Pakeng Palace Closed, New Business Planned
Asian fusion restaurant set to replace former banquet hall, bar and restaurant.
3730 W. National Ave. Photo taken Dec. 15, 2023 by Sophie Bolich.
Pakeng Palace closed earlier this month after more than a decade in business at 3730 W. National Ave.
Opened in 2015, the location operated first as a banquet hall and later expanded with bar and restaurant service. The revamp, completed in 2023, also included an interior remodel and a name change to PK Palace.
Owners Rick Vang and Mai Vang announced the closure in a March 18 post, also advising followers of plans for a new business. “We are opening an authentic Asian Fusion in place of PK Palace,” they wrote. “Please come support them soon.”
Ying Vang leads the latest evolution, Elephant TKB, which is slated to open this spring with a menu of Hmong, Thai, Lao and Vietnamese food, according to a license application.
A proposed menu is similar to that of PK Palace, but more streamlined, featuring appetizers such as fried chicken wings, egg rolls, chicken feet and papaya salad, along with entrees like pho, kapoon and pork belly. Side orders of sticky rice are also available, while drink options include smoothies, boba and naab vaam — a sweet coconut milk-based dessert filled with diced fruit, tapioca pearls, cendol and other toppings.
Unlike its predecessor, Elephant TKB will not serve alcohol and has no current plans for public entertainment.
The 4,500-square-foot restaurant features a large dining area with both tables and booths, plus additional seating at the counter, according to a floor plan. Three private rooms with TVs and lounge seating remain, along with a small stage.
Rick Vang owns the property at 3726–3730 W. National Ave., which includes on-site parking. The two-story building, constructed in 1885, also houses offices for Family Home Health Care LLC.
A license application for Elephant TKB is pending before the Milwaukee Common Council. If approved, the business’s proposed hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 10 a.m. through 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
Once open, the restaurant would be the latest in a series of changes along W. National Ave., which is set for a major construction project beginning next month.
A few blocks from Elephant TKB’s future location, Shalom Puerto Rican Restaurant closed its 3500 W. National Ave. location last fall and has since been replaced by La Chinampa. Further west, Taqueria El Arriero shuttered at 3530 W. National Ave. after less than a year. Another new venture, Cultura Ave, is progressing at 3830 W. National Ave.
Vang did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
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