Denyce M.
Yelp
I was here for a Yelp Event the night before (see review for and ended up right back here due to my wallet dropping out of my purse that night. I didn't realize that it was missing until I picked up my purse and the weight was off. I couldn't get anyone on the phone, so I decided to just make a reservation and drive there after work. I figured either way, if the wallet was there or not, I was going to need a drink after driving through rush hour traffic.
Pandan is located in the Viceroy Hotel. Entrance to Pandan requires you to take the elevator to the 18th floor. Once you arrive there, you step out into a small foyer area with the host/hostess stand. Once you check in, you walk through a curtained entrance into a very cute and chique bar area.
Much to my surprise, the server who waited on me and The Queen told me he immediately saw the wallet and was going to return it, but we had already gotten on the elevator. The manager and Quinn were so helpful in returning it to me and I want to give a shout out as that is what I call customer service!
To unwind after that drive and to celebrate getting my wallet back intact, I decided to stay for drinks and eat. This visit I was seated inside near a window, in a cute two seater. For drinks, I we started out with the Crystal Jungle (mezcal unión, mango, coconut, lime leaf, lime) and a bottle of the Prosecco, Santomé, Extra Dry, DOC, Treviso. The Queen got the Crystal Jungle the night before, so I wanted to get my own. I am not much of a cocktail person, but this is one I can get behind because it is sooooo good! The glass was covered on one side with Tajin, which I love. My only complaint about this drink is the artisan ice cube is taking up drink space and the drink needs to be in a bigger glass...HAHAHAHAHA! The prosecco was different for me, a little sweeter than I am used to, but good nonetheless.
For eats, I got the Lobster Dumplings (coconut curry, crispy shallots, cilantro oil), Thai Fried Chicken (lemongrass, fried peanuts, cilantro) and Crispy Pork Belly Steamed Buns (lechon, pickled carrots, caramelized soy). The lobster dumplings were in this crazy good coconut curry sauce that was very light, but flavorful at the same time. An order came with 3 dumplings at $18, but each dumpling had a really good amount of lobster meat. The buns were very nice as I have not had crispy pork belly on a bun before. The Thai fried chicken was three pieces of chicken thigh meat, and I was in love as I am a big fan of dark meat. The chicken was very crispy and came out piping hot! I would definitely get this again.
My server was again Quinn, and he was still delightful and stayed on top of me to make sure I was being taken care of. The music in the background was again perfect for the experience and I was just having a good time relaxing and chilling.
Pricewise, Pandan falls around the same as a lot of places downtown. While $18 seems like a lot for a drink or appetizer, I would say that the ambience and the view are enough to get me to come back here for a light meal and drinks. I also like the fact that I can make a reservation through OpenTable to make sure I have a place to seat and I get points. The Queen and I are definitely going to add this to our list of places to go to hang out for girls night out.