Pink Panda - Metro Manila

We started dinner with the Prawn Toasties (PhP 220) and were completely smitten with the taste and texture. I’m seriously craving for it while typing right now! Presented as small triangles of bread with sesame seeds and sweet chili sauce on the side, these toasts were savory. They were fried to a light bronze and had a mild, unobtrusive flavor. Pink Panda’s Chicken and Dumpling Noodle (PhP 240) is awesome stuff that reminded me of childhood. It’s a chicken-rich and particularly hearty soup that consisted of roasted chicken, spinach dumpling, garlic chips, and egg noodles cooked in lemongrass ginger broth that’s aromatic. The soup had a good amount of salt, and the noodles had a good bite to it. The dumplings were flavorful and stuffed full, folded into little round parcels. Yum! Who eats at Pink Panda without getting their signature Pink Panda Pork Bun (PhP 190)? Made with Chinese sausage, wood ear mushroom, and salted egg, these “siopao” pork buns are must-orders. They’re huge and tasty, especially with the sweet sauce. I liked that the pork did not have too much fat. We appreciated more of the meatiness in the fluffy steamed bun. Dimsum and then Some (PhP 330) is a must-order when you want to relish a quality yum cha meal. Three different types of shrimp dumplings (more like “hakaw”) were served hot on the table: chili, pumpkin, and kinchay. Honestly I couldn’t choose which one was the best. All were great and really satisfying, with or without the accompaniment of chili soy sauce. Crispy Beef Rendang (PhP 220) was the star of the night. It’s one of the best-selling dishes at Pink Panda, and the reason is pretty obvious. The short ribs were perfectly fried, with a crisp exterior and a tender inside. Swimming in spiced coconut sauce and a coating of delicious spices, their rendition of the beef rendang was so mouthwatering that we had to order two extra cups of jasmine rice (PhP 50) to maximize our enjoyment of the meal. Crunchy and fragrant, it’s a fiery fare that’s like an explosion of great flavors. Totally addictive. Finally, we had Char Kway Teow (PhP 285), a popular dish in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia. It’s a rich dish emboldened by chicken, Chinese sausage, hearty hofan, egg noodles, chili, and sweet soy, with a scattering of bean sprouts to add crunch. If you’re trying char kway teow for the first time, go for the gusto! rochkirstin.com

We started dinner with the Prawn Toasties (PhP 220) and were completely smitten with the taste and texture. I’m seriously craving for it while typing right now! Presented as small triangles of bread with sesame seeds and sweet chili sauce on the side, these toasts were savory. They were fried to a light bronze and had a mild, unobtrusive flavor. Pink Panda’s Chicken and Dumpling Noodle (PhP 240) is awesome stuff that reminded me of childhood. It’s a chicken-rich and particularly hearty soup that consisted of roasted chicken, spinach dumpling, garlic chips, and egg noodles cooked in lemongrass ginger broth that’s aromatic. The soup had a good amount of salt, and the noodles had a good bite to it. The dumplings were flavorful and stuffed full, folded into little round parcels. Yum! Who eats at Pink Panda without getting their signature Pink Panda Pork Bun (PhP 190)? Made with Chinese sausage, wood ear mushroom, and salted egg, these “siopao” pork buns... read more

Pink Panda Pork Bun. Not crazy about the food selection here . Looks appetizing because of the cute plating but the taste, not so. The place looks cool tho.

I was so excited trying this place months back because of some good reviews. Our visit though was disappointing. Pink Panda promised an asian fusion and I truly love asian dishes. For main course I ordered Babi Guling: Roast Pork belly with peanut sauce and fried buns. The portions are so small, i wasn't expecting that on a restaurant like this. There're nothing special with it. Meat is soft but the sauce is so-so and the buns with the pork doesn't compliment each other. My boyfriend ordered Grilled Bangus Belly: Presentation was good. Wrapped in banana leaf and grilled. Fish is not 1st grade, not as milky as expected, kinda muddy after taste. For drinks, I ordered cold Vietnamese coffee. Looks nice. Iced black coffee with milk portion in the bottom of the glass. Im not sure how authentic Vietnamese coffees taste like but it's just espresso with condensed milk. The mango shake was too sour we have to asked them to add sugar or milk on it to make it tolerable, fortunately, they replaced it. I was disappointed mostly with the dessert. We order Thai Mango with Sticky Rice and the Panda balls: sticky rice tasted bad, like it was moldy, we just ate the mango with condensed milk on it. Panda balls was an "argh".. if it somehow tasted like Chowking's botchi I wont even complain. It's oily, hard and the peanut center is made of an old peanut butter and the a too sweet dark choco. Waste of money. The only thing that impressed me was the cool interior.

I was so excited trying this place months back because of some good reviews. Our visit though was disappointing. Pink Panda promised an asian fusion and I truly love asian dishes. For main course I ordered Babi Guling: Roast Pork belly with peanut sauce and fried buns. The portions are so small, i wasn't expecting that on a restaurant like this. There're nothing special with it. Meat is soft but the sauce is so-so and the buns with the pork doesn't compliment each other. My boyfriend ordered Grilled Bangus Belly: Presentation was good. Wrapped in banana leaf and grilled. Fish is not 1st grade, not as milky as expected, kinda muddy after taste. For drinks, I ordered cold Vietnamese coffee. Looks nice. Iced black coffee with milk portion in the bottom of the glass. Im not sure how authentic Vietnamese coffees taste like but it's just espresso with condensed milk. The mango shake was too sour we have to asked them to add sugar or milk on it to make it... read more