Update Review, July/August 2026
Panda Express in San Francisco closed several months before I moved away, so I wasn't able to enjoy it for a while, until I moved to New York. These visits were to several locations in Manhattan this summer.
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| Honey Sesame Chicken. |
"Crispy strips of white-meat chicken with veggies in a mildly sweet sauce with honey."
I decided to mix it up, and get another form of battered sweet chicken, the honey sesame chicken. I had been on a sesame kick in general, so this was quite appealing. It uses a slightly different form of chicken that other Panda Express entrees (white meat chicken breast strips), along with green beans and yellow bell peppers. The sauce is a vinegar, honey, and sesame oil based sauce, rather than soy sauce based like many others. So really something a bit different even though it looks similar at first glance.
The pieces of chicken were quite varied in size. All were indeed white meat chicken, nicely battered, somewhat crispy outside, moist inside. The sauce clung well to them. At first it seemed like just better quality chicken orange chicken really, but the sauce was distinctly different, considerably less sweet, obviously not soy nor orange, and the sesame seeds added crunch and flavor. The honey was present but not as sweet or dominant as I expected. This dish felt really familiar to me, but I couldn't ever quite conjure up the full memory of where it was coming from.
The veggies were all crisp and I quite liked the string beans.
Overall, a nice choice if you still want fried battered chicken and want to deviate from the orange chicken and just want something less sweet. I'd get it again. 3.5/5.
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| Panda Cub Meal: Hot Orange Chicken 1/2 white steamed rice + 1/2 supergreens. $9. |
It's ba-ack! Yup, when Hot Orange Chicken came back this August, I immediately sought it out.
My batch was good but not quite as crispy as it usually is, perhaps a bit less fresh? But otherwise, well coated pieces of chicken, all various sizes, and I really liked having the tiny nibs that were basically just batter and sauce, along with the bigger pieces. I don't actually like chicken, but in this application, covered in batter and smothered in sauce, I truly don't notice the chicken, so it totally works. The sauce was sweet as candy, but had a bit of spice to it. I still found overall very, very sweet, but if you actually ate one of the chilies, they had legit heat. Bites without a chili tough honestly didn't seem any different from regular orange chicken. I enjoyed this, but wished it was crispier. Flavor-wise, it wins over the regular version. Low 4/5.
As always, I got a kid's (er, "Panda Cub") meal, with 1/2 veggies and rice. The veggies and rice were completely as expected, which is to say, quite good. I had a reasonable distribution of veggies, the sauce was mild but present, and the rice was fresh and not clumped (although I put it into my panini press to try it into a crispy rice anyway). These sides are simple but reliable, 3.5/5.
"Our signature dish. Crispy chicken wok-tossed in a sweet and spicy orange sauce."
"Classic tender beef slices and crisp broccoli florets wok-tossed in a traditional ginger soy sauce."
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| Panda Cub Meal: The Original Orange Chicken 1/2 white steamed rice + 1/2 supergreens. $9. |
The same time I got the hot orange chicken, I also got the OG. I wanted to compare them side-by-side for once, rather than just my memories of what they were each like. I got the same sides, they were, well the same, although I had kinda a wimpier serving of veggies in this box.
The OG Orange Chicken seemed to have more standard size bites of chicken, although maybe that was just random. Otherwise, the sauce was much the same, although it ate sweeter without the chilies. I enjoyed my candied batter and generic Chinese food taste. This was nicely crispy and seemed quite fresh. It was better executed than the hot version, but I preferred the taste of hot. 4/5.
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| Panda Cub Meal:Beef & Broccoli. 1/2 white steamed rice 1/2 supergreens. $9. |
This was a fairly wimpy portion of everything, but perhaps appropriate for a child. Even if the portion was perhaps correct, the supergreens was all kale and cabbage, no broccoli. The person serving this up really just didn't seem to care. Anyway.
The beef & broccoli was fine. The beef was tender, not chewy, not fatty. Broccoli soaked up the sauce well and was fairly crisp. The sauce seemed a bit gloopy.
