Vegan Rob's

As you likely know, I love my snacks.  I'm an avid snacker.  I have my favorites of course, but I love trying new products.  Which brought me to discover Vegan Rob's, even though I am not vegan.

"Take a deep breath, exhale, focus on the moment and what you are doing for yourself. Feed your inner soul by reducing stress and anxiety with the crunch! Vegan Rob’s® puffs are made with organic sorghum, an environmentally friendly, drought resistant crop. eating our plant- based snacks is better for everyone and supports your compassion for all life."

Vegan Rob's, as you can guess from the name, obviously makes vegan products.  Their goods are also gluten-free, non-GMO, organic, etc.

So what does Vegan Rob's actually make? A not necessarily enticing sounding product line of whole grain sorghum puffs.  They are available in 5 flavors, starting with simple cauliflower or cheddar flavors, and livening up a bit with beet, "dragon", and Bombay flavors.  All use the same base.  I've tried all but the beet and Bombay puffs. 

Cauliflower Puffs (2021).

"Vegan Rob’s® Cauliflower Puffs are delicious, crunchy and so yum!! They are a good source of Vitamin C and an Excellent Source of Thiamin and Riboflavin. Just one bite and you will fall in love!"

The first I tried were the simple cauliflower puffs, a few years ago.  They were actually pretty good.  

Puffy, great crunch. Don't taste odd from sorghum.  Good flavors from onion and garlic seasoning, and some nutritional yeast to make a bit "cheesy".  A nice savory crispy snack.  I found them very munchable, which is important in a snack.

They do not taste like cauliflower however, as the cauliflower is just a powder, so if you wanted something very cauliflower-y, these would not impress.

***, I don't go for r snacks like this often, but they were good for what they were.

Cauliflower Puffs (2024).

I didn't realize I had tasted these before, and tried them again 3 years later, without seeing my notes.  Very interesting to see how differently I felt about them this time.

Well ... um ... these taste healthy.  Perhaps a bit too healthy.  I really do like the puff form factor, and they are crazy crispy, but, the flavor is not one that makes you feel the tiniest bit indulgent (they aren't actually all that healthy, a bag is still 170 calories and 9 grams of fat, so not really any different from actual normal cheese puffs ...).

They taste strongly of what I suppose is sorghum, and are quite savory, with dominant nutritional yeast and garlic/onion/pepper/salt along with the cauliflower powder.  A touch too bitter for me.  They remind me of Hippeas (similar concept, chickpea based, review coming soon), although I like these considerably more.

But if you want to snack and feel a bit healthier, and want something a bit generically savory and a bit bland, they aren't bad tasting.  ***.

Dragon Puffs.

"Vegan Rob’s® Dragon Puffs are so delicious, they will change your life forever! These puffs are made with the finest ingredients including serrano peppers from Mexico. They go from smoky, to spicy, then cool and satisfy that spicy and crunchy desire to feed your inner soul. You're going to wonder how it all happened!"

Next up, take the same puffs, but make them ... DRAGON!  E.g. add some heat!  The puffs looked the same in terms of shape and size, and had the same base savory coating of onion/garlic/salt/nutritional yeast, but, yes, were a brilliant fire-y orange/red (from paprika).  The serrano chili pepper powder did the job well, these had a pretty great kick.

So, great form factor, and hit of intense flavor?  Now we are talking.  While they still do have a somewhat healthy taste to them, these I really do enjoy.  ****.

Update Review: I've found myself reaching for these more and more, and they've really grown on me.  Love the kick and the form factor.

Brussel Sprout Puffs (Discontinued).

A few years ago I also had the brussels sprouts puffs.  They have since been discontinued, which I fully support.

They basically look and taste the same as the others, but even more bitter and healthy. I'm not into nutritional yeast flavor on these.  **.

Pinklady Cheese Tart

New York City is a great place for many reasons.  The vibe, the culture, etc, etc.  But for me, a big draw is the food.  And in particular, if you know me well, you know desserts factor highly into all decision making for me.  I love plotting out my dessert adventures in general, but in particular when I'm in a city like NY with so many incredible offerings.

My research lead me to discover Pinklady Cheese Tart, a fairly young business, about 4 years old (yup, a pandemic born success story).  The baker started by making just the namesake cheese tarts, but has expanded to include other items like macarons and even yogurt drinks (although you won't find these mentioned on the website).  Reviews are good, and it just kept popping up in my searches, due to also offering basque cheesecake, which I was craving and searching fo.

When I saw the flavor lineup at Pinklady Cheese Tart featured ube in several dishes, it was easy to move it to the top of my priority list of places to try.  I ordered for delivery from DoorDash, which went smoothly.

Tarts

"Our oozy cheese mousse is made with three types of rich cheese and cream with a perfect balance of saltiness and sweetness. As for our crusts, we use double baked method in order to create crispy delicious tartlets."

Pinklady Cheese Tart is known primarily for the cheese tarts.  They are a Japanese style, so quite light, and not super sweet.  They are available in a slew of flavors: original cheese, fruity (blueberry, lemon, strawberry), black sesame, ube cheese, matcha cheese, and chocolate cheese.  

I tried two flavors, and would gladly have either again, but also would love to try more varieties.

2 Tarts. $8.
Black Sesame, Ube.

"Try it when its warm, cold or room temperature for different texture and experience!"

I narrowed my choices down to the my top two picks, which I could get as a pair for $8 (so, $4 each).  You can get 6 for $22 to save a little if you want more.  $4 each seemed quite reasonable.

All use the same style tart shell, a double baked butter shortbread.  It was a sweeter style than I was expecting, definitely sweeter than standard tarts.  Hard style, not a flaky style, not crumbly, quite crisp. It was almost like a sweet sugar cookie (I think this is pâte sucrée?).  It was better than most tart shells (which, you may know, I generally dislike and discard), but I did find it almost too sweet.  *** shell.

I found it interesting that they recommend trying them at 3 different temperatures (chilled from fridge, room temp, or lightly warmed), and of course I wanted to try all the ways.  Chilled from the fridge, the result was like a fluffy cheesecake soufflé if that makes sense, lighter and not dense like traditional cheesecake.  Warm, the filling turned oozing and nearly liquid, a delight in another way entirely.  Room temp was somewhere in-between.  I truly don't know which way I preferred.

Ube.

The ube tart was a stunning (likely unnatural) purple color.  It looked fantastic, both due to the vibrant hue, and the fluffy loft to it.

It was as tasty as it looked.  The filling was light, fluffy, and somewhat oozy (in a good way!), and intensely ube flavored, with a backdrop of the sweet cheese flavor.  Sweet but restrained.  Fantastic texture, fantastic flavor.  As I mentioned above, when chilled, it was more like a very light cheesecake, when room temp it was like a soufflé, and when warm it was akin to a molten lava cake.  

I really enjoyed this filling, and would get it again, but I liked the next one even more.  High ****.

Black Sesame.

The black sesame shared the same pedigree, same textural difference at each temperature, etc.  But the overall experience of eating it was entirely different, as it was less sweet, and very nutty.  The black sesame flavor was really quite intense.  I loved it even more than the ube.  ****+.

I'd like to try pairing one of these side-by-side with the fruity blueberry or strawberry flavors, to create pb&j vibes. 

