PauMi’s Sandwiches & more in Wiesbaden serves a fresh, perfectly balanced sandwich

PauMi's Sandwiches & more in Wiesbaden, Germany, is a cozy shop with ample types of sandwiches and some excellent desserts. (David Edge/Stars and Stripes)

A pulled beef sandwich with sauerkraut, jalapenos, onions and barbecue sauce from PauMi's Sandwiches & more in Wiesbaden, Germany. (David Edge/Stars and Stripes)

PauMi's Sandwiches & more in Wiesbaden, Germany, is a short trip from the U.S. Army base at Hainerberg. (David Edge/Stars and Stripes)

The deserts at PauMi's Sandwiches & more in Wiesbaden, Germany. The top row, from left, are caramel, strawberry and pistachio macarons. The mini-cupcakes on the bottom from left are chocolate with chocolate buttercream, strawberry with lemon buttercream and vanilla with vanilla buttercream. (David Edge/Stars and Stripes)

All it takes to turn what should have been a good sandwich into merely a forgettable source of calories is one bad ingredient.

Too much sauce kills great meat. A fine combination of accompaniments is wasted on stale or long-frozen bread.

So when I find a sandwich shop that understands how to balance their flavors and uses fresh ingredients, I don’t forget it. At first blush, PauMi’s Sandwiches & more seems like one of those places.

The shop is less than a five-minute drive from the Army’s Hainerberg installation and a seven-minute walk from Wiesbaden’s Crestview housing area.

PauMi’s is a very small shop with only enough room for two people to sit and eat. I chose to take my food home because the shop is located on a very busy street due to nearby construction.

Almost everything on the menu is either made in-house or sourced locally, including the breads, jams, milkshakes and lemonades.

The menu at PauMi’s is surprisingly large for such a small shop. There are 19 sandwiches to choose from. They also offered five salads and three types of bowls for those trying to avoid the carbs.

For lunch, I tried their pulled beef sandwich. I was pleasantly surprised — the first bite exploded with the sweet and tangy flavors of the barbecue sauce and sauerkraut. The jalapenos and onions cut the sweetness of the sauce and the beef was well-seasoned.

The shop also offers something for those with a sweet tooth. I ordered macarons and three different mini-cupcakes. The macarons were crispy and light as air, filled with a decadent caramel. The mini-cupcakes were all light and fluffy. My favorite was the strawberry cupcake with lemon buttercream. It reminded me of the same cake that my grandmother used to make me for my birthday.

The prices are reasonable, with sandwiches ranging anywhere from six to 12 euros, and the portions are a good size for the money that you pay. I most definitely plan to visit PauMi’s again.

edge.david@stripes.com Twitter: @DavidEd96798393

Address: Zieglerstr 12, Wiesbaden 65191

Hours: Monday-Friday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday; 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Prices: About six to 12 euros for most sandwiches.

Menu: German. Most of the servers speak English, are friendly and very helpful.

Information: Email: kontakt@paumis.de;

Online:paumis.de

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