Overall, one of least impressive showings from Panda Express, but still enjoyable. 3/5.
Update Review, November/December 2025
Another few Panda visits as I work my way through more of the menu ...
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| Panda Cub Meal: String Bean Chicken w/ Super Greens. $8.80 |
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| Panda Cub Meal: Eggplant Tofu w/ 1/2 Super Greens, 1/2 White Rice. $8.80. |
I think this was my first time having the rice. It was fine. White rice. No clumps. Fresh tasting. I don't really like white rice like this, but I threw it onto my panini press to crisp it up, and enjoyed it that way. 3/5 rice.
Another one, with entree portion loaded up decently. The distribution of rice and veggies in my half and half however was a mess, with rice just dumped on top and overflowing, and there weren't many veggies under the rice either.
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| Crispy Sesame Shrimp & Beef. $9. 1/2 super greens, 1/2 rice. (Premium +$1) |
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| String Bean Chicken Breast. |
"Chicken breast, string beans and onions wok-tossed in a mild ginger soy sauce."
"But Julie, you don't like chicken! And this isn't even breaded nor smothered in delicious sauce!", you might be saying. Indeed, these things are very much true. I don't like chicken, I barely ever eat it, only truly when it is battered/fried and smothered in tasty sauces, which, yes, Panda Express orange chicken counts. So why on earth would I order a chicken breast dish?
Because I was craving string beans. And I like onions. I figured I could pick around the chicken, and have a vegetarian meal, combining the string beans and onions with the other side dishes. Plus, I had never tried this dish before, and I generally applaud Panda Express for having actually crisp snappy veggies, and that is very much what I wanted.
I eagerly plucked out a string bean. It was good! Blistered, still crisp, generic Asian-ish sauce. Exactly what I was hoping for. I was also thrilled to see the large hunks of onion. They too were crisp and well prepared. The elements I cared about entirely delivered.
The chicken ... well, I tried it for research purposes, and it tasted like ... chicken. It seemed well prepared, moist, all white meat breast, but the light sauce didn't really mask the fact that it was chicken, so for me, meh.
4/5 on the beans/onions though.
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| Eggplant Tofu. |
"Lightly browned tofu, eggplant and red bell peppers tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce."
This is not a dish I'd ever normally order, and I think many people do not as most Panda Express locations don't carry it (it is regional, and limited, and I guess pain for them logistically since the eggplant used is fresh and quite perishable), but I read many rave reviews of it. I was not interested in the tofu at all, but what was interesting to me, besides the fact that I do like eggplant, is that they actually use the same orange chicken sauce ... just without adding the orange extract at the end. This also explains why what sounds like a healthy enough dish of veggies and tofu, turns twice the calories/etc as many other dishes on the menu, and is on par with the honey sesame chicken (orange chicken still trumps it of course).
My portion looked a bit skimpy; it had 3 batons of tofu, and 7 pieces of eggplant. I had mixed feelings on it.
The eggplant was surprisingly decent - not mushy, not spongy, just pretty good. I read this is why most locations don't carry it - eggplant is super perishable, and they get it fresh, so it is difficult for the restaurants to not waste. The tofu was tofu, firm tofu, whatever, not my thing. I tried it, and then ditched the rest. I didn't appreciate the red bell pepper slices, as I don't like bell peppers, but that is just me and preference.
Now, for the interesting part: the sauce! It was good, but very sweet, and without the orange it was a bit boring and slightly cloying. After a few bites, I wanted a reprieve. In particular, I wanted heat (so I added red pepper flakes).
Overall, it was definitely interesting, and if you like eggplant, it's worth a try, but I don't see myself getting it again unless I was really wanting eggplant and happened to be at Panda Express. 3/5, but lower end, really carried by the strength of how well prepared the eggplant was.
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| Crispy Sesame Shrimp + Beef. |
"Succulent shrimp, crispy beef, and veggies wok-tossed in a spicy sesame sauce."
