Dining

Adventurous Eats: Pom Pom's Teahouse & Sandwicheria

By Natali Sachs
Friday, Feb. 19, 2010

A Culinary Adventure

As I emerged from the bar on an eventful Friday night downtown, of course the first thing that came to mind was food. The usual is a slice of pizza around the corner, but my friends and I were feeling daring. So we gladly went to this sandwich place that my friend Kristin suggested. This place is called Pom Pom's Tea House & Sandwicheria and I had never been nor heard of it. I was quite excited for this new adventure. Pom Pom's is located on 67 Bumby Avenue not to far from the heart of downtown. This area is known as "the Milk District" (because it is located behind a milk factory).

Walking in, I could not believe that I had never been there! The place is small, very friendly, cozy and artsy. I was very pleased with this new discovery.

Pom Moongauklang: From Manhattan to O-Town

I was lucky enough to have spoken with Miss Pom Moongauklang herself to get the scoop on this amazing place that I have apparently been missing out on. Pom is Thai and her family owns many Thai restaurants around Orlando. She went to pastry school in Manhattan and worked as a pastry chef for a year and a half at the internationally-renowned Japanese restaurant Nobu in New York. Pom prepared pastries for celebrities.

She then moved on to a restaurant called Lucky Chang's in New York. "The chefs just always craved an appetizing sandwich," Pom explains. This is when her idea for a sandwich shop came about.

She moved to Orlando and opened Pom Pom's, which has been in business for 4 years now. Pom wanted to create a unique, accessible, gourmet-style dining experience. She doesn't advertise; her business comes from strictly word-of-mouth.

Pom's inspiration comes from her own dining experiences. Whenever she orders a meal at a restaurant, she envisions how she can re-create the dish as a sandwich. She creates her recipes by pairing things together that don't necessarily belong together or things that you wouldn't think belong together.

To give you an idea of Pom's sandwiches -- which range in price from $6-$9 -- I'll give you the ingredients to some of my favorite sandwiches that I have tried. There is one creation with turkey, provolone, red onions, southern slaw, and Thousand Island dressing. Another one is called "Mama Ling Ling's Thanksgiving" and consists of turkey, holiday chutney, gouda, stuffing, cream cheese, and a side of warm gravy for dipping. Mmm mm! Who wouldn't love one giant bite of Thanksgiving dinner? Pom tells me that a police officer who frequents her restaurant refers to her concoctions as "crack sandwiches," because they are just that damn good.

Tea Party

Pom has a wide variety of teas that she infuses into her recipes. Some of her delicious flavors are blueberry lavender and passion fruit green tea kiwi pear. You can choose to drink this hot or on ice. I love it cold and unsweetened because you really can taste the true flavor of the tea.

Pom Pom's Supports the Local Art Scene

One of the most attractive things about Pom Pom's, is the art on the walls. I asked her about the significance and she said that she changes the art on the walls once a month after holding an art reception of the pieces. She said that once one of the receptions had about 200 people with a DJ. All of the art that she obtains are from local artists all with different artistic talents.

I hope that I have made your mouth water and you are eager to let Pom Pom's Teahouse & Sandwicheria into your life! Pom is working on a second location by the UCF area. It will be slightly different, but she will still serve sandwiches. She wants to throw in a Saki concept as well as some new recipes such as sweet potato fries and eventually expanding out of state.

In the future, Pom sees more organic neighborhoods and environments for her business. Her employees have been working for her since she started and they are like a family. They make the experience at Pom Pom's what it is.

"You come in for a sandwich, but you leave with an experience," Pom says.

Pom Pom's Teahouse & Sandwicheria
67 N Bumby Ave
Orlando, FL 32803-6270
(407) 894-0865
PomPomsTeaHouse.com