PAN

The happy hour deal is amazing. Can’t beat half off all drinks! Everything I’ve tried here was awesome. The drunken noodle bowl is an 8/​10, hanger steak bowl is 10/​10, lobster monkey roll and key lime scallop roll were both ¹⁰⁄₁₀. The sushi and bowls are great. Highly recommend. Cute outdoor atmosphere as well!

Excellent food and service, we were there on Saturday afternoon. We had the drunken noodles, will definitely be back

Amazing food, nice staff. Asian fusion. We always have a good meal and the atmosphere is warm. The staff treat us very well. They have an upper deck and café style seating in front as well. My favorite is the lobster monkey roll!!! It’s a MUST have every time!!!

The service, the food and the atmosphere get a 5 from me.
I have been wanting to try this place and admit I’m a sucker for sitting in a sexy chill room while I maneuver fork from plate to mouth. Side note: if it’s gravy, forget about it… I’m the one in the corner licking the plate. Back on topic… the inside of this place is very warm and inviting with tones and hues that scream… Welcome!
Once seated, we perused the menu and stumbled upon the edamame and tempura veggies. After they arrived to our table, it was love at first bite. The edamame was well seasoned in an asian sauce that did not overpower. The tempura veggies were coated in thee lightest batter I’ve ever seen and complimented the delicate textures well.
Normally when dining with out, I’ll try to order something different but the Hangar steak stir fry caught our eyes. Look, the steak in this was so good I had to personally thank the chef. The rice was perfectly seasoned with the right amount of perfectly cut veggies and egg.
Our entire meal, start to finish, was executed very well. Can’t wait to visit again and try something new. Just one more reason to love our great city!

So I was really late to game on sushi. It took me awhile to open my mind and tastebuds to it, but when I did, it was with some sort of banana-​sauced sushi roll at Pan during restaurant week last summer. I immediately started kicking myself that I hadn’t tried sushi sooner. Enjoyed some de-​lish drinks in the hip restaurant and even though the sushi was divine, I think I was transported to another universe with the pork belly. Pork. Belly. Wow!

Rarely am I impressed with the variety and quality of vegetarian/​vegan options on a menu. Most restaurants will throw a few vegetables together for an entrée to proclaim themselves «vegetarian-​friendly». Nope, that doesn’t cut it for me. Then PAN comes along and changes the game. They brought the creativity, the pizazz. When I have to stare at a menu for more than 20 minutes to decide which of the many vegetarian options I want, that’s when you know this is the real deal.
We started with the Naigamo Poutine. Finding vegetarian poutine in Pittsburgh is harder than finding Nemo, so when I saw this bad boy, I knew I had to try it. This is not your traditional poutine. It’s got a quirky Asian flare that surprisingly works. The yam fries were delicious, and the miso gravy complemented it so well. A must-​try!
After attacking the poutine, it was time for the Chang Mai Cauliflower. It was a medley of my favorites: tofu, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts. It was spicy enough to give it a kick without the uncomfortable burn. Insanely delicious! I highly recommend it for anyone who loves a good rice dish. Additionally, their portions are huge. It tastes great AND two meals for one? Just take my money. All of it. Right now.
The downside to PAN is probably the price as others have pointed out. Not too overpriced, but more than your average Asian restaurant. It’s a nice spot for a special evening, but not somewhere I would drop in on a whim. I’m coming back for you, PAN. Hopefully, with a bigger paycheck.

I’d say the food was ok to good. The price was pretty high ($ 50 for lunch with no beverages other than water). The wait staff was the most awkward experience I’ve ever had dining — he seemed like he never spoke to a human before.
The atmosphere was nice, the place was clean.
I arrived an no one was there other than 2 people, who the waiter babbled to for 10 minutes while i stood there waiting. then he seemed to have an attitude with me. I’m telling you — he was WEIRD. I found broken glass, and he just let me pick it up and keep in on my table by my food — didn’t try to pick it up or clean it or take it or dispose of it… Then could literally not form a sentence. I don’t get it.
Drunken noodles were tasty, pan thai was mediocre.