This was a new limited time offering in the fall of 2025. It uses the same battered shrimp from the Honey Walnut Shrimp and the crispy beef from the Beijing Beef. Given that I've liked the honey walnut shrimp quite a bit, and always had the Beijing Beef as my "next to try" item, this seemed perfect. Plus, it was marked spicy!
The veggies turned out to be the usual suspects of red bell pepper and green beans (no onions). My order had two shrimp, and a decent amount of strips of beef.
It was good. I liked the blistered green beans, I easily avoided the bell peppers. There was a lot of the promised sesame - the beef and shrimp were both well coated. It had fair number of big red chiles, so had a bit of heat, but also still had the kinda signature Panda Express sweetness too that gets to be too much pretty fast. I haven't had the Beijing Beef before, but now I want to try it, as I really quite liked the crispy fried beef. I haven't had fried beef of that style in like 25 years, it brought back memories from my younger years. The shrimp was great, as expected as the honey walnut shrimp is my favorite dish there normally and it is exactly the same, just, with sesame seeds. Well battered, crispy, juicy succulent shrimp inside.
Due to the shrimp, this was a premium dish, so, +$1.xx depending on the meal size. This is a new limited time menu item, one that would be a fav for me if it stuck around. 4/5.
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| Kung Pao Chicken. |
"A Sichuan-inspired dish with chicken, peanuts and vegetables, finished with chili peppers."
Once before, I enjoyed this dish. Even though it seems like I mostly shouldn't as, 1) it is chicken, and I dislike chicken, 2) the chicken isn't even battered or breaded or masked in any way, 3) the veggies in it are bell peppers and zucchini, neither of which I care for. And yet I tried it once, and really liked it. It was spicy, I loved the plentiful peanuts, and even tolerated the rest of it.
But then I had it a subsequent time, and disliked it. I got it this time hoping it would be like my first encounter, but, alas, no, I did not like it. The zucchini was actually fairly soft, unlike most Panda Express veggies that I really appreciate for being al dente. It did have tons of red chiles in it, but somehow wasn't spicy at all. The sauce was kinda gloopy and just not enjoyable. The peanuts were fine, the chicken was chicken. 1.5/5.
Update Review, July 2025
Another year, another set of Panda Express visits, continuing to get the Panda Cub meals, that I then round out a bit with my own salad base or other veggies. The bigger meals tend to just be a bit too heavy for me.
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| Build Your Own Cub Meal: super greens, wok-fired shrimp +$1). $12.20. |
The super greens are fine as always, a good mix of broccoli, cabbage, kale, all nicely cooked and not too mushy, although I needed some additional seasoning sometimes. Consistently fine though, high 3/5.
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| Build Your Own Cub Meal: super greens, cheese rangoon. $11.20. |
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| Build Your Own Cub Meal: white steamed rice, hot orange chicken. $11.20. |
Entrees
This year I focused on getting a few of the limited offering choices, as I'd already explored all the standard menu.
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| Wok-Fired Shrimp (Premium, +$1). (limited). |
One day I wanted a light, healthy, easy dinner, as I had consumed a heavy big lunch, a massive pile of pastries from Petit Chou (review coming soon!), and had more pastries lined up for post-dinner. The new-ish wok-fired shrimp seemed like a good choice that would give me protein and veggies, and not be a gut bomb like say the signature orange chicken. Panda even agrees, as this is considered one of the "wok smart" (e.g. high protein and lower calorie) dishes. The other wok smart items, if you care, are things like the simple grilled teriyaki chicken, the string bean chicken breast, and broccoli beef.
Panda also designates this as spicy, which was laughable. There was zero spice to this dish. Zero. The orange chicken, sure it has a little, sorta. Some batches of the kung pao have a decent amount. But this had zero. Zero.
My kid's size portion was 5 shrimp, a couple pieces each of onion and colorful bell pepper, and 4-5 green beans. I believe this is the proper portion (although I got 7 last time in my honey walnut shrimp Cub Meal, which I think was more than it should have had).
