Orleans’ Acamaya, Chicago’s Mirra and Los Angeles’ Budonoki.
