I agree, don't have it where I live now and I do miss it.
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Panda Express launches General Tso's Chicken
- Thread starter Ryuukan
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I agree, don't have it where I live now and I do miss it.
RoninChaos
Member
Most any chinese food place lets you call the order in ahead of time and just pick it up when you get there. You still have to physically get to Panda Express so might as well just skip that and go to an actual Chinese food place.
A Panda Express opened up here a few months ago. It's not bad. Not as good as local Chinese places, but I go there every so often when I wanna pick something up without the wait. Plate with chow mein, orange chicken, and teriyaki chicken is my go-to. I'm actually eating some right now. Noticed the General Tso signs but I didn't wanna risk it. The stuff I don't like there, I really don't like.
BreezyLimbo
Banned
Im right with you. Double Orange chicken for my plate all day every day
Concrete Charlie
Member
Yummy!
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Their entire purpose, for me, is to pay $9 for a 1500 calorie meal before a 10 hour flight since I'm not going to eat much of the awful in flight food
BossLackey
Gold Member
I don't give a fuck what people think about Panda Express. Their orange chicken is the shit and this addition is sadly blowing my mind. General's chicken is my go to at any other Chinese place. Time to get fatter.
Yeezus H. Christ
Banned
Panda Express is the drizzling shits if you've actually tasted authentic Chinese food. It's literally the fast food corner of Chinese cuisine.
FrontalMonk
Banned
PE is relatively solid. It's not ever going to be your #1 choice, but it always works in a pinch. Their teriyaki chicken is pretty good, too.
BattleMonkey
Member
Which is often not that easy, if a place it out of the way, you area at work/school, etc. The point of fast food is if you are near it and need instant food, it's there.
Its no different from eating anything you can order and pick up quick at better places either. Fast food is all about location convenience for folks, and lot of Panda Expresses do drive thrus too which is a bonus for many people on the go
I mean...Yeah.
Duane Cunningham
Member
They're worse than a nice Chinese place like PF Chang's or Bo Ling's, but better than most local strip mall heinously shitty Chinese buffet places. Panda Express uses breast meat for their chicken, and their crappy frozen vegetables tend to be somewhat crisp. As opposed to the scary "small buffet" places that are prolific in American suburbs, where food stays in the line for days at a time until it's slimy and General Tso's chicken is almost always gizzards, and the pork is offal meat.
Note that everything I just said is talking about American style Chinese: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Chinese_cuisine
...authentic Chinese is a completely different cuisine.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
I mean, the actual fast food of chinese cuisine is KFC and that one place with all the soups also from Yum! brands
On their website they link to a trailer for it, looks like they may have added it to the menu explicitly because of the documentary.
btw this was an entertaining doc on netflix.
China like
Panda Express always reminds me of Cameron Maybin.
PassiveObserver
Member
American Chinese food is great comfort food, but there are some real shitty steam table places. Panda Express is at least alright because there's a level of quality control.
Really wish this chain had more stand alone locations, most of the ones I can think of are in malls and such(including the closest one, which is like 5 minutes away). Really don't want to go to the mall just for Panda, but I kind of want to try this.
The only stand alone location I know of is in Chesapeake, a 20 minute drive away. Don't know that it's worth it.
The only stand alone location I know of is in Chesapeake, a 20 minute drive away. Don't know that it's worth it.
BossLackey
Gold Member
Hmmm, here in KC there are quite a few standalone locations. In fact, I've only seen 2 that weren't.
btw this was an entertaining doc on netflix.
yeah that was an incredible documentary. One part literally had me dying when they talked about how they adjusted food and basically assimilated to the white majorities tastes.
very mild and bland flavor
They're getting more common as the model shifts to outdoor big box/walkable developments away from malls/strip malls, and restaurants from fast food to fast casual.
Had PE for the first time last month. Its just okay, I have had better/cheaper Take out, and there is definitely much better Asia/Chinese/Chinese American cuisine at those prices.
However it is great for the convenience and the location was good, and to be honest the wife And I couldn't haul the kids in to the really awesome Peter Chang's around the corner. Chang's was also in the process of building out a dumpling shop too we regret missing out on.
Figures I move away from home and some really awesome Asian restaurants open up there.
However it is great for the convenience and the location was good, and to be honest the wife And I couldn't haul the kids in to the really awesome Peter Chang's around the corner. Chang's was also in the process of building out a dumpling shop too we regret missing out on.
Figures I move away from home and some really awesome Asian restaurants open up there.
HoodWinked
Member
i bet if you served someone who has a disdain for panda express and simply said that it was from a local chinese restaurant they'd magically say its decent or good.