Basque Burnt Cheesecake

More recently, Pinklady expanded to include cheesecake, if you want something bigger than a tart.  But not just cheesecake, Basque style cheesecake (and interesting choice rather than staying in the Japanese style of a fluffy bouncy cheesecake, or NY-style given the location).  Basque style is more on-trend this year, so, likely a great call, and one I was thrilled to see.  I've been really enjoying Basque cheesecake lately, even the version from Cheesecake Factory truly isn't bad (it is far better than their regular cheesecakes ...). 

Pinklady offers traditional vanilla or ube, both in 4" or 7" varieties.

Ube. 4". $13.50.

"Four inches ube flavor cheesecake. Caramelized burnt top with buttery crust and creamy cheesy center. Serve 2-3 people."

I obviously went for the ube.  I'll admit it didn't look great visually, but, this is to be expected.  It *should* have a dark top, it *should* be sorta sunken, and, since I picked ube, it should have the purple hue that, when dark, yes, looks like this.  I didn't care that looked a bit ugly.  That said, this wasn't a legit traditional Basque cheesecake as it has a crust, which gave me a moment of pause.  True Basque cheesecake doesn't have a crust ...

The size was perfect for sharing, 2 people could feel satisfied given the richness, three I think would only want to share if they also each had a tart (which, is what I'd recommend).  The cheesecakes are also available in a larger size to serve 6-8 people for $39.95.

Ube Cross Section.

I'll start with the only negative aspect: the crust.  Perhaps I was just feeling grumpy about the inclusion of the crust in the first place, and the fact that it made it harder to cut, but, I didn't care for the crust.  It was dry, seemed too dark/burnt on the bottom, and was just not a style that added anything to the dessert.  I felt it really detracted.  Boo to the crust, but, it was easy to avoid.

The body of the cheesecake though was glorious.  As you can see, it was fairly textbook in the nearly liquid oozing center, yet light and fluffy all around it.  Like the tart, it had a strong ube flavor, was sweet but not too sweet, with a strong cheesy backdrop.  The top was dark but didn't really give the caramelized taste I have experienced in other Basque cheesecakes, but that was fine, I'm not sure it would have matched as well with the ube flavor.  **** filling.

Overall, definitely good, and well baked.  I'd like to try the vanilla version too, but do wish it had no crust.  Lower **** because the crust brought it down a bit.

Blue Ribbon Sushi Izakaya, NYC

I'm the type of person who always does bring home my leftovers from restaurants.  I actually love repurposing leftovers to create meals that I love at home later.  This applies even when I travel, and hotels by now know that I like to have at least one extra mini fridge and microwave in my room.  I travel with a personal panini press/grill or travel oven.  I'm that kind of person.

So this summer, when I was in New York for a month, I found myself with a bunch of side dish leftover, but no main protein.  Sushi seemed like just the answer: small quantity, just protein, and I could use up the other stuff I had around. 

I have my old favorites for sushi in New York, including Sushi Seki and Nobu if I'm being splurgy, but this time I was looking for somewhere open at lunchtime on a weekend, and neither of those were.  My research lead me to the well regarded Blue Ribbon Sushi Izakaya (which is not to be confused with Blue Ribbon Sushi - Soho, just a few blocks away, nor Blue Ribbon Brasserie, Blue Ribbon Chicken, Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar, Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill, or others in the same restaurant group).  The group also has location is Miami, LA, Boston, Las Vegas, Nashville, Philly. So, somewhat of a chain, but, not one that felt like it.  They do also have packages available on GoldBelly, which I'll admit was a slight detractment.

I was drawn in by the positive reviews of course, but also the really large assortment of options available for nigiri/sashimi.  They had a large daily specials list with unique items I don't see as often.  And better yet, the prices were quite reasonable (and even more with a $5 off discount on DoorDash).

I ordered on DoorDash for delivery, and my order arrived quickly.  It was well packaged, accurate, and included everything I needed (chopsticks, soy sauce, etc).  I'd gladly order from them again.

3 Pieces Sashimi. $26.73 (including delivery).

I went for a bunch of favorites: uni, crab, and the less common eel, anago.  I opted for sashimi for all, as I'm not really one for rice (yes, this is a very similar trio to my order from Sushi Seki last time I was in NY, with uni, anago, and lobster, just swapping out crab for lobster this time).  I appreciated that I could order each individually, and the prices were really quite reasonable.

The uni and crab came in cucumber cups, the anago just as a slice over some shredded diakon.  Standard ginger and wasabi were plated alongside as well.

California Uni (Sashimi). $11.

To satisfy my uni cravings, I went for the California uni.  Sashimi style, because all I wanted was the uni, no need for rice.  They also offer Hokkaido uni for $18.50.

The uni may have suffered a tiny bit in transit, as the top lobe was a bit no longer intact, but it was still delicious. For nigiri, it is a cucumber cup that is lined with a shiso leaf. I loved the shiso, it went very well with the uni. The uni itself was good, a more mild flavor uni, minimal funk. The portion was really remarkable for the price, I think there might have been five pieces? I'd be curious to do a side-by-side with the more pricey Japanese one, but I was very pleased with this. ****.

Anago (Young Sea Eel) Sashimi $8.

When I was first introduced to sushi I ate a fair amount of unagi, as it was a bit of an easier segue into sushi being fully cooked and covered in bbq sauce.  I still like unagi, but in more recent years, I've definitely become a much bigger fan of anago. I see it rarely on menus, so I was very happy they had it.  I think the last time I had it was about a year prior, from Sushi Seki (where it was excellent).

This piece was ok.  Not very memorable nor flavorful.  A decent sized piece.  I'd probably skip it in the future.  ***.

Kani (Blue Crab) Sashimi. $7.50.

I don't think I've ever seen blue crab on a sushi menu before, so I was very interested to see how they would serve it as nigiri. It was cooked and placed into a cucumber cup, and was a bit of a shredded style, compared to when you get king crab nigiri for example that comes as a solid chunk, which I assume is simply due to the considerably smaller size of the crabs.

It too was just ok, but not particularly flavorful nor memorable.  I have not had all that much blue crab in my life, so maybe that is just how blue crab is?  I live on the West coast, so local dungeness is my common crab, or of course Alaskan king crab if I'm splurging.  I added a little okinomiyaki sauce I had left over which helped, the creaminess from the mayo really added something to it, as it was just pretty bland otherwise.  Another one I'd skip in the future. ***.

Alaska Airlines, Flight 20, SFO-JFK

Update Review, August 2024 Flight

I don't fly with Alaska Airlines much (in fact, I hadn't flown with them at all until 2 years ago), so I am not yet well calibrated to the service and food standards.  Overall, it seems to me like a good compromise airline: the prices are generally lower, the food is decent, the service and amenities minimal, the comfort mediocre.  So, depending on your priorities, a compromise on something at least.

Flight Details:

• Flight #: 20
• Departure: 1:25pm (scheduled) 3:12pm (actual)
• Arrival: 9:25pm (scheduled) 
• Route: SFO to JFK
• Seat 3C

Service & Amenities

There is not much to say about Alaska amenities as there isn't much to them.  

Seatback.

Standard domestic first class seat, that at least has under seat storage, and a small cocktail table with cup holder, but little else.  Not a very comfortable seat, no adjustments other than recline.  Yay for a foot rest.  Thin blanket provided.  No pillow.  No seatback tvs.  Pay for wifi. It is fine for short flights, but definitely leaves much to be desired for transcon.

