pan asian - itc grand chola

ambience : you can't beat the ambience here....really! its exquisite, grand, magnificent, romantic and all that glitters!

menu : tantalising at it's best!

food : my husband ordered a tom kha gai soup from the thai section for himself; while i chose to savour a variety from the sea - seafood soup which was a tad bland. so i asked for some vinegar. they got me some dark vinegar which had a uniquely woody aftertaste. my husband enjoyed his soup.
i am an ardent carnivore and love sampling a variety of carcasses. so we decided to go with soft shell crab, from thai cuisine. then we had to choose between wasabi prawns or buta maki(pork) of japan. i have eaten soft shelled crabs many times in honk(pullman, delhi), benjarong and bangkok, but never this huge. the size of the crabs itself satiated my joy. lovely and delicious as they were, the crabs were hugeeeee. buta maki was an utter disappointment. it was a maki roll made of bacon strips instead. the menu promised us asparagus, which i was looking forward to. but the bacon just rolled around some sautéed mushrooms. asparagus would have been much better though. it was really not worthy to be on their menu.
for main course, i had the lobster with a side of chicken garlic fried rice. the rice itself was the sticky variety. it was good. the lobster was deliciously lip smacking. boneless cubes of batter fried lobster drenched in sauce accompanied with a salad and plated so royally. you must see the pics i put up. all this grandeur served on a mighty large platter with a humongous lobster shell sitting on one end. the quantity and quality was absolutely worth it. i wouldn't dare to order lobster in a regular restaurant as they're not quick selling items and may just end up stale. the only meats i missed was lamb as nothing with lamb seemed appealing. also there was no beef or even buffalo listed on their menu. disappointing!
by now we were so full yet drawn by the sheer gluttony and voracity of our appetites. so we ordered2 desserts. my husband loves tub tim grob and orders it in every authentic thai eatery. but although its a traditional dessert, it was served soooooo differently. firstly, its an interactive dessert. so they come to your table, lay this hugeeee platter with colourful tapioca cubes. then they make an ice cream from scratch using compressed nitrogen which freezes anything instantly. so we had instant creamy coconut ice cream at the table. this dessert is enough for 2. but greedy me ordered a mango yangzhiganlou, which was not up to the mark and i just ended up wasting it.
since it was my birthday, they brought out a cake that was absolutely delicious and unique. just this one, i got packed as i really had no space even for a slice.

service - good. no complaints.

pricing - 2 non veg soups + 2 non veg appetisers + 1 non veg rice dish + 1 huge lobster platter + 2 desserts + 1 water bottle cost us around inr 10,000. so yes, it is steep for a table of 2. its not your regular weekend hangout. i'd reserve it for special occassions.

excellent! great food, service and ambience!
9/10

a lot of good and fresh sea food with great taste and suggestions by the great staff!

10/10

we went there to celebrate on the eve of my mother's 50th birthday.. we couldn't have made a better decision than picking this place.. the food, the ambience and the service was beyond expectations..

ambience: need not say much as it is part of itc grand chola but even the furnitures and the dishes in which the food was served was remarkable..

service: very appreciative.. they were prompt and there quickly every time we needed them.. they helped us customise few of the dishes for our needs..

food: i'm not sure what particular dish i should mention about as everything was..
we had hot and sour soup, sea food soup and tom yum koong soup.
the starters we had asked for were, prawn tempura, crispy chicken, sichuan style crispy prawns.
mains we ordered hot braised chicken, pan fried noodles..
chicken jiao dumpling,
sashimi - maguro nigiri sushi
also the price seemed fair for the quantity of food we had over all.. we were so full to order any dessert..
excellent food and will definitely visit again..

ambience very contemporary and not in sync with cuisine. japenese food a let down - we had the california rolls and the tuna maki - no patch with other japenese fare in town ( sushi in a box or mamagoto ). stir fried squid was very good and we started with some good asahi beer. green curry and rice was average as it lacked galangal and lemon grass but had an over emphasis of coconut milk. desserts were average too. lotus stem appetiser was also average. the stir fried veggies with black bean sauce was good. all in all an average meal -but for the squid!!!

probably the best asian restaurant in chennai. the pork is especially worth a mention. definitely make a reservation because it's usually packed.

this was a surprise from my husband for our anniversary and it was a delicious surprise. well, obviously awed by the grandeur of itc grand chola, pan asian did not do any less. the ambiance was perfect. the interiors were wonderful. the staff members were warm. there is a lot to choose from the menu, korean, japanese, chinese... wow! we had pork ribs and crab...they were delicious. later we had, stuffed mushroom and a korean pork fried rice, which were wonderful. for desserts, we had, avocado honey ice cream, chilli guava ice cream, a chocolate fudge and a chilli mango sorbet, ... well...i know we had 4 peoples portion of desserts..hehe... well we love desserts and absolutely loved it here too. what was commendable was the efficiency of the kitchen and the staff. the services were quick.

