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The Smoking Panda

Rachel Olding

Going retro: Prawn toast at The Smoking Panda.
Going retro: Prawn toast at The Smoking Panda.Wolter Peeters

Contemporary

There are Chinese lanterns and a tank full of jellyfish and donuts in the cocktails and a neon Marlboro sign.

Good luck trying to put your finger on what vibe the Smoking Panda is going for.

But if this new small bar is one thing, it's a bit of silly fun.

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The interior is part Chinese restaurant, part small-town American bar.
The interior is part Chinese restaurant, part small-town American bar.Wolter Peeters

A room above the Hotel Coronation – one of those town hall pubs you've walked past a million times without ever feeling the need to go in – has been transformed into a neon-lit bar with a strange melange of influences from Asian to American to childhood favourites.

Cocktails have had the Grant Collins touch, the genius barman who has pioneered molecular and theatrical drinks at bars like White Hart and Powder Keg.

It's accompanied by a small menu of dumplings, buns and yum cha snacks by Collins' frequent collaborator, chef Danny Russo.

The crab slider.
The crab slider.Wolter Peeters
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Then there are beers and decent wines that mix American faves with Australian boutiques and a very impressive back bar with 65 bourbons, 50 rums and some small-batch whiskies.

Little stuff ups mean that the individual ingredients probably don't warrant a trip to Smoking Panda on their own but it's an amusing night in a quirky spot.

Several menu items are not available (like the steamed XO soft shell crab sliders and BBQ pork pancakes which easily sounded like the best two items on the menu), the kitchen closes at 10.30pm when it says midnight on the menu and some cocktails don't come as advertised.

The Hot Smokin Mexican Jerk.
The Hot Smokin Mexican Jerk.Wolter Peeters

The Dunkin Donut Martini (dark rum, bourbon, fresh vanilla beans, vanilla liqueur, butterscotch liqueur, donut syrup, $17) is the pick of the bunch. It's  a very sweet and short drink that is supposed to come with a mini crispy creme garnish but is topped with a regular old donut. 

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Other wild creations like the crispy bacon-topped Hot Smokin Mexican Jerk (smoked tequila, chipotle, adobo, agave, ginger, capsicum, lime, $17) and Mexican Coconut & Lime (tequila, coconut, lime, banana, condensed milk,  which is meant to be served long over ice into a coconut but comes in a glass instead, $17) miss the mark flavour-wise.

But there is still plenty to cheer about. San choy bao is stuffed with a ginormous serving of juicy, flavoursome braised short rib ($5 each) and the steamed prawn dumplings ($11 for four) are perfectly plump.

There is Millers beer and Thatchers cider on tap and the dessert cocktails include a slab of fried green tea ice-cream covered in coconut and served with an espresso martini ($17), which is  a very odd take on an affogato.

The fit-out is fab, too. It's part retro Chinese restaurant, part small town American bar. There is a glowing tank of jellyfish in one corner, a neon Malboro sign in the other, a dramatic landscape painting hovering over the bar and dark booths filled with noisy diners.

It's a good spot for Friday night drinks with a bunch of friends. The crowd is a kick-up-your-heels mix of rowdy suits, young students and those about to head off to a gig at the Metro.

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Some parts may have you scratching your head but that's half the point of this place.

THE LOW-DOWN
YOU'LL LOVE IT IF ... you're adventurous in trying new bars
YOU'LL HATE IT IF ... you've come looking for late-night food
GO FOR ... Dunkin Donut Martini, braised short rib san choy bao, prawn dumplings

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