Making a Run for Amarith Farmhouse

 Amarith Farmhouse

18729 Brookhurst Street #6

Fountain Valley, CA 92708

For about fifteen months, we have been doing a 5k a month. It sounds a lot more impressive than it actually is. Truthfully, we just walk the 3.1 miles in about an hour, depending on how many hills we encounter on the course. The exercise is okay, but I really look forward to the breakfast afterward. Most races start around 8 a.m., meaning we can sit at breakfast before most people roll out of bed. These races also allow us to eat in an area we would typically not be in, thus more opportunities to try places like Amarith Farmhouse and Bakehouse. 

Amarith felt like a new restaurant when we visited earlier this year. They did not have a permanent sign, the dining room was sparsely decorated, and there appeared to be some training going on when we ordered at the counter. I was surprised to learn they had been open since June 2022. I was also unaware they have two other locations, one in Orange and the other in Corona Del Mar. There's also an Amarith Table Restaurant in Garden Grove, which is not listed on their website. I guess my restaurant game is a little rusty. 

The man who started Amarith Cafe is none other than Adam Amarith. Like many restaurant owners, Adam has a fascinating backstory. Amarith hails from Cambodia and wanted to be a doctor until the country fell to the Khmer Rouge. He and his family were relocated to a work camp, where for four years, he watched as his dad and siblings all perished in the camp. He survived by working in the camp's kitchen and using the culinary knowledge his mom passed on to him as a youth.  

After immigrating to the US, he worked at the Santa Ana School District for 17 years. He's also a senior pastor at a church in Long Beach. As if that's not keeping him busy enough, he flips houses or rents them to needy families. He's also very involved in helping the people of his homeland have a better life, whether it's having clean drinking water, funding for healthcare, or finding another way to help the poorest people of Cambodia have a better quality of life. 

Back to Amarith Farmhouse. They use all-natural ingredients whenever possible. Foods without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. They have a farm from which they can get most of their produce. They survived the pandemic by switching gears to doing many corporate gigs, thrived, and came out on the other side by expanding. Talk about an American success story. After learning all of this, I was excited to refuel after our grueling 3-mile jaunt through nearby Mile Square Park. 

It takes a lot of confidence to open a bakehouse a few doors down from Paderia, a bakery I consider to have the best cookies in Orange County. Amarith Farmhouse did precisely that, though. This Chocolate Chip Cookie ($3) will not rival Paderia's cookies for best in the county, but it was a solid effort. The outer circumference of the cookie had a good crunch, while the inside was soft. There was also some chocolate in each bite, which is not always true at other bakeries. This was not as hefty as the cookies from Paderia, but it had a good flavor, and you could tell it was freshly made. 

I'm usually a fan of chilaquiles for my first meal of the day, but I changed that up by getting this Asada Steak and Eggs ($18). The menu states that the asada is medium rare and comes with grilled onions, peppers, jack cheese, and red salsa. The steak was seasoned well but was more medium well than medium rare. It was only kind of tender, and a few of the pieces were on the dry side. The sunny-side-up eggs helped moisten this up a bit. I only got a little cheese and very little salsa with this. The house potatoes were nice and crispy. This was fine, but it did not knock me out. I'd get something else, the chilaquiles or the country-fried steak the next time. 

Katie still surprises me sometimes, even after being together for 15 years. She's usually a creature of habit when it comes to eating breakfast. She usually gravitates towards a breakfast burrito. At Amartith Farmhouse, she got this Bacon Egg Brioche ($10). This sandwich came with an over-medium egg, two strips of bacon, cheddar cheese, and chipotle aioli. It usually comes with ketchup and sliced tomato, but Kate modified it to suit her tastes. The brioche bun was freshly made and did a great job keeping everything together. Katie liked this sandwich and was especially fond of the chipotle aioli, which added a bit of spice and went well with the egg and bacon. 

Amarith Farmhouse was good, but we'd have to return to try other things to get a better feel for what they have going on here. I love their story and how they are expanding, and it's hard not to root for their success. They served a good, honest breakfast at a fair price. With more 5k races in our future, some at nearby Mile Square Park, we will return to Amarith Cafe very soon.  

Out of five Navy Corsairs (because Mile Square Park was initially used as a training spot for military aircraft during and well after World War II), five being best to zero being worst, Amarith Farmhouse gets 3 Navy Corsairs. 

For more information about Amarith Farmhouse and Bakehouse, click here to visit their website: https://www.amarithcafe.com/