A pre-departure beverage of water, orange juice, or a can of sparkling wine was offered.  I selected the sparkling wine, and was handed the can.  Before takeoff, orders for drinks to have post departure were taken, and our pre-orders confirmed.  Those who didn't pre-order really did not fare well.  The first person got the chicken (only 1 loaded), the next two had a choice of salmon or pasta, the 4th person had only salmon option, and the rest ... sorry there is nothing.  No main dishes left.  This seems like a mis-cater? They were offered a snack box from the back.  Wow.

Service was not particularly friendly, and remarkably not proactive.  Empty drink glasses were never collected.  Refills never offered.  I saw every passenger need to lightly aggressively get attention to take their empty glasses away.  I was particularly amazed when I asked for two more drinks (water and wine), and was handed them, and the two empties I had on my tiny cocktail table were not taken as they were delivered.  He just gave me two more, even with no where to put them.  

Food & Drink

PDB: Waterbrook Brut Bubbles.

The pre-departure offering of sparkling wine was Waterbrook Brut.  The can was handed to me unopened, but chilled.  It wasn't bad really. I don't gravitate towards bubbles, but it had a nice balance of dryness and sweetness.  ***.

I'd get it again.

Wine & Sparkling Water.

Once underway, I started with red wine.  No choice of reds, and no explanation given of what varietal, let alone winemaker.  Served in what I think of as a water glass, tall and thin.  Not really what you want for red wine.  Anyway, it was fine, average, table wine though, very fruit forward, no real structure to it.  At least low acid and tanin. Bo-ring.  Low ***.

I also asked for sparkling water.  I was not given the option to decline ice.  It came with more ice than water, and I needed a refill nearly immediately.

Tip Top Old Fashioned.

Later on I moved on to an old fashioned, as I've enjoyed them before on Alaska flights (they are the canned Tip Top brand).  It was served with more ice than cocktail, and got watered down far too fast.  But otherwise was great, very boozy, very classic old fashioned. ***+.

Nuts.

Awhile after, not with our beverages, nuts were brought.  Lightly warm.  Good mix of almonds, cashews, and pecans.  Very low (if any?) salt level.  ***.

Finished beverages were not proactively cleared when the nuts were brought (a theme throughout the meal).

Menu.

Alaska does have a fair amount of variety in their meal choices, even for a domestic flight, I had 5 options, including fish (salmon), white meat (chicken), red meat (well, just sausage in a pasta), vegetarian, or, a cheese plate.  Pre-order was available.  

As I don't like cooked salmon, chicken, or quinoa/rice, my decision was easy.  Pasta it was, and the dish did sound pretty interesting, better than the standard ravioli choices so many airlines tend to do for pasta.  Shells, creamy cheese sauce, now we are talking!

All dishes are served with salad, bread, and dessert, although not listed on the menu.  Tray tables were not pre-set with table clothes prior to meals being delivered.

Tray.

My meal tray arrived unceremoniously and was served without a word, e.g. no "here we have the pasta" or anything.  My drinks were empty, but no refills were offered.  The tray included a salad, bread with pat of butter, and salt/pepper packet, along with napkin and cutlery. 

Roll.

The roll was warm, and not bad actually.   Simply white roll, but soft, good chew to it, and most importantly, not stale.  Better than average airline bread.  It was perfect for soaking up the chili crisp from the pasta, and the pesto from the salad. ***+.

Appetizer: Salad.

The salad was meager in the greens department, just some very sad compressed spinach that really didn't seem fresh.  The body of the salad was 3 balls of mozzarella, 4 juicy sundried tomatoes, and pesto.  The sundried tomatoes and pesto were both really quite flavorful, and I enjoyed them with the bread.

* greens, ** as a salad, but *** for those two components.   

Pasta Primavera with Italian Sausage.

"Pasta shells tossed in a creamy white cheddar cream sauce, served with summer squash, sun-dried tomatoes, edamame beans, and savory Italian sausage. Topped lightly with a chili crisp."

The main attraction, the pasta.

Well ... this was a very mixed bag.  As you can likely see, the "creamy white cheddar cream sauce" was ... not there.  At all.  It wasn't on the bottom of the dish.  It wasn't anywhere.  I was looking forward to that creamy cheese sauce, but alas, I had plain pasta.  That said, the shells were well cooked, not mushy, not totally dried out.  The chili crisp oil was flavorful, and added something to it at least.  The edamame were tender and tasted fresh if that makes sense, the sausage was actually very good, classic Italian sausage.  The tomatoes in here were different from the sundried tomato in the salad, they seemed just like roasted tomatoes, although the menu said they were sundried.  Juicy.  The squash I didn't care for at all, patty pans, that were just strangely bitter.

So, meh to the squash, yay to the sausage and chili crisp in particular, and better than average pasta, but a shame I didn't actually have any cheese sauce ... *** overall despite the lacking sauce.

Dessert: Salt & Straw Strawberry Rhubarb with Cinnamon Crumble.

We all finished our meals.  All trays were cleared.  No refills were offered.  No empty drink cups collected.  I thought ... dessert must be coming next right?  I waited and waited.  No sign of dessert.  An hour passed.  I finally asked if there was a dessert.  I was told there should have been.  The FA who I asked seemed as confused as me that it hadn't happened.  About 10 minutes later, it came out.  Served directly in the tiny tubs, with a far too big spoon to go with it.

It was Salt & Straw ice cream, as per usual with Alaska.  For the summer, they introduced two new flavors on flights, and I was quite happy to see that we had the strawberry rhubarb with cinnamon crumble flavor.  I don't think this is sold directly by Salt & Straw to consumers, I think it is a special collaboration with Alaska.  The ice cream featured swirls of strawberry rhubarb jam and cinnamon snickerdoodle cookie pieces.

It was served quite hard, but it did melt nicely eventually.  It was fabulous ice cream, smooth, rich, creamy, and the fruity swirls of jam were quite flavorful.  I liked the texture from the softened snickerdoodle bits.  It was a flavor I could enjoy on its own without adding too much to it (although, of course, I did add some fresh strawberries too).

****.

Original Review, August 2023 Flight

Flight Details

Flight: AS 20

Aircraft: 737-9 Max

Departure: SFO, 2:25pm

Arrival: JFK, 10:25 pm

Seat: 3D

Service

This was my second ever flight with Alaska Airlines, and my first longer flight (previously I had only flown SFO-SEA, which you can read about here).  We were slightly delayed boarding because the plane was deemed too hot to be safe (!), and then slightly delayed pushing back because bags were still being loaded, but, the delays were minor, we took off only 15 minutes late.  We had significant tailwinds helping us still arrive early.

No PDB, although there was boxed water at our seats.  No amenity kits, no pillow, but a thin blanket was waiting at our seat.  It was really quite cold on board, and the little blanket didn't do much to help.   The flight attendant was efficient, but barely spoke to us.  She wasn't unfriendly, she just ... didn't really talk to us.  No hello, meal trays dropped off without a word, no offers of refills, that sort of thing.

Food & Drink

The main meal served is ... linner.  The timing of the meal on this flight is definitely awkward, 3:40pm in SF time, 6:40pm in New York time.  Too late for lunch where we came from, too early for dinner, but, at what will be dinner time where we are headed.  When there was exactly 2 hours remaining, a snack basket was passed with Border Canyon chips, Lesser Evil popcorn, Kind bars, beef jerky, and Karma toasted coconut cashews.  I was pretty happy to see the popcorn, as it is definitely my snack of choice, and the flavored nuts definitely called out.  I've had many of Lesser Evil's popcorns before, but had never tried their basic Himalayan Gold, which is what the snack basket contained.  Drink refills were also offered.

