Pom's Thai Taste - South Portland, Maine

As an update to my previous post, Thai Taste, I recently tried their Western Avenue location. The owners have created a relaxing respite from the mall crowds and an alternative to the chain restaurants that abound. Despite the strip mall location, the atmosphere inside is far superior to that of their sister restaurant, Thai Taste on Cottage Road, which still, after all these years, feels like you are inside a day care center. Soft lighting, comfortable and decorative chairs, and beautiful artwork adorn the walls of this mall location.

The fresh vegetable spring rolls staved off our hunger as we perused the menu. The veggies were crisp, the basil leaf inside was fresh, the wrapper was moist and tightly rolled. Catering well to "Thai newbies", they have a "create your own noodle" menu, in addition to the regular full menu. Create your own noodle allows one to build the equivalent of Pad Thai, one step at a time. Noodle, vegetables, protein (chicken, shrimp, tofu), and spice. You can even add broth at the end to create a Thai soup.

For consistency in fairly comparing the two locations, we stuck to the regular menu and ordered the same entrees that we did just weeks ago at Thai Taste: Pad Thai with Steamed Tofu and Red Curry, also with Steamed Tofu. The Pad Thai held an abundance of tofu, scallions, bean sprouts, peanuts and egg shone. The Red Curry was sweet and tangy, the vegetables crisp and flavorful. However, what I like best about Thai Taste is the minimal use of oil, allowing the flavorful ingredients to shine through. While there is less oil used than at other area Thai restaurants, there is a heavier hand in the kitchen at Pom's than at its sister restaurant.

Pom's Thai Taste is built for speed, serving working professionals from nearby office complexes with limited time for lunch during the week. Though we dined on a Saturday afternoon at 2pm when speed was not necessary, we were told that our entrees would be ready in five minutes - and they were.

The Cottage Road location has superior food; the Western Avenue location has a more refined and relaxing atmosphere. The service at both is excellent. You won't be disappointed at either.

Bon Appetit.