LOCATION
In Chapel Street, between High and Malvern Streets.
DETAILS
Pan Asian is an effortlessly hip Melbourne restaurant that serves innovative Asian fusion food in a setting that is itself a fusion, encompassing bold contemporary art, eclectic vintage-style light fittings and sleek minimalist furniture. The cool yet inclusive ambience of this venue reflects the restaurant’s culinary commitment to blending cultures and traditions. The main dining area is flanked by a chic bar which sits underneath a colourful mural, not to mention the range of colourful cocktails behind it. The restaurant also offers the Pan chill out area, a laid back space where you can graze on Asian style tapas.
FUNCTIONS
The restaurant is suited for groups up to 80 for cocktails, and up to 40 for sit down meals. Both the main dining area and the mezzanine are available for hire.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
The principle behind Pan Asian’s food rests on a delicate equilibrium of rich flavours from the East and the latest technical artistry from the West. Chefs Ben Corp and Kin San oversee Pan Asian’s thriving kitchen, where an experienced team of chefs craft exciting permutations of Thai, Japanese, Indian, Malaysian, Chinese and Indochinese foods.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Chapel Street has more than enough eating places, you may have thought. But Pan Asian does things differently, and makes an extremely welcome addition to the street. The building, just like the cuisine, blends the traditional and the modern in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Its old decorative features – the pillars and ornate ceiling – maintain a classic decorum, while a grand chandelier made of everyday table items, oriental dividing screens and a mural featuring the four deities of Pan Asian cuisine ( India, China, Japan and Thailand) add modern flare. There’s also a great bar area with a good list of cocktails, making it an ideal place for drinks and some interesting food.
The menu is divided into small and large dishes, with a few sides, and some desserts. Among the small dishes, the salmon fishcakes with green pea curry sauce, and the gyoza filled with walnut, blue cheese and leek, served with an orange and cardamom dressing rated particularly highly. Of the large dishes, the deep-fried whole fish is a great one to share – its sauce has a lovely hot-sourness of chilli and tamarind, and it comes with an Asian herb salad. The spice-crusted lamb fillet is also excellent and comes with tomato chutney and a French lentil dahl. For dessert, the palm sugar pannacotta tickles the tastebuds with a flavour punchier than the usual vanilla. The wine list is fairly priced, and has a nice range by the glass as well. If you’d like to share the experience with a few of your nearest and dearest, the upstairs area is a terrific space for functions.
Rita Erlich, May 2009