Me and my girl friends came try many different dishes here because I got a groupon to here. I was kind of disappointed with how much the food cost and the quality of the food. It is way over priced! I like all the sushi I’ve ordered, which is angry snapper and another one with tuna and avocado. But it is not worth the price. If I come back, I probably will just get the sushi.

I had high hopes for this restaurant, since it’s right down the street and boasted a menu that seemed similar in theme to Tamari but slightly more budget friendly and casual. The first time I ate here, I was optimistic. I had the drunken noodles, and although I found them to be a bit too heavily soy sauced and salty, overall the dish seemed reasonable and I chalked it up to opening jitters.
Unfortunately, my next several experiences with the restaurant (which were all take-​out orders) did not inspire confidence. I tried several dishes, including entrees and sushi. The sushi was OK, but definitely overpriced for its quality. The noodle dishes often left me very disappointed. In two cases, the meat had an off-​flavor to it.
I have given this restaurant lots of chances, but at this point I don’t think I will be coming back!

I am always in the market for trying a new Asian restaurant and I am pretty happy with my first Asian fusion experience at PAN.
First let me start by saying I love the outdoor eating area! There are lights strung up, multiple fountains, plants and heating lamps as well for your chilly spring days. It feels like you are in a garden. The inside did not disappoint either with its modern design and dimmed lighting. The bar area was rather big and there was also a little lounge like area with small round tables and lounge chairs. Oh and the music was on point, nothing like some 90s R&B! Okay enough of the esthetically pleasing atmosphere talk, let’s talk food!
I really enjoyed the menu for a couple of reasons. One of those reasons is because it was not very big but still packed with variety. I knew I wanted a noodle bowl so I decided to order the drunken noodles! I enjoyed this very much because it wasn’t spicy, but it had a lot of flavor. Secondly if you are a sushi fan, be sure to find plenty of sushi options on the menu. I will say that the only downfall is that it was a little pricey.

I met my brother for dinner last night. I really wanted to eat on the beautiful patio in front of the restaurant, but my plan was thwarted by the rain. The interior was very nice, though a little dark, but had really cool art on the walls. Very visually appealing. They had a TV at the bar, which was strange to me since it felt so upscale (ish). (Or is it?!)
I had made a 6pm reservation. We were seated immediately. We ordered drinks, I had the Lemon Grass Mojito… I’d totally order that again! (I’m a big fan of Mojitos!) By the way ½ off all drinks from 5−7pm on a Friday, can’t beat that! We shared the Angry Snapper Sushi Roll and it was sooo good. We also each ordered a ‘bowl’. I had the Drunken Noodles and my brother had the Pan Phở. Admittedly neither of us can use chopsticks, so they supplied us with forks. (Did I lose your respect?) The first 10 bites of my drunken noodles were great. But it seemed like the never-​ending bowl! Is too much food a thing???
I just feel like they are caught between being an upscale location or being a trendy hipster spot in Lawrenceville. I still don’t know if I had a fancy dinner or a big bowl of tasty noodles in a cool restaurant. The food was good, service was fine. I’d come back for happy hour and sushi rolls for sure!

A disappointing experience colored by some awkward wait staff, food is not exceptional.
Ambiance is nice, dim lighting with nice artwork.
We sat down and enjoyed the Asian inspired old fashioned, recommend this. They are unfortunately unable to do half glasses of wine even if you are DD.
Their Gyoza are good but only 6 small pieces per serving. Their veggie tempura is a generous amount of heavily battered veggies– not at all the light tempura batter I am used to– tasted all like oily onion rings!
I enjoyed the noodle curry dish but it was heavy on noodles rather than veggies, a good spice level. Our friend ordered a dish with very fatty dark meat chicken that he asked the waitress if he had the correct meat– this led to a awkward and loud encounter where the waitress insisted it was chicken and that he must be completely wrong to question it.
Overall mediocre food and due to service will not be returning.

