Kamel
| Where | 19 Victoria Ave, Albert Park—View map |
Contact | (03) 9696 1386 kamel_bite@hotmail.com |
Website | www.kamelrestaurant.com |
Open | Breakfast Friday 8:00 am to 12:00 noon, Saturday and Sunday 8:00 am to 3:00 pm |
Payment | EFTPOS, Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Cash |
Diet | Soy |
Seating | Inside and outside |
Kids | Welcome |
Pets | Welcome |
Would you get out of bed for a trip to the Middle East?
Jane de Graaff 21 February 2009
"We serve breakfast all day on the weekend" said the happy voice on the other end of the receiver, "oh, sorry, not all day, but we do serve it till three- does that help?"
Does that help? When your having one of those weekends where getting out of bed before midday is a special skill all its own, then yes, breakfast till three certainly helps.
But at Kamel, its not just breakfast till the start of happy hour that can really perk up a Saturday morning/afternoon- it's the kind of brekky you can get here that really makes the difference. After all, who cares if you can have breakfast at dinnertime if you don't really want what's on offer, no matter what time of the day it is?
Joyfully, at Kamel there are some things that call to you nomatter what the clock says. So lets settle into the maroon leather banquette, count the endless camel motifs, sculptures and pictures that dot the walls, and order our first coffee of the day.
Then we'll start with the chorizo, capsicum and tomato baked eggs. I wanted a soft start to the day, but my stomach was saying breakfast and lunchtime, so why not opt for the sausage? It was the right choice.
Two eggs, baked in a thick and comforting tomato sauce, all hiding salty chunks of chorizo and surprise bursts of caramely onion. I wanted to hug the warm stoneware dish that cradled it all in front of me.
As we contemplated exactly which part of the Middle East we were most transported too by the lanterns and apple spiced tea, my other half ordered the parmesan and asparagus omelette. Also the right choice as it turned out, with its snappy little green trees of fresh asparagus and perfectly folded dimensions.
But then, the ricotta hotcakes (two little dumplings with their runny blobs of poached berries perching on top), looked like another right choice at the table nextto us, and the Ethiopian fruit toast was not far behind.
So the moral of the story is, Kamel is just right for a long and preferably multi-dished breakfast.
You might even think about hopping seats between serves; from the lovely indoor setting, to street side tables under the warm glow of a huge orange awning, or drift out the back to the courtyard with its communal tables. Each spot has its own decidedly desert caravan charm.
We finished breakfast justin time to start thinking about where we might sit in the afternoon sun for beers as the shadows grew long. Some weekends are just like that, they don't get started till well after the sun goes down- but at least you don't have to miss breakfast.