Drink Menu.

Orders for our drinks were taken once underway. There was only one choice for red wine, even though the menu listed two. 

Seltzer, Nuts.

Our drinks were served with a small thing of nuts (almonds, cashews, tiny bits of pecans). Not warm.  The sparkling water was Polar seltzer.  I was given a (mini) can and ice, it wasn't poured for me.  No offer of lemon nor lime garnish.

Ste Chapelle Winery Red Blend.

I went for the red wine, which turned out to be Ste Chapelle Winery Red Blend.  This is a cheap $12 bottle, definitely not as premium of wine offerings as the competitors on this route.

It was non-offensive.  No complexity at all, but, not too much tanin nor acid, so it was fine.  ***.

Straightaway Oregon Old Fashioned.

"The Old Fashioned is revered for its versatility and simplicity. This variation on the classic speaks to wistful days spent in Milton-Freewater, OR, and we’ve transposed our fondness for the Pacific Northwest bouquet into our own bitters. Whether consumed around a mountain-top campfire or from the safety of your drawing room, tradition has it that one’s first Old Fashioned should be served by a friend."

Later on, I moved on to the Old Fashioned, which I'd had before.  I was handed a can, and glass of ice.  Not poured for me, no garnish.  I still thought it was a nice cocktail though, same as my previous review.  ***+.

Menu.

The menu was available online to pre-order, which I did.  Pre-order gave 5 options, 2 of which were pre-order exclusives (the fruit & cheese plate and vegetarian white bean chili).  I nearly went for the chicken dish, not for the chicken obviously, as I'm extremely chicken adverse, but, for the grits, asparagus, and lemon caper sauce, all things I quite like!  But I opted for the lemon fennel manicotti instead.  

For those who didn't pre-order, they could select from the 3 onboard choices.  Well, technically they could.  The steak ran out in row 1, seat A.  Um, yeah.  They loaded 1 for the entire non-preorder cabin!  The chicken ran out in row 3.  I was surprised how few people had pre-ordered, perhaps lots of upgrades?

Meal service was pretty quick, with the first row getting served at exactly the 1 hour post-takeoff mark, mine arrived within 10 more minutes.

Linner.

So at 3:40pm, my meal showed up.  I had eaten a fair amount in the lounge (mac and cheese!), and definitely wasn't particularly interested in food at this point.  Which turned out to be fine, as the meal was pretty lackluster.

Meals come all one one tray, with a roll, salad, the entree you ordered, along with butter, and packet of salt and pepper.

Bread, Butter, Dressing.

The roll was lightly warm.  Pretty average airline quality.  Not stale, but, not particularly good, no real crust to it, just, soft. 

Salad dressing was fairly solid, seemed to be lemon vinaigrette.  Butter also very solid, impossible to spread. 

**.

Salad.

The menu didn't provide any details on the salad, and everyone got the same.  It was just mixed greens, with a few bites of cooked beets, a few pickled red onions, and goat cheese.  Given that I loathe goat cheese, and don't really care for beets, this was a miss for me, but, I suspect if you liked those things, and liked the lemon vinaigrette, this was a decent salad.  The greens were fresh and crisp.  **+.

It was also served in a bowl that was kinda too small, it was hard to eat without bits falling out.

Lemon Fennel Manicotti.

"Lemon ricotta stuffed pasta | grilled baby fennel | tomato basil ragout."

The main dish was served moderately warm.  I certainly wanted it hotter.  The portion was three large manicotti, plus a decent amount of fennel and the chunky tomato ragout.  

The pasta was microwave dinner quality.  The pasta itself was not dried out or overcooked at least, but was as boring as it gets.  The filling was, well, ricotta.  Some minor lemon flavor.  Very, very boring, and essentially cafeteria/frozen dinner quality.  I gave up on it after eating one of the three tubes. *+ pasta.

I did like the fennel, it was well cooked and flavorful, and the chunks of tomato and onion in the ragout were tasty as well.  *** toppings.

I combined the salad + fennel + tomatoes + onions to make a quasi-ok dish, but I certainly wouldn't get this again.  I wish I had gone for the chicken, just for the grits, asparagus, and tasty sauce.

Salt & Straw Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons.

"Our reimagination of the classic. We spike our cream with just enough Guatemalan fleur de sel to bring out its nuances, then drizzle in ribbons of our hand-burned caramel."

After our trays were cleared, the flight attendant came through offering ice cream.  Just as I was shocked by how many people didn't pre-order, I was even more shocked by how many turned down the ice cream.  Yes, timing was odd, but ... Salt & Straw is good ice cream!  The flavor was Salt & Straw's most famous, sea salt with caramel ribbons, which I've had before, and loved.

It was served quite solid, so it took a while to become possible to eat it.  But once it softened, I dug right in.  It matched my memory of the flavor - nice quality base ice cream, and TONS of very gooey, very sweet, caramel.  I added my own fresh strawberries and sprinkles, and quite enjoyed.  And then I enjoyed an extra, which I volunteered to take off the flight attendants hands (so generous of me, right?).  She happily obliged, given how many extra there were.  ****.

Panda Express

Update Review, August 2024

In my initial days of unemployment this summer, I handled the situation by making some curious choices, like, eating Panda Express kid's meals for dinner many days.  I had only discovered Panda Express a year prior (yes, I know, I'm a late bloomer?), and had only visited twice ever, and found it fairly amazing.  Kid's meals are also relatively cheap, and a good portion size for me (I usually tossed it all on top of a base of other veggies / salad greens), so I thought I was being frugal and responsible, while drowning my sorrows in fast food.  Like I said, "curious choices".  Let's just say, I'm completely uninterested in eating any more fast food Chinese food for a while.  But I did enjoy working my way through the majority of the menu. 

Build Your Own Panda Cub Meal.
$9 (+$1 premium entree, +$2.20 premium drink)
1/2 fried rice / 1/2 super greens w/ Honey Walnut Shrimp

This Panda Express location didn't have the cute boxes for Panda Cub Meals.  I think the result is that I got larger portions?  It certainly seemed like a dramatic amount of fried rice in particular (this was just a 1/2 portion of fried rice), and my entree had as many shrimp as the bowl normally does (9).  For some reason, my order didn't include the apple slices, but I didn't care, as I didn't want them anyway.  I think perhaps they screwed up and gave me NOT a kids meal?  Two days later when I visited, they did have the Cub Meal boxes.

For $12.20 total due to the premium items I selected, this was a great deal, very filling, and well rounded.

Build Your Own Panda Cub Meal.
$9 (+$1 premium entree, +$2.20 premium drink).
1/2 chow mein / 1/2 super greens w/ Black Pepper Angus Steak.

Another day, another Cub Meal. This one with the proper cub meal container, half chow mein and half veggies as the base. Portions seemed more Cub Meal appropriate than the previous day with the big container at the other location.  This time I did receive my apple slices.

Build Your Own Panda Cub Meal.
$9 (+$1 premium entree, +$1 premium drink)
Super Greens w/ Beyond Orange Chicken.

Another day, another Cub Meal.  Proper cub meal container again, but at the same location as the one that gave me the big container 2 days prior, so I think they really did mess up and not give me a cub meal then.  Portions were as expected for cub meal.  The apple slices weren't included by default, but the person handing over my order asked if I did indeed want them.  I suspect adults ordering Cub Mmeals isn't all that uncommon, and most adults don't want those?

