If gold medals existed for frying potatoes, Carmela Villegas-Agosta and Julien Agosta, the couple behind all the deep-fried goodness that is Pompoms’ menu, would definitely be in for a shot.
In the photo: Salted Egg Fries
Pompoms (which takes its name from “pommes frites”) is all about perfecting that deep-fry with quality potatoes—the first task the couple set out to do before setting up shop.
“We’ve always wanted to do something like this, and we just woke up one day and decided to do fries,” says Carmela. “We both had a lot of homemade fries growing up, and you can’t go wrong with something considered comfort food for everyone.”
The thick-cut fries are hand-cut in-house and go through three stages of cooking to achieve their lightly crisp outsides and fluffy, mashed potato-like insides. Talk about the perfect French fry!
All the ingredients used in Pompoms’ decidedly humble menu are locally-sourced, which is a great merit. “Everything in this store is Filipino, except me!” Jokes Julien. “We also wanted to showcase the beautiful produce and ingredients of the Philippines.”
You’ll see the menu’s little tip of the hat to familiar Filipino food and flavor preferences with their dipping sauce options: there’s a pinakurat (spiced vinegar) dipping sauce that has a tangy kick, a sweet barbecue sauce, and a classic smooth garlic aioli that hits the spot when paired with fresh-off-the-fryer French fries. If you’re feeling adventurous, ask for their Green Velvet (for the veggie-lovers) sauce or their Samurai sauce, which is a Sriracha-based spicy dipping sauce.
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In the photo: Fried Chicken Poutine and French Fries
If a hefty serving of fries is what you’re after, go for their poutine options. Their Fried Chicken Poutine is an absolute star—who wouldn’t love to dig into fries that are served under a blanket of fried chicken, crunchy fried chicken skin, gravy, and cheese? If pork is more your thing, their Pulled Pork Fries are topped with slow-cooked pork and BBQ sauce, and their Longsi Fries are topped with homemade garlicky longganisa, fried egg, and pinakurat.
In the photo: Pulled Pork Fries
Both Carmela and Julien look forward to having fun with the menu and are looking to increase their market base to fly their flag of fries—this Chinese New Year, a special batch of salted egg fries will be served (get it while you can!), and sweet Nutella-topped fries will make appearances every now and then.
Lastly, we have to let you know that at Pompoms, their Classic Vanilla Soft Serve (priced only at P49!) is meant for that wonderfully delicious and familiar habit of French fry-dipping. We promise—you won’t get weird looks here!
Pompoms is located at Ground Floor, Pedro Gil Wing, Robinson’s Manila, Pedro Gil Street, Ermita, Manila.
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