Pomet’s story is true California story. It begins on the orchard farms of Yuba City, California, many decades ago. Owner Aomboon Deasy explains, “I'm the farmer's daughter, and I've been farming since I was as old as I can remember.”
The restaurant’s name, Pomet, means ‘orchard’ and comes from pomology, the study of fruit trees. “It’s an homage to my dad, who was a pomology advisor for the USDA, University of California, and California Department of Food and Agriculture.”
Inspired by her upbringing, Deasy spent decades leading her own California orchard farms. K&J Orchards specializes in stone fruits, citrus, apples, pears, persimmons, and nuts producing 40 different varieties of peaches and 20 varieties of nectarines. “We produce a lot of fruits and vegetables because of the abundance and richness of the soil in California.” Almost 25 years ago, K&J Orchards began supplying to restaurants, now numbering nearly 150 including MICHELIN Guide spots including The French Laundry, Auberge du Soleil, and Benu.
Having experience with fresh produce, Deasy opened Pomet to curate a truly farm-to-table experience. “Opening the restaurant was the most natural thing to do.” With her knowledge of local farms, Deasy knows where to find the best ingredients. “Since California has so much diversity in soil, different regions grow different great products. Sonoma County and Pescadero can produce some of the best greens. Later in the season, we get citrus from Southern California because it's warmer.”
That focus on hyper-locality extends to all facets of Deasy's ethos. She's proud to be in California, and specifically in Oakland. “Oakland has given itself a lot of growth in regards to cuisine," she adds pointing to Commis and Mägo as examples. With a plethora of local produce and a myriad of local flavors on the menu, Deasy describes her restaurant’s cuisine as Californian. “The only thing from outside of California is the wine.”
Chef Alan Hsu ran Pomet’s kitchen since its inception, but Chef Edalyn Garcia has now transitioned to the helm earlier this summer. “Chef Alan made a good foundation for the restaurant and created dishes that were simplistic yet very technique-driven,” says Garcia. As she takes the reins, Garcia intends to keep and evolve Pomet’s roots. “My biggest focus is trying to highlight K&J," says the chef. "I want it to be more vegetable and fruit forward. With all of the great produce that we get in California, from the sea to the land, we have such a big bounty to work with.”
Sustainability remains at the core of how Pomet operates. “For food, sustainability is utilizing the produce that we have in California. You have respect for the farmer, the food, and how it’s made. Chef Edalyn says she tries to use ingredients, 'from the tail to the snout, from the fin to the head,'" says Deasy. And they adhere to this philosophy even with the extra bits using carrot or beet tops to feed the chickens on the farm with the eggs yielded going to the restaurant for desserts or pastas or to be sold at the farmers market.
Highlights from the menu include the ugly mushroom pasta and Wolfe Ranch quail. Garcia explains, “Our ugly mushroom pasta is made fresh every day. It's a labor of love. We use #2 shiitakes, which are not so nice looking, made into purees. We brine our Wolfe Ranch quails for 45 minutes, rinse, and then put it in our smoker. To fuel our fire, our wood comes from the fruit trees in the farm.” Deasy adds, “It's like a full circle of life for the trees. They produce fruit, and then we use their wood to cook the food.”
For other restaurants looking to be more sustainable, Deasy recommends chefs think about seasonality to reduce their carbon footprint. “There's always an alternative with the diversity of California produce, which is amazing," explains Deasy. "If there’s a shorter asparagus season, the chef can switch out to great turnips, still sourced locally in California.” Garcia adds that she changes the menu following what's in peak season and most flavorful.
Each meal ends with a complimentary slice of seasonal fruit such as nectarines, peaches, and cherries. “In many Asian households, you end your meal with a piece of fruit," says Deasy. "For us, it’s a way to make you feel like you just walked out of the orchard.” For chef Garcia the gesture is akin to a calling card. “I think it is a really good way to say thank you so much, please come again.”
That sense of familiarity is intrinsic to the duo who grew up in homes focused on celebrating their culture through food. “I grew up eating great food. It tickles every sense on your palate when you eat Thai food," says Deasy with chef Garcia adding, "at any type of celebration, we'd always have a lot of food, enough to feed a small army. Filipinos are super big into hospitality, and we always want our guests to leave with food to take home. I love that it brought us together."
With such fond memories of childhood, both chef and owner are doing their part to translate this with Pomet. "When people taste my food, I want people to have that feeling of I feel like I know you without having to actually have met me," says Garcia. "It means a lot to be able to touch people with food.”
The team means a lot to Deasy and Garcia. The restaurant automatically charges a 20% tip to all checks to be shared amongst the staff. “Our staff being able to make a good living with a fair wage is more than I could ever ask for,” says Deasy. “The type of environment I want to bring forth is full of love, and laughter," adds Garcia. "People that want to be there and are engaged. Being a female of color, it's a responsibility of mine to instill confidence in the future female chefs.”
Reflecting on her Californian restaurant, Deasy smiles, “The restaurant is the truest, most genuine form of farm-to-table. We are the farmer.”
Hero image: Alan Hsu/Pomet