Build Your Own Panda Cub Meal.
$9 + $1 premium drink.
Super Greens w/ Kung Pao Chicken.

I've determined that they really did give me the wrong size meal on my first visit, as every subsequent one has been an appropriate sized Cub Meal.  Apple chips were missing again this visit, as were all the sauces I ordered.

Orange Chicken Panda Cub Meal.

Another normal size, another missing apple slices.  Consistency in packing up orders really doesn't seem to be their forte.

Sides

During my first Panda Express experience last year, I tried both the chow mein and super greens, and kinda fell in love with super greens (and didn't care for the chow mein).  This year, I gave it another try, and also tried the fried rice, but, for me, the super greens reign supreme.  I didn't try the plain white rice.

Fried Rice (1/2 portion)

"Prepared steamed white rice with soy sauce, eggs, peas, carrots and green onions."

So, I'm not a rice girl, and I know people say the fried rice is kinda blah, but, I wanted to try it for completeness sake, and I thought it would pair well with the honey walnut shrimp.  I did do 1/2 rice and 1/2 veg, but was still blown away by the hefty portion of rice, even in a kid's meal.  This was only about 1/3 of it.

It was indeed very lackluster fried rice.  Shockingly lackluster really.  It was dry, and had no real flavor at all.  The grains were lightly colored, and I guess it must have had some soy sauce in it, but, it sure didn't taste that way.  At least none was clumped together, but in some way that would have been a better sign that it was actually ... fried?  This just seemed like steamed rice.  Blah to boring dry flavorless rice.

The mix-ins didn't improve things.  The veggies in Panda Express's other dishes have always impressed me by their seeming freshness, vibrancy, and non-mushy nature, but the carrots and peas in here were elementary school cafeteria / frozen or canned veg quality.  Tiny cubes of mushy carrot.  Mushy peas.  Meh.  The egg bits were flavorless as well.

Yes, covering this in copious amounts of sauce helped, but, wow, just such a boring dish.  I wouldn't get again.  *+.

Chow Mein (1/2 portion).

"Stir-fried wheat noodles with onions, celery and cabbage."

I had this once last year, and found it not great, too greasy, but I wanted to give it another try.  This time was no different, just a bit too greasy for my taste and not particularly flavorful. The noodles did have a decent chew to them though.  **.

Super Greens (1/2)

"A healthful medley of broccoli, kale, and cabbage. "

The super greens were just as good as I remembered.  I don't really understand how a fast food place can do vegetables so well.  The veggies were vibrant, not mushy, and lightly sauced.  My mix was pretty evenly distributed with brocoli/kale/cabbage.  Pairs well with basically anything, and genuinely delicious just to eat on its own too.  ****.

Entrees

I visited 7 times, and got different items every time.  Three were repeats from my first visits to Panda Express, the other 4 were new to me.

Honey Walnut Shrimp (Premium, +$1).

"Large tempura-battered shrimp, wok-tossed in a honey sauce and topped with glazed walnuts. "

I was very excited to try the honey walnut shrimp.  I'm primarily a pescatarian, and so I always gravitate towards seafood, and I haven't had honey walnut shrimp from anywhere in many years.  I couldn't wait, even though I had read plenty of lackluster reviews.  I was even more thrilled when a fresh batch was brought out as I stepped up to order.

It was a home run for me.  Just as good as the orange chicken, probably even better, as I prefer shrimp over chicken.  

The shrimp inside were fairly large, juicy, succulent, good snap to them, not fishy.  The batter was thick but well seasoned, flavorful, and remarkably crisp.  I'm sure that a few minutes of sitting in the serving area would decrease its quality quickly, but, when fresh, it was fantastic.  It was coated in a sweet, clearly honey based sauce.  Yes, it was sweet, but, I knew it would be.  This isn't everyday food.  I wouldn't want this and orange chicken (or any of the other sweet dishes) side by side, as that would be too much.  But, in this portion, with the veggies in particular, it was great.  I don't think they use mayo like most honey walnut shrimp?

The only real gripe I have about the dish is that mine had exactly 1 walnut.  1!  Only 1!  It was great, a candied walnut, but I definitely wanted more than one.  Speaking of portion in general though, my research tells me that the bowls get 7 pieces, and kids meals should get 4-5 (depending on the source).  I had 7, even in the kid's meal.  Score!

I'd get this again in a heartbeat, probably over the orange chicken, when I was up for a breaded and sweet dish.  ****.  I'm docking them slightly for the sole walnut.  Definitely worth the $1 upcharge for kid's meal ($1.50 for adult).

Black Pepper Angus Steak (Premium, $1).

"Angus steak wok-seared with baby broccoli, onions, red bell peppers and mushrooms in a savory black pepper sauce."

Next, I splurged for the other premium offering, the black pepper angus steak.  I had to wait 3 minutes for a fresh batch to be brought out, which I definitely didn't mind.  The fresher the better!

This was the first Panda Express entree that I just didn't like.  It did have a good mix of veggies - mine had a single mushroom (that was a bit slimy and soft), a few pieces of crisp sharp onion, one snappy piece of baby broccoli (which was interesting to see, since all the other dishes use standard American broccoli, I guess this makes it feel even more premium?), and a slew of red bell peppers (they definitely dominated).  And the beef itself seemed decent quality, good size pieces, no fatty bits, just, decent.  

So why didn't I like it?  Simple.  The sauce.  I really did not like the sauce.  It was smothered in it.  A thick sauce, and just ... not a flavor I liked at all.  Gloopy, savory but not enjoyable.  Not sweet like other Panda sauces, no spice to it, just ... I am not sure what it was about it, I just genuinely did not care for the sauce.

Execution wise and ingredient quality wise this was fine, but, the sauce just ruined it for me. *.

Beyond Orange Chicken. (Premium, +$1).

"Just as craveable as The Original Orange Chicken you know and love, but now made with Beyond Meat's plant-based protein."

I was actually excited to try the Beyond orange chicken, not because I'm vegetarian, but because I adore the orange chicken, despite it being chicken, which I generally loathe.  Also, I knew people raved about it.  It was originally on the menu just as a short time special, but after it went away the masses revolted, had a petition, yadda yadda, and now it is back (at select locations) as a regular menu item.  So I knew it had a fan following, but I'll admit I didn't actually research it much.

It definitely is not as attractive of a dish as the real orange chicken, as the pieces look more like nuggets, all the same size. My portion was 10 nuggets.

The sauce I believe is exactly the same as the original orange chicken, and is just as awesome.  Sweet, a bit spicy, addicting.  Love love love this sauce.  ****+ sauce.

The nuggets themselves were well battered and fried, super crispy.  Probably more crispy even than the regular chicken or the shrimp.  But ... that is where my accolades end.

Beyond Orange Chicken: Inside.

I was really surprised by the actual inside texture and taste.  I didn't care for it, too much like tofu for my tastes (even though I know it isn't tofu).  I think I expected it to be more like Impossible nuggets (which, if you haven't had them, are uncanny is just how much they taste and seem exactly like McDonald's Chicken McNuggets!), or more like Quorn breaded chicken products.  Granted, I had not researched what the Beyond chicken actually was like, not here at Panda, nor anywhere else, I just assumed if people raved so much about it, that it must be better than this.

So ... great sauce.  Great exterior.  Meh to actual Beyond chicken.  I wouldn't get this again, but was glad to try it.  **+.

Broccoli Beef.

"A classic favorite. Tender beef and fresh broccoli in a ginger soy sauce."