Decided to go because of a groupon, and regretted it.
First off, the first waitress we had took the wrong order for our appetizer and we got the poutine instead of the shrimp, which we decided to just try the poutine instead. It was very salty with an overwhelming amount of cheese. Overall it did not fit our taste.
Next, we got our main dishes. The drunken noodles were not bad. The flavor was pretty good, but bunch of the noodles were not completely cooked. The Korean chicken was dry and tough. The sides of the chicken were like jerky. The ganjang sauce had an odd flavor and did not suit my taste at all. The kimchi I got as a side tasted like basically large pieces of ginger. The two stars are for the second waitress who was very kind.
Overall, I don’t think we’ll be back here anytime soon. It is expensive and the food is not worth the price. If it weren’t for the groupon, this would have been much worse.

The food here is really good especially with the affordable prices. I highly recommend trying the dynamite shrimp. I eat here every week.

A well deserved 5 star rating! Half off drinks during HH and a new modern twist on sushi/​thai? I’M THERE! In fact, my first experience at Pan was so great, I came back the next night for dinner and brought a group of friends for brunch this past weekend!
Food and drink specials may lure me in but it’s the quality of the service, variety & flavor profile of the food/​drinks and an appealing atmosphere that will keep me coming back. Pan hits the nail on the head in all of the above. At first glance, the restaurant seems small but after a tour this past weekend, they have a spacious upstairs dining room with a back porch that offers an incredible skyline view of dahntahn! Along with the outdoor seating in the front of the restaurant, I am pumped to experience those accommodations in the warmer months.
A huge bonus at Pan is that all of there dishes are made with Gluten Free soy sauce! I’ve tried various items on the menu, allow me to rave about them…
–Libations: Bloody Dragon. Say no more. I get this drink during every visit. Phenomenal homemade bloody mary mix with wasabi, pickled ginger, Sriracha & garnished with olives and a lime. The name is accurate, you’ll feel like you’re channeling a dragon and breathing fire. Spicy, satisfying and not too heavy. I’ve also tried their version of a mai thai, dirty martini, old fashioned and figgy sidecar. All pack a punch and are full of flavor.
Noms on noms…
–Shishito peppers: accented with brussel sprouts and pomegranate soy. The menu describes them as wok blistered and they certainly are! Delicate crunch with full flavor. A decent size, too. This is a great starter dish because it leaves plenty of room for sushi and an entrée.
–Key-​Lime scallop roll: the coconut key lime sauce with the seared scallop is a party in your mouth. Order it. Right now.
–Angry Snapper (without the Tempura): The fresh sliced jalapeño on top is the perfect compliment to the combination of tuna & snapper.
–Green Roll: Soy paper wrapped rolls are an acquired taste but I really like them. During my second visit, my date wasn’t a huge fan of this roll but I would order it again. The mango-​habanero sauce isn’t as spicy as I’d like but the mango pairs nicely with the cucumber and avocado.
–Daily special roll: This isn’t on the menu but their daily roll during my second visit was a salmon roll that had sweet potato fries in it. Oh yes, I was all over that. Not as good as Key Lime Scallop but no complaints.
–Thai green curry: During my first visit, the waitress told me that all of their noodle dishes are thicker than traditional noodle bowls. Even the Phở isn’t heavy on broth. The green curry was spicy and a huge portion. Plenty of cauliflower, brussel sprouts and edamame.
–Drunken noodles: I’ve ordered this dish twice and I know I’ll order it again. The flat rice noodles absorb so much flavor from the dark chili soy sauce that they make a solid base for the scallops, bok choy and sweet peppers.
–Lox fried rice: despite the soy and huge capers, the smoked salmon flavor was strong and pulled through nicely. I would like to see more onion and pepper in this dish to balance out the amount of capers.
Service has always been friendly with great recommendations. The only lag I experienced was sitting at the bar seating in front of the kitchen. That area is serviced by the bartenders instead of waitstaff so as the bar filled up, we were left to ask other servers & kitchen staff for utensils/​napkins/​etc
Overall, great experience all around. I will be back and look forward to trying more dishes and daily special rolls!

