To celebrate Taro’s birthday, Andy and Amy treated us to breakfast/brunch at Break of Dawn. They initially found out about the place from their neighbors and suggested it as one of the restaurants we could go to. Always in search of a good breakfast location, we happily agreed. Upon arriving at Break of Dawn, the menu intrigued me with its blend of American/Vietnamese choices. I love fusion places, but a fusion place that serves breakfast? I have not gone to one before! It was hard to make a choice on what to eat, but I finally decided on the Skillet – Roasted New Potato, Bacon, Cheddar Poached Eggs, Guacamole, Chipotle Sour Cream – based on Andy and Amy’s recommendation. (They actually had it the first time they came and thought it was excellent.) Taro was conflicted, but eventually chose the Benedict – Two Soft-Poached Eggs, Grilled Potato Bread, Tender Smoked Ham, Asian Pesto Hollandaise.
When the food arrived, we started off with the Crispy Lobster and Shrimp Roll appetizer. They were so good that we actually ordered another one! Since Amy isn’t a big fan of soup, she gave us the one that came with her food, which was Kabocha Squash. The soup was nice and creamy and had a strong squash flavor; overall, I think am quite fond of squash soup now despite not having it as a kid nor most of my adult life. Shortly after, our entrees arrived and the size of the Skillet was overwhelming! Andy and Amy were not kidding that it could be shared – and that is exactly what Taro and I should have done. I really enjoyed the heartiness of the meal and the blend of ingredients. Taro’s Benedict, the bite that I had, was also good; he shared some with Andy and he had positive things to say about the grilled potato bread.
This was definitely a treat and what made it even more special was that Amy showed me the restaurant website back at their house. Dee Nguyen, chef and owner of Break of Dawn, has such a tragic yet uplifting story to tell. In a gist, he was an up-and-coming Executive Sous Chef at the Ritz Carlton when his son nearly died during a surgery procedure. Dee Nguyen had to make some tough choices, but he was able to open up his own restaurant close to his home. Hence, that is why the restaurant is only open five days a week and closes at 2:3o p.m.; he wanted to be able to stay close to home and spend time with his son. After reading about Dee’s story, I had tears in my eyes and I really admire the balance he has in his life – pursuing his dream of being a chef while maintaining core family values.
I look forward to visiting again and will definitely try something new on the menu! Thanks, Andy and Amy, for sharing this great find in Orange County!
K was also ready for breakfast. I love how she is staring off into the distance.
Afterwards we were able to hang out with Andy, Amy, and K. We first went to Babies R Us and I thought it was cute when Taro sat K on the Sesame Street ride. Once we got back to their house, she just climbed all over her Uncle Taro and even just sat on his lap drinking her juice. I think it is absolutely adorable.
We randomly discovered Campanile on the way to Farmers Market in Los Angeles. As Taro was driving down La Brea, I happened to see a person walking with a La Brea Bakery bag and I wanted to stop and check it out. Since I love buying the bread from Trader Joe’s, I figured I might get a loaf or check out what they had. Taro made a quick u-turn and soon we not only were checking out the bakery, but also heading over to the restaurant next door for breakfast instead. Since that day, we only went back to Campanile once for Mother’s Day; although I enjoyed my dish, Taro and his mom didn’t care for theirs as much. That was last year and after that experience, we didn’t go again in 2009.
So when Taro brought up the idea of going to Campanile for breakfast, I was excited to give it another try. As I said, I remember both times my food was good and the only downside was the service was not very good (only the first time though). The only problem was I couldn’t remember what I tried the two previous times – although I was pretty sure I had their waffle – so I stuck with what I usually get – a Belgian waffle (with syrup and fruit compote) and a side of bacon. The waffle was light and fluffy, but if you are on the hungry side, it is definitely not sufficient. With the side of bacon and a couple bites of Taro’s breakfast sandwich (smoked mozzarella, fried egg, and carmelized onion) I was pretty satisfied.
Overall, the experience was nice and the service this time was much better. Taro and I really want to go to Campanile for dinner (Kris has said positive things about their dinner.) so we cannot wait to have a date night here!
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