I had this once before, and was happy to have it again.  I was again impressed by how tender the pieces of beef were (although I had one that was a bit chewy), and again loved how huge they keep the broccoli hunks in this.  It was very sauce-heavy, but I think that is what makes the dish.  The broccoli just absolutely soaks it all up, and it's really quite flavorful.  Simple broccoli beef, yes, but, they do it well.  ***+.

I was a bit sick of Panda Express side dishes at this point (I was on day 4 of Panda Express in just 5 days), so I actually just saved the veggie sides, and brought my own big hunks of romaine to make lettuce wraps.  I drizzled them with the Panda Express hot mustard, and really loved that combo (the mustard and beef were a great pairing).  The lettuce wraps helped cut down a bit of the greasiness too.  **** my way, and I loved my creation.

"Chef's Special"

One Panda Express location I was regularly visiting always had a "Chef's Special".  When you ask the staff what is in it, they kinda shrug, but it always looks loaded with chile peppers, so I finally gave it a try, hoping this would be the dish that really brought the heat at Panda (I enjoyed the kung pao chicken before, but lamented the real heat).

This was actually pretty good.  A mix of chicken bits, lots of red and yellow bell peppers, onion, string beans, and of course, the chiles.  Basically, the string bean chicken meets the kung pao chicken (-peanuts, -zucchini).  I think it was chicken thigh, but not positive.  

The bits of chicken were tender, and just tasted like nuggets of sauce, so I didn't mind them.  The string beans were sadly over cooked, a bit shriveled.  The onion was a bit harsh and a bit raw I think.  I avoided the bell peppers (two colors) as I don't care for them.  The sauce was savory and spicy.  And yes, tons of full chile peppers to really amp it up.

I appreciated the spirit behind this dish, but it did suffer from the uneven cooking job of the veggies (which normally are done pretty well at Panda Express!).  I still enjoyed the flavor, and the chicken even, but wished the green beans were more snappy (and they do always look better in the string bean chicken dish) and wished the onion was a bit more cooked.  Fun to try something off menu too. ***.

Kung Pao Chicken.

"A Sichuan-inspired dish with chicken, peanuts and vegetables, finished with chili peppers."

I had this once before, and was pleasantly surprised by it then, although I found it lacking in the heat.  Today's batch was an even bigger letdown.  It had zero heat to it, no chiles, and barely any peanuts.  I had to dig around looking for them, and my entire order had only 2.  2!  The crunch from the peanuts is a key element to kung pao (well, along with the spice).  The chicken too was a bit lacking, all just small bits of dark thigh meat that I wasn't as into as other times.  Lots of big hunks of red bell pepper, a few slightly mushy pieces of zucchini, and a few bits of green onion rounded it out.  Coated in sauce, that was sorta sweet-savory, but definitely not spicy.

For a generic chicken and vegetable stir fry it was fine, but, it wasn't really what I was looking for from kung pao.  **+.

Orange Chicken.

"Our signature dish. Crispy chicken wok-tossed in a sweet and spicy orange sauce."

Well, I went to the location I know isn't as good, but I still thought the orange chicken would be great.  Alas, it was not.  It was not crispy, it was soggy.  The sauce was overly sweet.  The chicken even seemed less good, more chewy, more gristle.  Still ok overall, but not nearly the magic it should be.  Low low ***.

Update Review, October 2023

In fall of 2023, Panda Express made a major menu change.  They added a dessert item.  Yes, 40 years of being in business, and they finally added a dessert, besides the fortune cookie you always get with a meal.  Let me cut the chase: what they came up with is just as magical as their orange chicken.  Run, don't walk, and get one.  Stat!

Apple Pie Roll. $2.

"A sweet and fun American Chinese creation featuring a combination of juicy apples, fall spices, and cinnamon sugar like a classic American apple pie and wrapped in a crispy and flaky wonton wrapper, like a quintessential Chinese egg roll."

OMG.  Well, Panda Express, you have done it again.  It may have taken many years to have a dessert item, but, the wait was worth it.  This was shockingly good.  It is the love child of an apple pie, and a egg roll, and a churro, and just as amazing as it sounds.

I expected to need to bring it home to properly crisp it up in my toaster oven, I expected to want to add ice cream or whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel, but of course I tried a bite fresh, and ... wow.  It needed nothing.  Perfect as it was.

Super crispy fried shell, really well spiced and not too mushy apple pie filling, covered in all the cinnamon and sugar you could possibly want.  It had just the right amount of fried goodness, was so crispy, and the insides were gooey and satisfying, and didn't taste "cheap", not like apple pie filling from a can.  And the cinnamon sugar coating just takes it over the top.  Yes, it likely is improved by dunking into whipped cream, but, really, this is a beauty, and I'd get another in a heartbeat.

****+.  Perhaps the best fast food dessert I've ever had?

Only $2, or 6 for $11.40.

Original Review, November 2021

This is a story of my discovery of Panda Express.  No, I am not telling a story from my days of youth, but rather ... of last week.  Yes, I somehow made it this far into adulthood, without ever visiting a Panda Express location.

"Chinese Inspired. American Made. From our world famous Orange Chicken to our health-minded Wok Smart™ selections, Panda Express defines American Chinese cuisine with bold flavors and fresh ingredients. Freshly prepared. Every day."

In case you've never been to a mall, student center, amusement part, airport, or the like, or are otherwise thus unfamiliar, let me start with the basics.  Panda Express is mass produced, buffet style, americanized fast food chinese, found in food courts across the country.  Panda Express has been around since 1973, started in Pasadena.  It wasn't a hit right away, but now does have 2000+ locations, including some seemingly random international spots like Guatemala.

I've walked by Panda Express locations many times, even recall stories of friends absolutely raving about the signature dish (orange chicken), but, I never had any interest in visiting one.  I know not why, as I do like generic americanized Chinese food from time to time ...

Spoiler: I've been missing out.  Seriously, seriously missing out.  Many things are not worth the hype, but, Panda Express orange chicken really is.  I was shocked that on all my visits I found items to be far higher quality than I expected, but even more surprising, the execution of the dishes was all really well done.  The veggies were always cooked well, never mushy.  Proteins seem to be good quality, no chewy bits, no cartilage.  It seemed reasonably fresh, even though sitting in a buffet line.  That said, I can't imagine going all that frequently, because it was really, really heavy food.  It did not sit lightly ...

My First Panda Express:
Kids Meal & Egg Roll.  $10.10.

The first time I visited, I was cautious.  I really didn't expect to like it, and I know Chinese food can sit kinda heavy, so, I opted for a kid's meal, along with an appetizer. 

I was so in love with the experience, that I returned, literally, two days later.

My Second Panda Express:
Plate + Extra Entree: $11.10.

My next visit, I went all in.  No kid's meal for me.  Nope, not the regular adult Bowl either (with 1 entree and 1 side), I went all in, and got 3 entrees and 1 side, yes, all for me.  I wanted to try everything, and, really, who doesn't love Chinese food leftovers?

I can't wait to go back.

Setting

The location I visited was inside the Westfield Mall, with a small seating area adjacent dedicated to just their customers.  I opted for takeout each time though, going to eat in the larger communal seating area nearby.

Assembly line buffet.

Like all Panda Express locations (I think?), the setup is a buffet with all the items laid out, and a staff member creates your dish for you, they pass you down the line to finish it off.  