Somewhat expensive, but I’m guessing it’s part of their upscale-​ish image. I only had the lox fried rice and some unnamed sushi samples. Naming it salmon fried rice would be less pretentious since it was pretty cooked. The sushi creations were pretty imaginative and unconventional, very fusion-​like with the flavors. I think I tasted barbecue sauce on top? I’m not sure if I liked that. Plating is aesthetically pleasing.
The interior is pretty and modern. If you sit at the bar you can watch the chefs at work.
(There are two ‘bars’ I guess, the actual bar in front of the alcohol and the one in front of their kitchen. The one in front of the alcohol is the one where you can see the chefs since it’s from the side.)

Last week I bought a Groupon for the new restaurant PAN to celebrate my friends Heather and Ben getting engaged. I wanted to go some place that was close in our neighborhood but a bit fancy. I have heard good things about PAN from Nextdoor and from other Lawrencville friends so I thought it would be a nice place to celebrate. It is nice when the first time you get to go to a restaurant you get to save some money too! The Groupon was $ 40 for $ 80 dollars worth of food. Really I was a little hesitant because I didn’t know if $ 80 would be enough for 4 people, boy was I mistaken.
I made a reservation on OpenTable for 7:15. We were promptly sat in the «lounge area». My friend came early and was hanging out there and we just decided to stay. They have really comfortable chairs back there and accommodated us by pushing the smaller tables together. At first I was like, «ummm…are we really going to eat like this?» It turned out to be really fun and a relaxing way to eat. The chairs and the tucked way atmosphere allowed us to laugh and have fun and had a feel that we were in our own little area.
How we did food was we just ordered plates and would get them and then order something else. We ended up trying a lot of great things this way and since it was staggered the tables were not full so it was not overwhelming. Our waitress Monica was really good to us. She had a ton of suggestions and her ideas on substitutions were on point each and every time. Our table loved that she was around to offer advice but wasn’t hovering. She was awesome.
Small Plates: Dumplings: pork, napa cabbage, ginger, sesame, soy.
We didn’t go crazy and try something that bizarre. We ordered a pretty standard appetizer. Dumplings. The dumpling plate came with five dumplings (I ate the extra!). The sauce was pretty standard. The dumplings were plump and the filling flavorful. I was surprised that the dough was a bit thicker than I usually have had with dumplings. The thick dough was not a distraction but something different. We liked them. I would say that they were standard and a good thing to order to please a lot of people.
Pan Maki:
Barely fried shrimp: light tempura, cucumber, avocado, tobiko, jalapeño miso. YUMMMY. I loved the fried shrimp with this roll. What flavor! This roll was a hit with the table. Our waitress Monica told us to sub in some spicy mayo. Yes, yes, yes. What a good idea. This roll was a little large and hard to handle with the chopsticks (wait, is that a bad thing??). I would definitely suggest this roll. It was enough for us to have two pieces each. Yum.
Dragon:Eel, tempura, avocado, crab, scallions, eel sauce. This is my go to roll. I love eel. I will pick this roll each and every time. I kind of slipped it in as a choice and didn’t ask the table. I know, it was bad of me BUT it turned out well and everyone liked it. Again, the roll was a little bit large, but again not a problem. Very flavorful and I loved the eel.
Even though dragon is my go to I really think that I would want another of the barely fried shrimp. WEIRD! I really enjoyed that roll… I kind of want that now.
Meat Plates:
Korean fried chicken: Fried chicken, wasabi slaw. THIS WAS AWESOME. The fried chicken came in three large thigh pieces. Boneless. THANK GOD. The boneless kind was awesome because we cut the pieces in half and each got a half and then a quarter. The chicken was fried to perfection. Perfectly crispy and so juicy on the inside. The sauce was spice and a bit sweet. I liked to just get a little bit more on my piece and would just rub my chicken piece on the plate… I was not the only one that needed more of that goodness. The wasabi slaw was also on point. We all kinda wanted more of that. It had a lot on the plate, but another scoop for us would have been nice. It was great and crunchy. Awesome!
Kuro buta belly: schezuan braised pork belly, butternut squash, buns (and a little tomato/​onion with balsamic vinager drizzle). Monica suggested us to make a little sandwiches with the pork belly and the squash. This was a great idea. The pork belly was a large square that covered the half of the bun that we each got. I made my little sandwich with some onion/​tomato and the squash. I will say that that squash was surprising and delish with the pork belly. The squash was something that I enjoyed so much that I kept on taking swipes at it. These little sandwiches were really good. I think that Pan had some of the best pork belly that I have had in a really long time. The slices were thick and large. The schezuan sauce was not salty and had a nice mild flavor that did not overpower the pork belly. Get this, you will not be disappointed.
Bowls: Chang Mai Cauliflower: thai aromatic rice, roasted cauliflower, brussel sprouts, crispy tofu, coconut & red curry sauce.. Monica suggested we sub chicken for the tofu. Do it. We needed more meat in our life. This was something that I let someone else order and then looked at the menu a