we enjoyed our time, dint realise how the 3 hours flew by.

and yeah! thank you team for the anniversary cake. that was a sweet gesture.

this is easily my favourite asian restaurant when we want to celebrate something.

one of the best menus i have seen with cuisines arranged in columns such as japanese, chinese, thai etc and different types and preparations of meats arranged in rows such as poultry, beef, lamb etc. if you are thinking about duck, for example, you can look at that row and see your choice across various cuisines.

they have an open kitchen which is always bustling with activity. you can see cooks using some cool techniques. the tables are spaced perfectly and combined with their lighting, make for decent privacy.

always a good experience.

are you in mood for authentic asian food then head straight to itc grand chola!
warm service, great spread and lovely set up!
we tried dumplings, chinese rice and sushi platter! drinks can get quite expensive especially the imported ones! of course it's a 5 star fine dining so it can drill a hole in your pocket but the experience is wonderful!

superbly delicious light and wholesome chinese seafood pan fried noodle bowl made my 2 day at itc just great! excellent cooking and service!

we go to this superb hotel only on special occasions; the cost being the main reason ! 

 pan asian is one of the rare restaurants in chennai, which serves authentic asian food.   the  chinese section of the menu features four categories - canton, beijing, sichuan and other regions unlike many places where the  heading "chinese" covers it all, (including indian chinese!).

on our vist on our anniversary, i had a  nice “day dream” martini and we followed that up with scallop dumplings, and crisp soft shell crab with stir fried noodles. each dish was excellent. the complimentary cake was very good.

the service was friendly and efficient and the ambiance is really classy.

it’s an expensive place and prices are five star (total taxes on imported liquor can go up to 66% !!,  but it is a fantastic asian restaurant and the menu features things that you may not get elsewhere.

worth repeated visits, wallet permitting !

great food, excellent ambience and supreme service. that in a nutshell describes my extreme satisfying experience of the best oriental food diner in the city. it's elite, serene fine dining place. the elegance with which my soup was served was indeed appealing. waiters extremely professional, well dressed and an ear phone embedded gave them an semi fbi look. food is sumptuous, i tried from momos to thai curry, to lotus stem to chicken, lamb and even duck. all too good and well cooked. not to forget their finest choices of fish tailored to your taste buds

went there for my anniversary dinner as my wife was craving for some good asian food. our usual joint for asian food is chap chay, but we wanted to give pan asian a try since we have heard so much about it.
ambiance (4/5) - wonderful interiors with pleasant lighting. the furniture was simple yet comfortable.my wife loved the brick wall ambiance which reminded her of her childhood home.
beverage (4/5) - finally a place in chennai where you get good draught beer(550+tax). gulped down 2 in no time.the wine selection was impressive as well.a glass of wine can set you back anywhere between 400-1500 + tax. tried a glass of white wine. don't remember the name as i am not much of a wine connoisseur.
food(4/5) - i opted for the set chef liu non veg menu (2250+tax) whereas my wife went a la carte. the set course had a wonderful prawn starter(with a slight sweet tone), a mixed seafood soup(average), 2 pieces of chicken dumplings ins sauce( loved them but just 2 pieces!), stir fried noodles with soul fish sauce(2 small cups) and banana ice cream with caramelized nuts. the food was wonderful, but for the price i expected a bit more quantity. my wife opted for a soy based veg soup, spinach dim sums and stir fried noodles and she loved them as well. i just felt that the set course could have a bit more quantity. food presentation was nice by the way :-)
vfm - the bill set us back around 7k+ for a meal of two with drinks. a bit on the higher side of a 5 star meal but since it was a special occasion, so don't want to comment much on the vfm. their set course meal quantity can be improved though-maybe add another starter?.

verdict : i would definitely visit the place again for a special occasion or a romantic dinner!

knowing that my taste buds crave for east asian cuisine, my husband surprised me by taking me here. the ambience is like wow!! and the service rendered makes you feel very warm and comforting. food was highly delicious and they also help in choosing the right dish suitable for your taste buds. the golden fried prawns was exotic, and the braised seafood platter was mouth lingering and so heathy to intake. as i'm a dessert lover, it would have been easier for me to choose from, if they had a wide range of varieties in their menu card. on the whole we enjoyed so much of privacy and good food. if your a food addict and money is not a concern, this is a must try!!!

went on valentine day to celebrate our 11th anniversary.
mouthwatering, delectable food. service was bit slow. desserts were tempting.looking forward for my next visit.

quality : 5/5
taste : 5/5
ambiance : 5/5
value for money : 5/5
service : 4/5

pan - asianism, through culinary art

sunday brunch, is usually the time to catch up with the week long stories, gossips with family and friends. what if this ritual can be carried out, with you sitting in an amazingly relaxed atmosphere with dish after dish of asian delicacies served to you? sounds interesting?! then pan asian is the place to be for your sunday feast.