Sides: chow mein, super veggies, fried rice
Entrees: Crispy Almond Chicken, Beyond Orange chicken, Black Pepper Angus Steak, Honey Walnut Shrimp

You start by identifying which size you'd like, and your side dish.

I noted that Panda Express just so happens to lay out all the premium dishes first - the ones you stare at as you wait your turn, and as you start assembling your dish.  I do not think this is accidental.  All the dishes here, besides the crispy almond chicken, came with a $1.50 upcharge.

Several entrees:
Kung pao chicken, broccoli beef, orange chicken.

Next are the entrees, where you select 1-3, based on what type of meal you are getting.  Each one is well labelled, and seemed to be prepared in relatively small batches, so things stayed fairly fresh.  I appreciate being able to see them in advance.

Appetizers, entrees:
Tofu eggplant, teriyaki chicken, spring rolls, egg rolls, rangoon.

Finally you are asked innocently if you'd like a egg roll (yup, there is a charge, don't be fooled!), or you can add on another fried appetizer, and then you are passed off the cashier, who also handles beverages.

They never offer you sauce, but you can ask for soy sauce, hot mustard, and sweet and sour sauce (the later does come with appetizers).

Food

Meals at Panda Express are either Bowls (1 entree), Plates (2 entrees), or "Bigger Plates" (3 entrees), each of which also start with a "side", which is really more of a base.  The kid's meal is like a bowl, but, smaller portions.  You can also order dishes a la carte, I don't think people do that frequently.

Kid's Meal: Box. $7.30.

My first order was a kid's meal, and I kinda loved the box.  How cute was the panda?!

Plate: Super Greens, Broccoli Beef, Kung Pao Chicken. $11.10.

My second order I went all in, skipping past the regular adult size Bowl, and moving right on to the Plate, which comes with 2 adult portion entrees.  The "Plate" came in a generic large size white styrofoam box, much less fun than the kid's meal.  

Oh, and then I added a third entree on too (not pictured).  The extra entree I added came in Panda Express branded standard Chinese takeout mini container.

Appetizers

Panda Express offers 3 appetizers, all fried: spring rolls (veggie, sold as a pair), egg rolls (chicken, sold individually), and cream cheese rangoon (not crab rangoon, just cream cheese, sold as a trio).  All come with sweet & sour sauce on the side.

While the sides and entrees are relatively suited for steam tray buffet style serving, fried foods generally are not, so I didn't have great hope for these.  But still, I had to try, because, what is Chinese food without some fried wonton in some form?

Chicken Egg Roll. $2.

"Cabbage, carrots, green onions and chicken in a crispy wonton wrapper."

For my appetizer, I picked a rather unusual thing for me: the chicken egg roll.  Unusual as I don't like chicken, but, I do really like egg roll wrappers, and egg rolls were only available with chicken.  Plus, the spring rolls (thinner, not egg washed) had thin noodles in them which I don't care for, and the rangoons ... were just cream cheese?  I guess even imitation crab is too fancy for Panda Express?

So, the egg roll.  First, it was ... not really warm.  On the cool side.  Which was not a good thing.  Fried food should be hot and fresh!  And ... it seemed to have the thin noodles in it, the same noodles I was avoiding by not selecting the spring roll.  Sigh.  Since it was not hot enough, wasn't really something it seemed like I would like, and I had plenty of other food, I took a bite of it when I first got it, and decided to take it home.  I hoped my air fryer could save it.

I heated it up that evening, and it did indeed get both hot and crispy.  So those elements were fixed.  But it was still fairly mediocre - the wrapper didn't particularly have a great flavor, and the filling was quite heavy in the chicken department.  It tasted far more chicken forward than I liked.  I salvaged it by adding copious (and I mean copious) amounts of duck sauce I had at home, but, I felt pretty gross after eating it, and kinda wished I had just tossed it.  I would not get another.

**.

Sides

Most meals at Panda Express are formed from a "side" and 1-3 "entrees", where sides are steamed white or brown rice, veggie fried rice, veggie chow mein, or "Super Greens" (a mix of broccoli, cabbage, and kale).  You can also opt for 1/2 and 1/2 of any of these.  The side portion is extremely generous.

Since I don't really care for rice, my choice the first time I visited was pretty easy for my side: I'd do a half and half with the other two options, chow mein and super greens.  My second visit, I dropped the chow mein as I was not a fan, and just went with the Super Greens.  I'd consider trying the veggie fried rice sometime ...

Chow Mein

"Stir-fried wheat noodles with onions, celery and cabbage." 

Ok, I don't really like chow mein very much either, but, it seems like an essential part of a Chinese meal, and is the sort of thing I have certainly loved as cold leftovers before.  Plus, this was literally piping hot, the fresh wok full was placed on the line as I stepped up to order.

And ... yeah.  It was chow mein.  Hot and fresh, yes, but kinda soft.  I like it with a bit more chew to the noodles.  It was very, very greasy, and didn't have any particular flavor to it.  The bits of cabbage, onion, and celery were fine.  I ended up adding soy sauce and duck sauce, and ate some of it, but, meh.  I would like it more chewy and flavorful.  And far less greasy, although I know that is kinda the point.

**.

Super Greens.

"A healthful medley of broccoli, kale, and cabbage."

My other pick on my first visit was the Super Greens, because I actually wanted some vegetables.  

I was fairly pleased with this pick - a few large hunks of broccoli that was still crisp and not mushy, a bit of cabbage, and like one half a bite of kale.  Certainly not much kale, but this was fine.  The veggies seemed to have been stir fried, not steamed, and had salt added ... they were saltier than I expected, which was fine, but, beware if you are expecting simple steamed veggies.

Nothing exciting nor earth shattering about the veggies, but it was nice to have something to balance the greasy noodles and the very sweet and decadent orange chicken.  I'll certainly pick this again in the future.

***.

Update: My second visit, I went for just veggies as my side.  The larger portion was good so that I got more kale, and considerably more cabbage as well.  I was again fairly impressed that the veggies weren't too soft, but was again struck by the fact that they definitely were not just steamed, healthy greens.  There was a lot of salt, but also, some kind of very light sauce?  I can't say I loved the veggies, but, they were a better choice for my tastes than rice or chow mein.

Entrees

For entrees, Panda Express is very chicken heavy, with a few beef options, a single seafood option, and now two vegetarian options (tofu, Beyond Chicken).  I find it interesting that they don't have any pork on the menu anywhere - isn't pork fried rice a quintessential Chinese staple?  Panda's version is veggie fried rice only.

My particular Panda Express had 6 of the 9 chicken options available, including of course the signature Orange Chicken and its new fried Crispy Almond Chicken friend (they look much alike!), plus some healthier chicken breast options like string bean chicken breast, mushroom chicken, and grilled teriyaki chicken.  Kung Pao rounds out the chicken lineup.  If chicken isn't your thing, beef is an option, with two choices, the healthier classic broccoli beef or the fried spicy Beijing beef.  You can also splurge for an upgrade to the Black Pepper Angus Steak, for $1.25 more.  Pescatarians have only one option: crispy fried honey walnut shrimp, also a premium upgrade.  Vegetarians at most locations just can opt for Eggplant Tofu, but some select locations, mine included, offer a premium Beyond Chicken version of the orange chicken.

Kid's Meal:
Chow Mein & Super Greens (1/2 & 1/2) with Orange Chicken.

The Original Orange Chicken

"Our signature dish. Crispy chicken wok-tossed in a sweet and spicy orange sauce."