1) Weird that Panda Express has never had General Tso.
2) Weird that two Panda Expresses have appeared near me in New York.
The latter is weird because hole in the wall Chinese places are half the price, double the food, same speed to prepare and has a chance of being better. One place I know sells a ton of the best kung pao I've ever had with white rice for $5 during lunch. I can't imagine them surviving in NYC.
2) Weird that two Panda Expresses have appeared near me in New York.
The latter is weird because hole in the wall Chinese places are half the price, double the food, same speed to prepare and has a chance of being better. One place I know sells a ton of the best kung pao I've ever had with white rice for $5 during lunch. I can't imagine them surviving in NYC.
SoulUnison
Banned
How is Panda Express just NOW getting General Tso's?
Tso's is one of the staples of slightly-crappy Americanized Chinese food, and that's Panda Express' exact market.
Tso's is one of the staples of slightly-crappy Americanized Chinese food, and that's Panda Express' exact market.
Yeezus H. Christ
Banned
lmao nah
There's a certain taste to Panda Express and others of its ilk. Usually way too salty.
Preach! I can get a three meat combination for less than a single plate at Panda Express and the food is just as good. The only thing Panda Express has going for it is their honey walnut shrimp, which is now a 1.25$ Premium. Plus the wait at my local PE is long as hell.
Glory Fades
Banned
What bothers me is that when I get broccoli beef, I get 3 pieces of beef with more broccoli than I know what to do with.
Or that they count the Walnut shrimp they give you.
Or that they count the Walnut shrimp they give you.
FreshCakes
Banned
I like it every once in a while, but can't have it too often, makes me sick to my stomach
NOLA_Gaffer
Banned
As far as Fast Food chinese goes, I've never been disappointed with Panda Express. Decently priced, food always seems hot and fresh, and it's always been tasty.
I love their orange chicken but it's so, so bad for you...might have to drop in and try this sometime.
I love their orange chicken but it's so, so bad for you...might have to drop in and try this sometime.
No, they're two different dishes. Kung Pao isn't deep fried, the sauce isn't typically sweet, and it has peanuts in it. At least in the US.
pelicansurf
Needs a Holiday on Gallifrey
This thread convinced me to get Panda Express for lunch. A new one opened up around the corner.
I damn this thread. I curse you OP.
Bad food is bad.
I damn this thread. I curse you OP.
Bad food is bad.
Mushroomer25
Member
Panda Express is great in the exact context where I am hungry, and there's nothing better around. It's affordable enough, fast, and usually pretty tasty.
I really wish they'd improve their fried rice, though. Maybe start carrying Pork Fried Rice as a premium side option.
Also for people whining about authenticity, this is the restaurant that added bacon to Orange Chicken just because they could.
I really wish they'd improve their fried rice, though. Maybe start carrying Pork Fried Rice as a premium side option.
Also for people whining about authenticity, this is the restaurant that added bacon to Orange Chicken just because they could.
neurosyphilis
Definitely not an STD, as I'm a pure.
I've never went to Panda Express, if I want Chinese I go to a real Chinese restaurant. I always figured Panda Express was the Taco Bell of Chinese food.
-d0hv
-d0hv
truth
Call ahead and it'll be ready by the time you get there, and some places have delivery too. My favorite place at work will always say "ready in 5 minutes" when we call no matter how big the office order is. And it's fresh. No idea how they do it.
Nathan_Drake
Member
Love Panda and Sweetfire Chicken is my fav but it is always a risk when you get anything that has fruit or veggies in it. I have often been like wow 2 pieces of chicken and heaps of pineapple and red pepper! That is why I get 2 entree plate with the second option of Orange Chicken (all meat).
Their Fortune Cookies are addicting but they recently went to some hashtag nonsense on the fortune.
Their Fortune Cookies are addicting but they recently went to some hashtag nonsense on the fortune.
As a child I only had authentic Chinese food, so discovering the Mandarin was an impressive and tasty moment. Never felt the hype about authentic Chinese over North American Chinese food (and I live in the GTA with a bazillion authentic places around so it isn't an issue that the places I ate at were bad)
ElRenoRaven
Member
Yes it does. Tried it once and it made us all sick.There is a cheap store brand that we buy which is damn good and blows Panda express out of the water. Wish I could remember it's name right now. Course neither beats the real deal at the Chinese buffet here in town.
Yep. Add a bit of heat and its 95% there.
Unspeakable Evil
Member
What kinda Chinese place doesn't have General Tso? Never eaten at Panda Express. Although I have eaten at a place called The Panda
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