Although I can't quite formulate a precise definition (can you? Leave a comment!), the term "Pan-Asian" for me embraces the best of all things in the realm of cuisine influenced and inspired by the greater collective of "Asian-Pacific" countries. Take away the glitz and glam of trendified "Asian Fusion" meals and you still have a substantially delicious arsenal of food quite fit to eat, enjoy, and not feel overindulgent on.
Developing a dinner party around the Pan Asian feel can be an easy event to throw together, and none of your guests will leave your shindig with that uncomfortably full heaviness of a turkey-mashed potato-stuffing meal (which we all know is superb in the depths of chilly fall and brisk winter).
Gather Ye Rosebuds
Casual summer meals shouldn't take extraordinary feats of coordination! They can be quickly and casually pulled together with just the basics of schedule coordination in place (i.e., people are available and willing participants). You were going to make dinner anyway, right? Send out an email or phone up your friends a couple weeks in advance once you've determined when you want to host this meal.
Set it Up
A summer meal would seem to suggest dining outdoors, no? Keep flying pests at bay with insect repellent bracelets (you can snaz them up by wrapping a wire stemmed paper or silk flower on one of the coils), potted lemongrass plants and strategically placed citronella candles, and your party should be mosquito-bite free (do keep insect repellent spray and wipes on hand as needed--some buggers are persistent!). String inexpensive Chinese paper lanterns around in trees and posts and pillars around your dining space. Set out a paper fan at each guest's setting for keeping heat and flying insects at a comfortable level.
Set up low dining tables with funky, vibrant floor cushions serving as seats.
Simply pull out a few plush pillows (try them out--are they comfy to sit on for stretches of time? Are they too slippery for comfort?) and splay them around a low table--even an old, relatively lightweight coffee table can serve double duty as a low dining surface. A picnic blanket (old sari, quilt, seagrass mat, etc) can add an extra barrier from the ground for your guests, or you can simply use the blanket under the table and forego the floor cushions altogether. Brightly hued table textiles (be they runners, tablecloths, or simply placemats) will help make the tablescape pop in summery goodness, and Asian-inspired dinnerware is abundant in nearly every housewares shop around (although, you can never go wrong with the basic white/off-white china). Pluck a few snapdragons and gladiolas from your local florist or cutting garden and place the stems in tallish, narrow vases you can weave into the tablescape as they fit.