The shrimp were cooked reasonably well, not too rubbery, still slightly bouncy. They were properly cleaned. Not too fishy. Small-medium size. Pretty average lower end shrimp basically. The green beans retained a bit of snap and were properly trimmed. I picked around the bell peppers. Basically, it was all fine, no real issues, but not exactly high quality fresh product. What did let me down however was the overall taste. The sauce really just lacked any flavor. Definitely not spicy, but also just not much to it, and woefully under seasoned. Luckily I had requested the full array of sauces, and had some furikake and salt and pepper with me, so I jazzed it up fine, but it was just very bland on its own. Eh. Low 3/5, maybe even just 2.5.
As a premium dish, like the other shrimp option on the menu, this is $1 additional charge.
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| Hot Orange Chicken. (limited) |
"Crispy chicken bites wok-tossed in our signature orange sauce with more HEAT."
The hot orange chicken was introduced as a limited time offering in 2024, and was brought back again in summer 2025. Given that I like actual spice, this sounded great to me.
They say this has six times more chilies than the original in the sauce, AND has the dried chiles from the kung pao chicken. Given that I haven't ever found the original remotely spicy, and the kung pao not really either, I had my doubts it would be actually spicy, but it seemed more fun to try.
It was also my first orange chicken in quite a while, and damn, I forgot just how good it can be. Yes, it was at least 50% crispy batter, and yes, the chicken was entirely lost and mostly just kinda questionable bits of dark meat, but, 1) I don't like chicken anyway, 2) it was still crazy crispy and addicting, and 3) this is just a vessel for the sauce, anyway. It is crack, really. The sauce was still very, very sweet, this was candied fried bits more than anything, but there were indeed large size pieces of dried chiles, and if you got one of them in a bite, it really truly did have some heat. It wasn't balanced though, when you didn't get one of those intense hits of heat, the base was still just candied and really dessert, not a savory dish in any way. Fantastic, yes, but, a little goes a long way in the too much sweet department, so the white rice actually was a very good pairing.
I liked it even more than the original. 4/5, and I'd gladly get it again if craving something heavy, fried, and sweet. And spicy of course.
Appetizers
I think most people don't really get appetizers from Panda Express, but they have several.
The quantities of the appetizers are just kinda odd. If you order them a la carte, chicken egg rolls come only as singles, veggie spring rolls as a duo, and the rangoons as a trio (if you get the small size, $2). For the large size, the egg rolls and spring rolls come as 6 or 12, respectively, for $11.40, a slight discount over the small size pricing, and the rangoons come only as a dozen for $8. Just kinda odd. Anyway. I've tried them all.
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| Veggie Spring Roll (2). $2. |
First up, the veggie spring rolls.
These were not awful, but they weren't great. Mostly, they were a contrast of strengths and weaknesses.
On the positive side, they were remarkably crispy. They did have seasoning, the ginger in particular was quite strong.
But on the negative side, the filling was just mush. Yes, it was cabbage/carrots/etc, all finely shredded, but it was so, so, so mushy. And kinda wet. And, besides the aforementioned ginger, not very flavorful.
With some dipping sauce (I used sweet and sour as a dip and copious amounts of soy poured into them) they were ok-ish, but wow, that mushy interior just was not very good. Kudos on the crispy shell though.
1.5/5, maybe 2 if I'm feeling generous.
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| Cream Cheese Rangoon (3). $.2 |
Next up, cream cheese rangoons. These were really not bad ... with some help.
To start, they weren't actually crispy, really quite soft. So, if eating them "fresh" at the restaurant, I would be sad, but I suspect this is just luck of timing, if you get a fresh batch or not. I clearly did not, even though it was prime lunchtime (12:15pm, Sunday). I had one there, at lunch, alongside my meal, and brought the other two home to air fry later, which greatly improved things. So, crispy factor was a fail on this visit, but easily saved, with a bit of effort on my part. The wonton wrappers were fairly standard, not too greasy tasting.
