Perth Voice Interactive

PANDA & Co proudly declares its food is inauthentic Asian.

Having eaten the crab linguine ($21), I can attest they have every right to boast.

This little eatery on Bulwer Street blends Asian and Australian in yummy dishes like smashed avo ($16) with edamame (immature soybeans) and mint hummus, panko’d scotch eggs ($17), and tataki style steak with seaweed salad ($28).

Pandas dangle from the ceiling of this fresh and modern establishment, and the staff continued to smile as they dealt with the lunchtime rush on a sweltering public holiday.

Indoors was packed, so despite the 40C heat the D’Angers sat outside with a couple of icy cold juices.

Our meals arrived promptly and I was slightly taken back at the Singaporean interpretation of linguine – a whole soft-shell crab sitting daintily on top of pasta noodles, looking like it was embracing the linguine with its claws.

But this was a great fusion of cultures: the crab was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, and the pasta deliciously hot and spicy.

D’Angerous Dave went pure oriental with a stir fried udon ($18) topped with a perfectly cooked, just-runny egg, which he quickly stirred through the dish.

The thick noodles had a pleasantly smokey flavour and a great chilli twang.

He was a bit grumpy about having to go north of the river and leave Fremantle behind, especially in the heat, but was won over by his meal.

“My mouth is dancing like a samba party is going on in there,” he said.

We finished our meal with a couple of moist and flavoursome slices of lemon coconut cake ($5).

by JENNY D’ANGER

Panda & Co
87 Bulwer Street, Perth
Mon-Fri 7am-4pm,
Sat-Sun 8am-4pm
9328 5935