I miss Tamari a lot, so I had to check out what PAN was all about. Two friends and I had dinner here at 9pm on a Saturday night. Wasn’t crowded at all.
We shared the Angry Snapper sushi roll and all liked it a lot. It’s perfect for those who can handle just a little bit of spicy, but might be slightly disappointing for those who are expecting a lot of spicy. We were almost going to order seconds, but decided to save room for our entrees. I got the braised pork belly, which my friends thought was really good. I thought it was alright; couldn’t eat too much of it for some reason, probably because I wasn’t a fan of the butternut squash it was served over. If it had ginger in it, the taste was too strong. If there was no ginger in it, then I have no idea what it was. (I know there was cinnamon and nutmeg in it though because that’s what the chef said.) One of my friends got the pan phở and said the broth and meat were bad but noodles were good. The other had the drunken noodles and said they were good but too salty.
When we were ready for dessert and inquired about the menu, we were disappointed to hear from our server that she didn’t have anything for us. Well… okay. Not even an explanation of why no dessert was available? Awkward end to our meal. Awkward end to this review. (I’d much prefer Tamari.)
Taste | 3
Atmosphere | 3
Presentation | 4
Service | 3.5
OVERALL | 3

Caught the last half hour of happy hour where all alcohol is half off, 5−7pm during the week. We ordered the 3519 cocktail and found it overly sweet. Also got the thai tonic and it was refreshing with crushed cucumbers. Bartender said a crowd favorite.
Unfortunately no food specials during HH, but we ordered the angry tuna roll and split the pork cheek bowl. Pork bowl was spicy and a little underwhelming. Tuna roll was delish! Little bits of tempura and jalapeños on top of every roll. Good balance between the rice and the tuna.
Service was a little spotty and unattentive at the bar, but it gave us time to relax and take our time with the meal. Reminded us of Tamari in the feel and cuisine options.
Been here twice now and always pretty empty which is a atypical of a Lawrenceville place, even for a weeknight.

We decided to check out Tamari’s replacement during Restaurant Week, but were sorely disappointed by the quality of the food. The deal was for «a bowl and a roll.» We had the hanger steak bowl and the cauliflower red curry bowl. The hanger steak was tender, but the rice tasted like it had been doused in pure soy sauce – I think we went through 3 glasses of water trying to combat the salt. The vegetables in the curry bowl were beautifully charred from the wok, but there was just a watery red curry flavor on the rice – no curry «sauce» to speak of.
Onto the maki – we got the peppered tuna and the angry snapper. The angry snapper was pretty good, but didn’t seem all that different from your standard spicy tuna roll. The peppered tuna was covered in a sticky-​sweet sauce that hid the beauty of the fish… a real letdown.
The dessert was most perplexing – an avocado-​yuzu crème brûlée with tapioca pearls. The crème brûlée itself was very successful and unique, but the tapioca pearls were ridiculously firm in the dessert – almost like chewing on grape seeds.
We’d give PAN another shot for happy hour and different dishes, but these dishes were quite out of balance and disappointing given the high standard set by Tamari in its early days. I will say that portions were quite generous, so the value is there, if not the quality. Service was quite amiable and prompt, so perhaps there’s hope yet!