The filling is just cream cheese, these are *not* the more common crab (or, krab) rangoon you see at most Chinese restaurants. These are vegetarian cream cheese rangoons. I think this surprises some people, but I knew to expect it. They do have green onions in them too, so slightly savory, but mine really didn't have much. They were fairly generously stuffed, the filling was warm and soft, and, well, tasted like cream cheese. I definitely wanted sauce for them, they come with sweet and sour, but of course you can request any additional sauces they have if you want to make them spicer. I think you could easily pretend these are dessert and drizzle with a fruit sauce or sweet syrup and dunk in whipped cream, as they are pretty similar to a cheese danish or, well, cheesecake for that matter.
Overall, I think an uncommon choice for folks at Panda Express, but I liked them the most of all the appetizers, and would get again if in the mood. High 3/5.
"Cabbage, carrots, green onions and chicken in a crispy wonton wrapper."
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| Chicken Egg Roll. $2.10. |
The egg roll is the one appetizer that I had tried previously (and disliked) but I wanted to give it one more try for completeness. I ordered via the app as I walked up, and frankly, had I gone inside first and seen what the egg rolls looked like, I probably would have changed my mind ordering it. It really didn't look fresh nor appealing in any way.
It was packed up to order, so I did eat it as hot and fresh as it was going to be. It was ... yeah. About how it looked. Over fried. Kinda crispy, but kinda soft at the same time. Didn't taste like very good oil. Inside was a bit doughy.
The filling though was still definitely not for me. Lots of ground chicken, so much chicken flavor (and I hate chicken). Lots of vermicelli. Vague Asian seasoning and shredded cabbage mush. Big meh to the fillings.
I think the wrapper could be good if you got a good batch, but seems highly variable. 1/5.
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.
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| 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.
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| 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. |
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| Build Your Own Panda Cub Meal. $9 (+$1 premium entree, +$1 premium drink) Super Greens w/ Beyond Orange Chicken. |
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| 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.
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| 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.
"Prepared steamed white rice with soy sauce, eggs, peas, carrots and green onions."
"Just as craveable as The Original Orange Chicken you know and love, but now made with Beyond Meat's plant-based protein."
"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 ***.
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.
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| Fried Rice (1/2 portion) |
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. *+.
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| 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. **.
"A healthful medley of broccoli, kale, and cabbage. "
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| Super Greens (1/2) |
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.
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| 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).
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| 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. *.
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| Beyond Orange Chicken. (Premium, +$1). |
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.
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| 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. **+.
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| 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.
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| "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. ***.
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| 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. **+.
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| Orange Chicken. |
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!
"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."
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| Apple Pie Roll. $2. |
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 ...
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| My First Panda Express: Kids Meal & Egg Roll. $10.10. |
I was so in love with the experience, that I returned, literally, two days later.
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?
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| My Second Panda Express: Plate + Extra Entree: $11.10. |
I can't wait to go back.
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.
"Cabbage, carrots, green onions and chicken in a crispy wonton wrapper."
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?
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.
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| Assembly line buffet. |
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| 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.
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.
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.
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| Several entrees: Kung pao chicken, broccoli beef, orange chicken. |
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| Appetizers, entrees: Tofu eggplant, teriyaki chicken, spring rolls, egg rolls, rangoon. |
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).
My first order was a kid's meal, and I kinda loved the box. How cute was the panda?!
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.
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.
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| Kid's Meal: Box. $7.30. |
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| Plate: Super Greens, Broccoli Beef, Kung Pao Chicken. $11.10. |
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?
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| Chicken Egg Roll. $2. |
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.
**.
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| 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.
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| 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.
****+.
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| 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.
***+.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Kids Meal: Apple Crisps and Fortune Cookie. |
The fortune cookie was a pretty standard fortune cookie, which I enjoyed - it was crisp, fresh, and had a Panda Express branded message inside.
