Pink Panda is housed on the ground floor of Y2 Residence Hotel across A. Venue Mall. On the surface, it would be easy to assume that it’s just another under-the-radar casual spot in Makati. But one step in and you’ll realize it’s far from that. It’s a dimly-lit restaurant where you can take delight in Southeast Asian food flavors and get a quick alcohol fix. Featuring Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Chinese, and Filipino comfort food, Pink Panda updates its menu every six months, retaining those that received warm accolade from customers and replacing those that didn’t. Aside from serving a la carte dishes for lunch and dinner, it also caters to breakfast of hotel guests daily buffet-style.
Dinner was booked through BigDish’s app, and we had an instant discount off our meal. In case you’re not yet familiar, BigDish is a brand-new way of offering dining deals and discounts. There’s no membership fee required. Just reserve online (through the website or mobile app) and get discounts off your bill depending on the number of people, date and time, and the restaurant chosen. Once booking is done, a confirmation code will show up and this should be presented to the restaurant at the time of visit. No hassle!
Review of Pink Panda Southeast Asian Diner (Poblacion, Makati City)
Ambiance:
Pink Panda in Makati opened in 2014 and it’s owned by Erwan Heusaff and his friends. It is a nice change of pace if you’re ever in need of a quieter meal in Makati, perfect for a date night, dinner with the family, or a cool hangout session with friends. Its interior design and theme exude a genteel charm. The modern space looks artsy and colorful, filled with Asian decors and influences. The bicycle on the wall and the ceiling panels are sleek accents that are most striking and unexpected. While the lighting and overall ambiance seemingly attract a grown-up crowd, this restaurant doesn’t feel stuffy in the slightest.
Food:
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!
Price for Value:
If you’re interested in trying Asian fusion food, Pink Panda Southeast Asian Diner in Y2 Residence Hotel is the place to be. Open for walk-ins from 11am to 12mn, it serves a variety of popular Southeast Asian dishes with a modern twist in a hip and creative environment. Prices are good for those on a budget; you can order a lot without spending a lot. Be adventurous, and try reserving through BigDish to get up to 50% instant discount off your bill. Check out this link to get started.
Y2 Residence Hotel offers the weary soul a distinctly serene and tranquil ambiance even when it’s merely a few minutes away from the city’s Central Business District as well as several world-class shopping destinations and vibrant nightspots.
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
Wow, the food there looks amazing! I have never been to Makati City, but if I would ever get there, I will definitely check out this restaurant. Thank you so much for sharing.
I love Chicken and Dumplings! The restaurant looks like it really stays true to Asian foods. The little panda balls are adorable! I would go to the restaurant just to eat those little guys. I love the creativity. When I travel to Makati City, I am definitely stopping by.
I loved visiting Makati City when I was in the Philippines. I wish I could have gone to this restaurant! Definitely somewhere I would have dined.
Those panda pork buns has me wanting to visit now. I love food that is fun and creative like this. Sounds like a place that is a must visit if in Asian! Looks like a delicious meal!
Pink Panda looks like a very cozy dinning restaurant that has a great tasting menu. I would love to try out their three different types of shrimp dumplings. I hope to visit Makati City one day!!
Those panda pork buns are absolutely adorable!! OMG I want one! The food looks delicious!
The Pink Panda looks like an interesting place to dine. The Chicken & Dumpling Noodle looks so good and the panda pork buns are so creative. I haven’t had a steamed pork bun since I lived in Hawaii back in the 80’s. Philippino food was my favorite when I lived in Hawaii.
The food here looks delicious! I’ve never heard of BigDish before, but I just downloaded it on my phone. I’m going on a road trip to Atlanta with some of my friends this weekend, and something tells me BigDish will save us a lot of money! LOL Thanks for sharing!
This place looks awesome. I am a dimsum fanatic and would love to try theirs, especially the pumpkin ones. And that Beef Rendang is right up my alley.
The chicken and dumplings noodles have my mouth watering!! Those pork buns are so cute looking too, I’d definitely have to order them. This all looks so good, I’m really hungry now!
My husband and I are always trying new restaurants and Pink Panda looks like one we’d love. There’s nothing better than the flavors of Thai and Chinese cooking. If we’re ever lucky enough to go, you can be we’ll be ordering the Crispy Beef Rendang (for him) and the Char Kway Teow (for her). x
Yummy post! And those Pink Panda Pork Bun looks delicious! (aside from being too cute) 🙂
That A Venue area has so much to offer. I never would have expected a restaurant that looks like this across from it. The place looks good and the food you featured are tempting to try out.
I used to live in the Poblacion area and that’s such a nice neighborhood. They do have a lot of cute dishes especially the Pink Panda Pork Bun. I’ll try the food here soon.
The food here looks delicious. I’ll have to give it a go whenever I’m in town. Thank you!
P.S. You both look so pretty!
Love Asian food and when i see such lovely pictures and food description at the end of the day, feel hungry again! enjoy.
BigDish app sounds good to get some awesome discounts! Its very thoughtful of the restaurant to keep changing their menu keeping the customers preferences in mind. The interiors, esp the ceiling and bicycle atop are really interesting!
Of all the foods presented here, it’s the PInk Panda Pork Pun that caught my interest for this is unique, an innovation so to speak. I thought this is their signature foods delicacy.
Oh my, I am salivating here! Food looks really scrumptious! We hope to visit before we go back to the province. And yes, I will try that BigDish app to get discounts. 😉
Perfect place to have food trip with family. It made me feel excited to taste some Southeast Asian food flavors.