Before even arriving at Pan Pan, I knew this was going to be a great meal. That’s because I’ve been to this place about four times now and it never misses.  We wandered in on a Friday evening and were seated upstairs (sadly the table in the front window, the absolute dream for people-watching, was already taken). 

Pan Pan has an extensive bubble tea drinks list.

I don’t normally go for any of them, but I was in the mood for something different so I opted for a classic milk tea with brown sugar and tapioca balls. It was deliciously sweet and not too thick – perfect as a non-alcoholic treat. 

The biggest challenge at Pan Pan is always deciding which starter plates to go for.

We’ve worked our way through most of them now – shout out to the prawn katsu and seafood pajeon (scallion pancake) which are personal faves – but this time we went for the vegetable crispy dumpling and sweet/spicy Koren fried chicken (K.F.C). The dumplings were as crispy as promised, and very flavourful. The K.F.C was the real star, with huge chunks of chicken absolutely doused in a delicious sticky sauce.

I also have to mention Pan Pan’s salad dressing, which is like a spicy mayo mixture. It is absolutely not the main item on any of these dishes, but it’s so good that I always wish I had a whole jug of it.

Next up, I went for the duck bibimbap while my partner went for the chicken curry laksa. Both were big portions, which is always a win. I only had a few spoonfuls of the curry, but the coconutty, curried broth was super flavourful and the perfect level of spicy. 

The bibimbap (steamed rice topped with various veg and a fried egg) was also delicious, although I was defeated by the sheer quantity of rice. The duck was tender and mixed with a really tasty hoi sin sauce, and the variety of vegetables made sure that every mouthful had an interesting texture. 

I will also say that my usual go-to is the Indonesian chicken satay – because honestly, is there anything better than spicy peanut sauce? I think not. On this occasion, though, I just felt I should branch out (for once). 

Overall, this is definitely one of my favourite spots in East Oxford.

The vibe is bustling and very casual, and the food is always top-tier for the price point – both mains were under £12.50 each. The only problem is actually choosing your dishes from the menu when everything is basically irresistible…

Have you been to Pan Pan? What’s your fave dish?

Pan Pan
43B St Clement’s St, Oxford OX4 1AG