Pan Chai Restaurant Review: Pan-Asian Precision at Pan Chai Harrods in Knightsbridge

I think I may have to move into Harrods soon. I was dining at Mango Tree last month, Chai Wu the other week and Pan Chai this week. I even had an afternoon tea here in-between it all, a glass of Champagne in The Champagne Bar – oh and two food shops. Some of those beds on the third floor look very comfy indeed. Sadly with no invite (yet) offering me in-house full-time accommodation, I’m settling on my recent visit to Pan Chai. A beautiful Pan-Asian restaurant on the ground floor in the Harrods Food Hall.

Bottoms down at the counter, it was bottoms up with a glass of Champagne to help settle us in while looking over the very extensive menu. Sushi and sashimi, hot grilled dishes, salads, tempura, ramen, platters – there is alot to choose from. Prices are steep too, but we are in Harrods after all. To pair with our crisp Champagne we ordered two incredible dishes of sushi and sashimi. The Harrods rolls topped with caviar are sensational and they’re not the first time I’ve sampled them. Delicious fresh snow crab, avocado and spicy mayonnaise are encased in firm, sticky rice and topped with black caviar and spring onions. This is serious sushi business.

Even more sensational still was the Gohin sashimi platter. Usually it comes with dry ice poured over it, but armed with a camera I declined – so expect lots of theatrics when ordering. The platter comes complete with salmon, tuna belly, eel, yellow tail, scallops, sea bass, snow crab and caviar. It really is one of the best you’ll find in London and everything is so fresh – even the wasabi was excellent and the fresh pickled version was even better.

Two of my favourite dishes from our dinner were two seafood ones. The Alaskan king crab legs may not look like gargantuan beast here, but I can assure you they were when sitting on ice before being ripped apart for the grill. A really lovely dish and the Korean spicy sauce added that extra bit of depth to it. The mixed tempura platter came in at a whopping £42.50, yet once you see its size and everything which comes on it you’ll understand why. Huge chunks of crispy battered rock shrimp, flaky soft shell crab and thick morsels of oh-so tender lobster. The orange and ponzu dipping sauce was a great accompaniment too, being slightly lighter than the hoisin sauce on the table.

Pan Chai don’t serve desserts, so we ordered two more savoury dishes to satisfy any last cravings we had. A single jumbo tiger prawns smothered in a teriyaki sauce and tender waygu beef bulgogi with a Korean BBQ sauce. Both dishes were cooked with care and precision, resulting in some very tender mouthfuls.

Harrods really is becoming a foodie destination in London, putting itself not on the map for just a great food hall and designer clothes – but for quality food in some rather luxurious settings. If you’re looking for excellent sashimi, a shopping trip you didn’t need and few journeys up and down the gold Egyptian escalators, I’d get down to Harrods now because Pan Chai is already hard to get a seat at – especially with its no reservations policy.

NB: I was invited to review and my meal was complimentary. All views are as always, my own. My views are not influenced by anyone other than my own palate and slightly poor eyesight.