Indonesian stir fry, Korean bulgogi, Thai curry top the menu at new Jacksonville restaurant
Hungry for Asian food but can't decide between Indonesian, Korean, Japanese or Thai? A new Jacksonville restaurant is a "one-stop shop," so to speak for the popular dishes from each of those countries.
Indonesian stir fry noodles, Korean bulgogi, Japanese sushi and Thai curry are just a few of the signature menu offerings showcased at Pandan Leaves Asian Bistro in North Jacksonville.
Promising to be "storytellers of Asian cuisine," Pandan Leaves is welcoming guests to its tables at 725 Skymarks Drive, Unit 6 at River City Marketplace near Jacksonville International Airport. There, it joins other restaurants such as Texas Roadhouse, Mr. Potato Spread, Aloha Waffle Bar and more at the shopping center.
"We focus on Asian Fusion. We have Thai, including Pad Thai and a few other items. Then we have a couple of Korean dishes, Kalbi and Bulgogi, and the majority of the dishes are Japanese. We have sushi, hibachi and yakisoba," Nengah Mustika, co-owner of Pandan Leaves, told the Times-Union.
Perhaps closest to his heart, are the Indonesian specialties. They are a taste of home for Mustika, a native of Bali, who first came to the United States as a college student, worked odd jobs from painting houses to cleaning barns and picking up rocks from horse pastures before ultimately becoming a naturalized citizen and successful entrepreneur.
The Indonesian menu items range from fried rice to braised beef and stir-fried noodles.
"So far, the most popular dishes are the [Korean] Kalbi and Bulgogi and the Thai curry as well," he said of Pandan Leaves
The restaurant — named for a sweet tropical plant popular in Southeast Asian and South Asian cooking — believes in responsible sourcing of ingredients, prioritizing sustainability and supporting local producers whenever possible, he said.
"Enlightened hospitality" also is a focus, he said.
"We're not just serving food to our customers. We want them to feel welcome, like in their own home. We want them to be comfortable. And we try to get to know them," Mustika said.
On the menu at Pandan Leaves
Pandan Leaves signature dishes include:
Kalbi ($20): Sliced Korean BBQ beef short ribs served with white rice, lightly browned garlic slices and Gochujang
Indonesian Beef Rendang ($20): Braised beef in coconut milk with spices and aromatics
Gulai Kambing ($22): Indonesian goat curry, bone-in goat meat in coconut-based curry
Mie Goreng ($13 to $18 depending on protein): Indonesian stir fry noodle
Bulgogi Korean beef ($20): Marinated thinly sliced ribeye sauteed with mushrooms, scallions, sesame seeds and onions served with white rice
Hibachi dinners range from fried tofu ($16) to chicken ($18), steak or shrimp ($20 each), scallop or salmon ($24 each) and filet mignon ($26).
The sushi options include signature rolls of 10 pieces. Topping the menu is the Skymarks Drive Roll ($15) of shrimp tempura, crab salad, cream cheese topped with avocado, torched salmon, spicy mayo, eel sauce and Masago Arare.
Another is the Pandan Leaves roll ($14) is shrimp tempura, imitation crab salad and cream cheese topped with avocado, Masago Arare and eel sauce.
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Mustika either co-owns or owns two other Asian restaurants in addition to Pandan Leaves.
He owns Nori Restaurant, a St. Augustine sushi bar, hibachi and an Asian fusion restaurant. Mustika also is co-owner of Takoyaki Restaurant in Opelika City, Ala. — a sushi bar and restaurant offering hibachi as well as Indonesian and Japanese cuisine.
In 2017, he and a couple of friends launched Blazin Azn — a food truck serving Asian fusion cuisine for about a year and a half in Jacksonville. The food truck evolved into the brick-and-mortar Takoyaki. Next was Nori, which opened in 2021.
In addition, Mustika is the founder and president of Agile Tech Consulting LLC, a Jacksonville-based company specializing in custom software development, mobile application development, business intelligence development and web design services.
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Mustika said he's looking to open at least one more location in the future. Potential sites include Yulee in Nassau County, downtown Jacksonville or the city's Southside, he said.
Pandan Leaves is open 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. The restaurant is closed on Tuesday.
Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on Twitter @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Pandan Leaves opens at Jacksonville's River City Marketplace