I couldn't visit Panda Express, and not try the signature dish.  Right?  Even though I truly hate chicken ... I had no choice, right?

So, orange chicken it was.  And, spoiler, I did NOT regret this decision.

ZOMG.  It took one bite, scratch that, *half* a bite, for me to totally and completely understand the hype.  This stuff is good.  Really, really, really good.  ZOMG.

I'm sure it helped that I had a fresh batch, but, it was perfectly crispy on the outside, smothered in delicious sweet sauce, and just downright addicting.  I could care less that chicken was what was hidden under all the tempura batter and sauce.  I can safely say it did not taste like chicken.  The chicken seemed to be a mix of white and dark meat.  Did the sauce taste like orange?  Not exactly, but it was sweet, but not in a cloying way.  It had a slight, slight level of spice, I'd certainly love more, but I get that this is for the masses.  And I tell you, this member of the masses was quite pleased.

The dish has nothing else to it.  No vegetables.  No garnishes.  Just, crispy chicken smothered in sauce.  And really, it doesn't need anything else.  I appreciated my Super Greens to balance out the sweet and fried, and I do think rice would be appropriate alongside.  I also think it is the stuff leftover dreams are made of, even though it would lose the crispness.

I don't want to be dramatic, but I think this was fairly life changing.  Hands down the most I've enjoyed chicken as far as I know.  Literally, no memory of enjoying chicken more.

****+.

Crispy Almond Chicken Breast.

"Our new, delicious Crispy Almond Chicken Breast features juicy, all-white meat chicken raised without antibiotics, with our crunchy, signature puffed-rice breading that is wok-tossed with toasted almonds & freshly chopped green onions in a savory soy garlic sauce."

My second trip to Panda Express, I decided to venture out, and try something else, even though, I must admit, the Orange Chicken was pretty hard to pass up.  For my first entree, I opted for the dish that looked a  lotlike the Orange Chicken, the newly added Crispy Orange Chicken Breast.

Of course, I knew this wouldn't be the same, as the sauce was described very different (just soy garlic sauce, not sweet and spicy), and the chicken promised to be higher end all-white meat breast, and even the coating was different (with puffed-rice?!), but it still looked pretty similar at first glance, and I hoped it would deliver in the same way in the crunchy department.

It turns out, it really was nothing like the Orange Chicken.  That doesn't mean it was bad, just, actually totally different. 

First, the pieces were significantly bigger, more like just slightly small chicken fingers.  While the orange chicken pieces were about 2 bites each, these were more like 3.  The ratio of chicken to breading was quite different as a result, these clearly fell more deeply into the chicken department, less into the "yay yummy coating and sauce!".  The "chicken finger"-esque aspect was further amplified by the fact that they were large pieces of actual chicken breast, they ate like ... well, chicken.  It did seem to be fairly high quality all white meat breast, no chewy or odd bits around.

The coating also was totally different.  It was equally delightfully crisp, but this coating had the puffed-rice in addition to the batter itself, which made the coating thicker overall, and just, different.  I'm not sure which I preferred.

And finally, the sauce.  This was just a sticky soy sauce, not a sweet and spicy orange sauce.  It was quite savory, coated the chicken well, and tasted fine, but it didn't have that "ZOMG GIVE ME MORE STAT!" quality the orange chicken sauce has.  The toasted almonds I barely noticed, as the crispy coating really added more crunch than they did.  And that was really it, like the orange chicken, no veggies to be seen.

Overall, I'm glad I tried it.  If you like white meat chicken, or want something a bit more wholesome (but still clearly quite fried), or just want to change it up, this was a good dish.  But ... if I'm getting crispy fried chicken at Panda Express, no question, I'm getting the orange chicken.

***+.

Kung Pao Chicken.

"A Sichuan-inspired dish with chicken, peanuts and vegetables, finished with chili peppers."

My second entree pick on my second visit was the Kung Pao Chicken, a very odd pick for me on the surface since 1) it is chicken, and this time, not hiding in breading and 2) I don't really seek out bell peppers nor zucchini, and those are the primary vegetables in it, but, I really wanted something spicy, and I was craving the peanuts.  Plus, it really always did look great, and quite fresh.  I figured it was worth the gamble, given that I was getting 3 full size entrees after all, if one was a flop, nbd, I had plenty of other food to eat.

I was beyond surprised when I quite liked it, although it really was not spicy at all.  For a dish that is marked spicy, and did indeed have big visible red chili peppers in it, I expected at least ... some heat.  This truly had none.  Besides the utter lack of heat though, it was good.

I think what I appreciated the most was how fun it actually was to eat with chopsticks.  The eating experience was just great - the small, hard peanuts, the bite sized zucchini and red pepper pieces, and then totally different sized bits of chicken, some a very big bite, but many just little morsels.  It was so easy to pick through with chopsticks for the next great bite.

The veggies were certainly not ones I'd normally seek out, I'm just not into zucchini or bell peppers, but I was pleased with how they both remained quite crisp, not mushy.  The zucchini in particular added a juicy element.  I only had 2 chunks of red bell pepper, but I didn't mind.

And finally, the chicken, which I truly, truly expected to just pick around, and eat the nuts and veggies with my other food instead ... was, uh, fine?  It was mostly thigh meat I think, but was absolutely free from all gristle, was not chewy, was really, just, fine.  Even without breading to hide in ... I didn't mind it.

It was all coated in a sauce, seemingly soy based, but it did have something else too it that I couldn't quite pinpoint, not sweet though.  And, not spicy, alas.

Overall, I actually enjoyed it, and took the leftovers home to make a kung pao mashed potato bowl ... which I know sounds odd, but, I had leftover mashed potatoes, and used them as my carb base instead of rice, and topped it with the kung pao chicken leftovers, mixed with stir fried fresh celery, baby corn, broccoli, onion, and mushrooms.  Oh, and chilis, because, it really needed the heat.

****.  I don't know if I'd order it again necessarily, as I'd still like to try more things, but, I wouldn't be opposed to it, which I certainly did not expect.

Broccoli Beef.

"A classic favorite. Tender beef and fresh broccoli in a ginger soy sauce."

My final (third) pick of entree on my second visit was the Broccoli Beef.  I selected it because I wanted something other than chicken, didn't want to splurge on a Premium (e.g. the angus beef or shrimp), and didn't want another fried option (the tempting Beijing beef), so, Broccoli Beef it was.

It was a pretty classic broccoli and beef dish, like you can get from any Chinese restaurant - thin strips of beef, lots of big juicy broccoli, savory salty sauce.

The beef, much like the chicken, surprised me in that it seemed quite reasonable quality - it was tender as described, and not a chewy bit to be found.   I really loved how much broccoli was included in the dish, and the fact that they left the broccoli in huge chunks.  I was also pleased at how crisp the stalks still were.  The broccoli soaked up the sauce quite well.

Overall, nothing earth shattering here, but well executed, and definitely above my expectations for a buffet.  A good choice to have something other than chicken, and it did make me want to splurge for the black pepper angus next time ...

***+.

Dessert

Every meal at Panda Express is served with a fortune cookie.  No other desserts are offered.  You can buy additional fortune cookies for a whopping $1.50, which seems totally crazy to me.

Kids Meal: Apple Crisps and Fortune Cookie.

I said no other desserts are offered, but kid's meals actually come with a bag of apple crisps.  Maybe those count as a dessert?

The fortune cookie was a pretty standard fortune cookie, which I enjoyed - it was crisp, fresh, and had a Panda Express branded message inside.