Monksland eatery offers Asian street food
Pangan Restaurant in River Village, Monksland is making a comeback under new ownership. The spacious eatery, which offers a taste of Asian street food, was the subject of a closure order in April of this year following a visit by an HSE inspector. New owner Yuyang Shang and the current team have been working hard since the restaurant’s reopening in order to reach the highest possible standards.
Yuyang acknowledges that the aftermath of the visit was a wake-up call for the previous owners and following consultation with Fast-Casual Consultancy Services, who had been brought in to ensure the restaurant was swiftly returned to a sound operational standard, it was evident that they (the previous owners) could not devote the necessary time to the business that it deserved.
Yuyang, who along with her partner has owned and operated three other restaurant businesses in the Galway area over the last 15 years, says: “It was quite a surprise when I discovered they were willing to sell up. I only live 30 minutes away from Monksland, it was too much of an exciting opportunity to turn down. Ireland is a small place; I am friends with the Head Chef and know his extraordinary ability and passion so it was a no-brainer”.
Manager Rebecca explained that following the closure order the restaurant was quickly brought up to standard with new sinks and storage as well as more regular checks of the food storage and preparation areas and Pangan reopened just after the Easter weekend for a fresh start.
The new protocols are now evident throughout the restaurant, including the installation of a flat screen TV at the till area, which shows live CCTV images from the kitchen. Rebecca said this was very much in keeping with the Asian street food style of cooking in the open with complete transparency
“The customers can see what is happening in the kitchen and how food is being prepared,” she said.
The Head Chef had expressed absolute disappointment with the closure order, but said that “valuable lessons had been learned and acted upon” and was looking forward to welcoming new and returning customers to Pangan.
During a recent visit and tour of the premises, the Head Chef brought out two dishes for our reporter to try: Beef Thai Panna and Kimchi Fried Rice.
The ‘Beef Thai Panna’ quickly became a new favourite, while the fried rice was certainly an excellent attempt at replicating a dish made famous on the streets of Seoul and Daegu.
Yuyang and Rebecca proudly described their menu as an authentic taste of Asia showcasing real Asian street food.
Rebecca said: “We offer only the freshest food. It raises our costs because we buy the most expensive cuts of meat and ribs, for example. We buy our meat from a butcher in Athlone so that we can be sure it’s as fresh as possible”.
While Pangan was quiet when Roscommon People visited at opening time on a sunny Thursday evening recently, business quickly picked up with phone orders and walk-in customers. It’s a bright and modern establishment with photographs of old Asia adorning the walls. Rebecca said: “We have regular customers who have stood by us, who we would like to thank and it is getting busier again. We are hoping to celebrate our first year in business this month with special offers and some gifts for our customers,” she said.
Yuyang, Rebecca and the rest of the Panang team look forward to welcoming new and returning customers this summer too!
Pangan is located at Unit 1, River Village, Monksland, Athlone, Co. Roscommon N37 T2F8. For reservations or orders contact 090-6490066 or click www.pangan.ie. You can also follow Pangan on Facebook.
