Pink Panda Southeast Asian Diner

Pink Panda Southeast Asian Diner is a fun little Asian inspired joint conceptualized by Erwan Heussaff and the Hatch 22 group. Bamboo hats and pink flamingos share a space along a number of little inspired knick kancks. They don’t claim to serve authentic Southeast Asian food so go there with an open mind and taste buds. Try to see the other little accessories they’ve added to give the industrial space a burst of color and charm.

The Pink Panda people invited us to try their food out a couple of weeks ago. When we visited Pink Panda, the booths were still unfinished, from the photos you can see the stainless bars and the upholstered chairs evoking images of the jeepney.  They have some quirky names of dishes on the menu like Love You Long Time and Crab Mentality.

Prawn Toasties and Tom Yum Shots (P285). The plating was very nice, the soups placed in shot glasses with a medium sized shrimps hanging on the lip. You are encouraged to eat both alternatively, bite a piece of the prawn toast then sip a little of the soup. The toasted bread will act to temper the spiciness of the soup. The tom yum soup was quite good but I’ve never really been a fan of the prawn toasts.

Rack of Bones (P430). Tamarind Barbecued pork spare ribs with a chili lime dip. Perfect sharing food, since everyone can just get a rib and bite away.

Crab Mie Goreng (P285). Egg noodles cooked with crab meat, sambal, kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), vegetables and scrambled egg. A fried egg is laid on top which you can break to add a little creaminess to the noodles. There a play of spicy and sweet with generous amount of ingredients inside. One serving is more than enough to feed one person.

General P’s Chicken (P290). Fried chicken pieces coated in orange sauce with toasted garlic and dried chilies. Another dish with the sweet, tangy and spicy play of flavors. Citrus based savory dishes is one of my weaknesses, be it lemon, orange or any other citrus. I seemingly always order it when I see it. This was nicely done, bite sized with each piece well coated.

Crispy Beef Rendang (P420). Pink Panda caramelized the beef rendang but there is still a bit of sauce underneath. This was a bit spicy but I could not stop eating it, a cup of rice is the perfect partner for this one.

Panda Buns (P210). This was my most awaited dish since I had since it a couple of times on my Instagram feed already. The buns look so cute that’s it’s almost cruel to bite into them but food must NOT be wasted. The filling is basically like a bola bola siopao but there a whole lot more of the meatball inside.

Panda’s Balls (P220/5 pieces). Buchi coated with black and white sesame to simulate the panda image and filled with pb&j or dark chocolate.

Their playfulness extends to their Fortune Cookies, you’ll definitely get a kick from finding out what’s inside.

Mango and Jackfruit Sansrival (P295).  Mango and jackfruit wafers with cashew nuts and creamed butter. A fruity twist on the classic dessert, I was just looking for a stronger jackfruit flavor.

Here’s the menu so you can see the other dishes they have.

The place is a bit hard to find especially since it’s located in a small side street in the back of A. Venue. Here’s a nice little map so you can find your way there.

Pink Panda Southeast Asian Diner

G/F Y2 Residence Hotel

4687 Santiago St. cor. B Valdez

Makati City, Philippines

Contact No.: (02) 224-3000 loc. 3057

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