Pang Pang Western Food Review: Taiwanese-Inspired Western Food By Ex-Astons And iSTEAKS Chefs

Pang Pang Western Food is a hawker stall by ex-Astons and iSTEAKS chefs

It’s not every day you hear of a Western hawker stall run by two young brothers who’ve had 15 years of experience in well-known chain names, including Astons, iSTEAKS, and COLLIN’S. With more than a decade’s worth of experience under their belt, the duo decided to open their very own stall named Pang Pang Western Food at Marine Parade Central Market & Food Centre.

Food at Pang Pang Western Food

At Pang Pang Western Food, dishes are kept fairly affordable with mains priced from $8 depending on your protein of choice. The main dishes come with a side of your choice: pasta, tasty rice, or french fries. Then there’s broccoli or coleslaw for some veggies as well. Even better, all mains come with a sunny-side-up!

Interestingly, the stall takes inspiration from Taiwanese-style Western fare, which often sees broccoli and fried egg as sides, alongside a grilled protein doused in brown sauce. Mains are served on regular plates, instead of the sizzling hotplates that are commonplace in Taiwan.

First, we tried the Ribeye Steak ($15) as this was one of the most popular dishes. There were four sauces to choose from: brown sauce, black pepper, teriyaki, and BBQ. We chose the brown sauce as we felt it would complement the steak best. We were a bit skeptical about ordering a steak from a hawker stall since steak is typically seen as fancy food served at restaurants. But we were pleasantly surprised when the hawker asked us how we wanted our steak to be done, just like how a Western restaurant would have done!

We asked for medium rare, but it leaned slightly too rare than what we would have preferred. Thankfully, the steak was tender and not rubbery, which would have been a major red flag for us. The brown sauce was the saviour of the steak, as the mushroom flavour paired well with the ribeye steak. 

When we peered at the rice cooker as our food was being prepared, we were curious what gave the tasty rice its pale yellow colour. It was then we found out that the rice was cooked with butter! The rice was fluffy and buttery, which we found to be a great accompaniment to the steak. Plus, it really substantiated our meal as having the steak alone wouldn’t have filled us up.

Although the rice was relatively flavourful on its own, breaking the yolk from the sunny-side-up and mixing it alongside the leftover brown sauce truly made the rice even more indulgent and palatable.

The coleslaw, which we chose as the vegetable option for this dish, had just the right amount of mayonnaise, which means the veggies remained crunchy and not mushy. Think of it as a palate cleanser for when the other components get jelak towards the end of your meal. 

Next, we had the Fried Fish ($8.50), which we paired with French fries for the complete fish and chips experience. The two fried fish pieces we got were pretty measly, but we could justify this by the low price tag, so you get what you pay for. 

Upon the first bite, we found that both the batter and flesh were thin. I would have enjoyed this dish more if it were meatier and crispier. Alas, but their fried fish didn’t quite hit the spot.

As a skinny fries enthusiast, I was glad that the fries were cut thin, unlike most Western hawker stalls that offer the thick-cut option, which I find often gets soggy pretty quickly. 

Now, for the veggies: their broccoli was rather bland as it seemed to be blanched. It relied on a mild seasoning of salt and pepper to bring out most of the flavour. We would have preferred it the broccoli was grilled alongside the meats instead, to achieve a charred taste.

Lastly, we had the Chicken Chop ($8), which we paired with BBQ sauce, a side of pasta, and coleslaw. 

The pasta wasn’t exactly memorable and reminded me of aglio olio coated in a brown, garlicky sauce. Nevertheless, it was cooked al dente, so there was a springy texture that we appreciated. 

Turn your attention to the true star of the show: the grilled chicken chop. This was tender, juicy, and perfectly grilled with a delightful char—it was arguably the best dish we had ordered. I could definitely see myself ordering this at my subsequent visits. 

The BBQ sauce was a great choice as it had a discernibly smoky and sweet taste, complementing the meat wonderfully. This dish could have been served to us at Astons and we would not have been able to tell the differences.

Ambience at Pang Pang Western Food

When we arrived around 3pm, Pang Pang Western Food was still relatively busy, serving up food for the crowd that formed slightly after lunch hour. The crowd mainly comprised hungry secondary school students, coming with their parents or friends for a meal after school. I could definitely see the appeal considering that the food was tasty, served in relatively big portions, and affordable enough for them. 

Moreover, Pang Pang Western Food had something I had never seen at hawker stalls—a loyalty card, where you could collect stamps in exchange for rewards. It had a set of 12 stamp spaces printed onto them, where you could receive one stamp for every main you order. I could see myself visiting them regularly if I lived around the area so that I could snag these deals! 

Pang Pang Western Food is a five-minute walk from Marine Parade MRT Station. The stall’s modern lit-up display board stands out from the more old-fashioned ones at the hawker centre. 

The verdict

While Pang Pang Western Food is tucked away at the corner of Marine Parade Market and Food Centre, this has not been a deterrent to their popularity, as seen from the line of eager diners waiting to place their orders. If you’re in the area, consider dropping by for some wallet-friendly yet satisfying Western food!

Address: 84 Marine Parade Central, #01-50, Market and Food Centre, Singapore 440084
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 9pm
Tel: 9893 8242
Website
Pang Pang Western Food is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Marcus Neo.
This was an independent review at Pang Pang Western Food.