a glimpse into the bloggers meet:

the menu:

1. sashimi: premium sashimi chutoro (fatty tuna), shake (fresh salmon), uni (hokkaido sea urchin), fresh sawa (field grown) wasabi. garnish: shisho leaf (ooba), hanaho (purple flower).

both the chutoro and shake were absolutely fresh and divine. uni, light and briny in taste was very good. fresh wasabi is grounded right in front out of your eyes, before being served. it was strong yet subtle – both at the same time. the garnish was edible too - a moment, when one is happy eating the greens too. a very flattering presentation of shashimi. after tasting the shashimi here, what exactly i felt - i've been having my sashimi/sushi from all wrong places. absolutely stunning, completely converted me to a sashimi/sushi lover.

2. sichuan style crispy john dory: garlic and chilli pepper

a welcome relief to meet mr. john dory instead of the usual suspects that are widely used in most of the restaurants. again, a very well presented dish. one look at it and you think, its going to be a crispy fried fish, but the first bite will take you to a different land filled with smoothness. a masterpiece this, really left me wanting more.

3. dim sum: scallop shao mai with salmon roe (ikura) shishitou sauce

lookwise - straight out of a fairy tale, loved the way, this was presented.

shao mai ( or siu mai) – chinese dumpling / salmon roe – egg masses of salmon / shishitou sauce – shishitou is a type of green pepper. combination of using sweet scallop with the salty salmon roe along with a strong shishitou sauce, shows the sign of a true master. the skin of the shao mai was potato starch based. and tastewise, absolutely spot-on. highly recommended.

4. robatayaki: grilled miso black cod, truffle & saikyo (white and sweet) miso, poached pears, kuramame

robatayaki – a method of cooking similar to barbecue, in which items of food on skewers are slow-grilled over hot charcoal. the black cod was grilled in the robatayaki method. i would have never imagined something with truffle and miso sauce. truffle oil yeah but truffle no, never. huh! and that’s probably why i’m not a chef. was kind of skeptical with this one, but trust me, it’s an amalgamation of flavours. perfectly complimented each other on all counts. poached pears and the kuramame were a nice touch.

got to taste the vegetarian counterpart of this - grilled californian avocado. blew my mind with its garlicky flavour. can surely give a complex to it's non-vegetarian partner.

5. beijing duck: sliced duck with sweet bean, wrapped in nama uba (fresh soy) sheet blessed with dehydrated soy crumb

a cute looking roll, but not many approvals on this dish. but, i absolutely liked it. the nama uba (bean curd sheet) was ultra soft and the slightly hard duck meat, did complement each other very well.

6. from the grill: new zealand lamb chop, vanilla puffed roll with chili mango, garnish: hanaho leaf

the lamb chop, went very well with the chilli mango sauce and the highlights were the sweet potato star and square, presented along with the dish. vanilla puff pastry rolled into a cigar, was super soft.

7. sushi: toro nigiri (fatty tuna) botan ebi nigiri (sea prawn)

ditto from the sashimi section of this write-up. have been having sashimi/sushi from wrong places for me to even understand how beautiful a sushi/sashimi can be. i’m so in love with this now.

8. mains:

wok tossed new zealand lamb (black pepper): absolutely divine. the touch of fried garlic was nice.

chilean sea bass in thai yellow curry: soft and succulent sea bass swimming in a yellow curry, was a vision to behold and good to taste.

jasmine rice: the rice and the sea bass thai curry, tasted awesome together. i didn't want this part of the meal to come to an end.

stir fried udon noodles: as authentic as it can be.

greens - snowpeas, asparagus, lotus stem: perfectly done.

9. desserts:

chocolate raspberry with yuzu curd, macaroon, fruits with passion fruit ice cream

i was already full even before the mains. but, when chef deepthi (representing nutmeg) explained the dessert platter, it did sound mouth watering. having had some amazing desserts from nutmeg before, must say, was considerably disappointed this time. liked fruits with passion fruit ice cream out of the three desserts. everything else was passable.

the mocktail menu:

tokyo iced tea: kiwi crush/lime juice/sugar syrup/black tea

after party: pineapple juice/cranberry juice/ginger ale

green tea frappacino: green tea powder/vanilla ice cream/milk

gari shots: yuzu lime/pickled ginger/apple juice/wasabi

virgin bellini: peach syrup/club soda

in spite of being a iced tea lover, tokyo iced tea was the only drink that i didn’t prefer much out of the five drinks that was served. it was too sweet for my liking, even after mixing through, and was not chilled enough. gari shots, highly recommended for adventurous mocktail drinkers, i’m sure you’ll love it. everything else was perfect.

the meal ended with jasmine tea, the traditional way. there was a choice of green tea also.

the link to the original review is here:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1749444725286643&id=1715770758654040