Pan-Asia

As you may recall, last Thursday I mentioned the “take your ethnic friend to eat” promotion going on in participating Jackson, MS area restaurants. Well that night my husband took his ethnic wife to Pan-Asia.

Backing up for a moment…I have been reading Asian Dining Rules by Steven A. Shaw and can’t put it down. It’s been a great read so far, ranging from covering bits of history behind popular Asian cuisines, to tips on how to have enjoyable meals when dining out, to entertaining restaurant stories. As an unavoidable result, reading this book has produced a severe craving for sushi. Pan-Asia features a geographical mix of dishes from lands across Asia, including sushi.

I usually avoid fusion restaurants because they tend to do a mediocre job of executing a large variety of dishes, versus concentrating their energy on one type of cuisine. However, every restaurant deserves a shot. Besides it’s a local place and the chef’s credentials are promising.

We managed to find our way there, entered, and were seated at a four top near a large encapsulated waterfall. The decor is sharp and posh, with an Asian flair (descriptive I know, I’m an eater not an interior designer!). The interior lights had been dimmed (I assume for the dinner crowd), so much so it almost too dark to read the menu.

We went all out and ordered a huge meal. We began with miso soup, tom yum soup with shrimp, a seaweed salad and summer rolls. Both soups had clear, strong flavors, the seaweed was fresh, and the summer rolls were light and refreshing.

My husband took a chance on the special that night, which was seared tuna with grilled vegetables and wasabi mashed potatoes. His dish was pretty good, but the tuna was slightly overdone (should have been more rare in the middle), there was a strangely paired semi-sweet chimichurri sauce on the side, and the potatoes needed salt.

To fulfill my sushi craving, I ordered two pieces of nigiri unagi, a green caterpillar roll (avocado, eel and cucumber), and a rainbow roll (tuna, yellow tail, spicy albacore, salmon and avocado on top of a California roll). The rolls were smooth, filled with buttery fish, and the presentation was very pretty.

Giving in to my bad habit of needing a sweet fix after a meal, we ordered the banana spring rolls with strawberries and ice cream. The crispy shells contrasted nicely with the warm banana and cool ice cream.

We each had four courses and a drink (a fruity martini for me, beer for him) which amounted to an expensive dinner even with a 22% discount, but we had a big spread and were satisfied. For the cost, it wouldn’t be one of the first restaurants I would head to. On the other hand it’s a great date spot, they have drink specials nearly every night of the week, and it’s a fun place to try new dishes if you are venturing into Asian food.

We enjoyed the attentive service, food, and most importantly, each other. Pan-Asia, improving ethnic relationships, including marriages.

Pan-Asia
720 Harbour Pointe Crossing
Ridgeland, MS 39157
Phone 601-956-2958
www.pan-asia.com