For the fourth round of the Thai-o-rama (Round 1, Round 2, Round 3) collaborative food writing project, the group tackled Pom’s Thai Taste. There are three locations (2 in SoPo and 1 in the city), but we decided to focus our attention on the one on Congress Street.
Appetite Portland decided to forgo her usual Pom’s order of five flavor noodle soup with crispy duck (“not the best soup in the world, but it’s dependable, hearty, filling and affordable”) to branch out into new horizons on the menu. She writes that the Steamed Butterflies dumplings were a “sticky and overly sweet mess”. However, the Pad Thai was “quite tasty” once lime “begged” from the waitress balanced out the sweetness. Read the Full Review
Edible Obsessions points out that the “Thailand meets Ikea” interior design for the dining room “is bright and cheery without the feeling of being campy or gaudy,” and that “the food also falls into the line of pretty simple and straightforward.” It sounds like the Krah-Tong Thong appetizer, Pad Khee-Mao and desserts were the high point of her meal with the bland Pad Thai being the most notable exception. Read the Full Review
Portland Eats rates Pom’s as “good, solid, Thai food” but that the menu of 694 items (he counted) is too long and that “as good as the food at Pom’s is, it would be even better if the menu was more focused, truly highlighting a small handful of specialties.”. Read the Full Review
Portland Food Heads tried the Paad-Khee-Mao “I’ve always loved drunken noodles, and these were very good; in fact, one of the better plates I’ve ever had.” However on a return trip for some take-out was disappointed by a plate of Crab Pad Thai. Read the Full Review
The Blueberry Files handed this review over to a guest post by her roommate. They both “appreciated the complete lack of kitsch” in the restaurant decor, which enabled them to “focus entirely on the food. Which was, on balance, pretty good.” They enjoyed the $1 sushi but the meal went off course with the “odd consistency” of the non-traditional Crispy Pad Thai. Their Fried coconut ice cream “was a great way to end the evening”.Read the Full Review
Where is Jenner’s Mind rates Pom’s as “some of the best thai food in portland”. The dumplings were “bland” but the Crispy Duck got rave reviews (“i’m drooling just writing about it”). Read the Full Review
My take on Pom’s is that it offers a solid choice for Thai in the city. Like Edible Obsessions and Portland Food Heads, I don’t think Pad Thai isn’t their strong suit. It’s clear from this set of reviews (and the ones linked below) that there’s plenty on the menu to enjoy but that the service still has some room to grow. From the comments of The Blueberry Files and Edible Obsessions as well as my own experience, skipping dessert would be a mistake.
For more on Pom’s Thai Taste also check out these earlier reviews by: