Looking for Asian Private Dining Options? Pun Im Is One to Watch
In collaboration with Royal Salute, we invite a few friends to try Vincent Pang's Thai cuisine at his private dining Pun Im.
Like any good origin story, Vincent Pang ventured into cooking full time because he had grown disillusioned with his corporate job in finance. He already cooked leisurely and considered it therapy. In 2019, he joined the Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School in Bangkok. Unfortunately, the pandemic fractured his cooking journey and he had to return to Singapore temporarily until he had better clarity about the future.
During that uncertain time, Pang set up Pun Im (which means “to share the fullness” in Thai), a private dining experience focusing on Thai food cooked using French techniques. He charged people for his food to get honest feedback, but initially donated all the proceeds to a charity. Today, he still donates 20 percent of Pun Im’s revenue to Food From The Heart.
Two years on, Pang has fully embraced his private dining journey and relishes the closeness he gets with his diners. “Being a private chef and cooking for smaller groups of people lets me interact more intimately with my customers,” the chef says. “Dining is not solely about the quality of the food, but the overall experience. The chef plays a significant role in that. I can also get better instantaneous feedback on my food compared to a larger restaurant setting.”
He’s clearly doing something right. Pang often gets repeat diners, many of whom book his place to celebrate milestones. He has cooked for multiple 50-year-old birthday parties and even hosted someone celebrating his 70th birthday.
It is this intimacy and conviviality that one can only get with private dining that convinced Royal Salute to pair with Pang for one dining session. Originally crafted to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953, the whisky brand is still closely tied to British royalty. Royal Salute recently released the 30 Year Old Key to the Kingdom. To pair with this whisky, Pang cooked his signature pad gaprow nuea sub, or thai basil beef dish.
“I was blown away by the intensity and smokiness of the 30 Year Old. While I enjoy the 21 Year Old from Royal Salute, the 30 Year Old is on another level. I felt that the spiciness of the Thai basil beef would cut through the whisky and elevate both. The rule of thumb is that you always pair strong flavours together.”
We chat more with Pang in the video below to find out more about his thoughts on Royal Salute and his private dining aspirations.
If you prefer another type of Asian dining, Royal Salute is also hosting a whisky pairing dinner at modern Cantonese restaurant Madame Fan. The menu includes pan-seared A4 Wagyu with Morel Mushroom and Royal Salute Black Miso sauce, wok-fried Crispy Duck Pancake with Duck Sauce and more. All of the dishes are accompanied by different Royal Salute expressions, including the 30 Year Old Key to the Kingdom.
The dinner is priced at $288++ per pax for the month of September. For inquiries or reservations at Madame Fan, you can book here. Alternatively, you can email dining.reservations[at]thencoclub.com or call 65 6818 9121.
Just want a bottle for yourself? Contact Royal Salute to reserve your bottle.
