Why Howard Wang’s Lake Highlands Spot Is More Than Just Your Neighborhood Kitchen

Howard Wang has been an essential name in Asian cooking in Dallas for more than 40 years. Now the namesake’s son, Jarren Wang, is part of his newer concept in Lake Highlands, Pan Asian Kitchen and Noodles, which opened in 2024. Here, Jarren is creating adventurous Asian dishes to complement his dad’s traditional recipes.

At a recent lunch, the usual suspects from the specials (a big mound of rice and General Tsao’s chicken) satisfied the neighborhood crowd. But a hearty bowl of Dan Dan noodles stopped us in our tracks. Rich, silky noodles swimming in savory depth, paired beautifully with the brightness of cucumber, mung bean sprouts and cilantro. Even a simple crab rangoon made us stop mid-sentence for a closer look; it was sharp, sweet and crisp, without any of the funkiness that can plague the staple.

Jarren worked at his family’s restaurants across Dallas (the only Howard Wang’s left today is in Preston Hollow). Eventually, he took off to work at high-end restaurants across the country, including the famous Momofuku in New York City. Flora Bar and Locanda Verde were also stops. He then returned to Texas, where he worked at Suerte and Kerumi Tatsu-ya, both in Austin and in the Michelin Guide — the former recommended and the latter with a Bib Gourmand distinction.

Now, Jarren is working alongside his father at Pan Asian. It’s hard to see the spot from the road; it’s across from Goldie’s. We hate to throw around the term “hidden gem,” but after our meal, we feel like it’s appropriate here. If not a hidden gem itself, then the menu is full of gems, weaving together two philosophies and generations. Jarren says his goal is to “mesh decades of wok cooking fused with a variety of Asian cuisine – what I like to say to myself is how much can possibly be done in one minute.”

Where to Start

Staying true to its name, the Wangs are pushing out a wide variety of Asian dishes. A lot of browser tabs are open on the menu: Chinese, Japanese and Korean meals, with subsets, more noodles, and styles. Hibachi bowls, ramen, katsu curry and udon all hold down the bottom right corner of the menu. There’s pad Thai, flat noodles and yakisoba. Clearly, they have a lot to say.

If you’re on a budget and want a traditional Chinese meal, stop in for lunch specials priced to move at $13 and $14. Get an entree, soup or salad, and an egg roll or crab rangoon. The mains range from sesame honey seared chicken to orange chicken, Kung Pao and a tasty tangsuyuk.

You can also order from the full menu during lunch. Start with an order of Dan Dan noodles, which is something Jarren says he fixates on.

“There’s texture, body, and sauce that acts as a dipping sauce all in one bowl for convenience when eating,” he says. A house-made sesame paste and Kewpie mayo infused with oil give this dish a velvety richness.

Another house special is the bulgogi. Jarren and Howard both say the house-made sauces and ingredients are what set their kitchen apart, like the finishing oil and marinade in the bulgogi, which Jarren says is another specialty. 

Dive deeper into the menu for standouts, though. Like the jajangmyeon (Korean black bean noodles), which you don’t find on a lot of menus. The House Clay Pot under the specials section, Sichuan Mala Chicken and Tenshin Omelette Fried Rice all deserve trips of their own.

Most entrees come in around $14 to $19 and the serving sizes are large. A seabass filet $24 is the most expensive item on the menu at $24.

Pan Asian is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., then reopen for dinner from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday – Sunday. They’re closed on Monday.

Pan Asian Kitchen and Noodles, Lakeridge Village Shopping Center, 9660 Audeila Road