Review: Panda Express

I know it's not technically a QftB post, but the girlfriend demands a written review of my lunch today. So what the girlfriend demands, the girlfriend gets.

Today I experienced Panda Express for the first time. I must say, I'm quite impressed!

Panda Express handles things a little differently than most other Chinese places. Firstly, they don't cook the food on the spot; they have it waiting there for you in pans like you would see at a china buffet. Secondly, you don't just choose one entree. You can get two or even three entrees on your plate as part of their "standard" meal. Thirdly, you get your choice between white rice, fried rice, or lo mein noodles (yay!).

Finally, they have an event running currently where Beijing Beef and Orange Chicken are squaring off to win over the hearts and minds of the consumer for the next big thing at Panda Express. So I decided, hey, I get two entrees anyways. Let's get ready to rummmmmmble!

Restaurant: Panda Express
Location: 5th ave, between Gerrard and Hess.
Call: (614) 486-6630


Orange Chicken: Although I did not taste anything that could be described as "Orange", it is still quite a tasty dish. Think of the fried "sweet-and-sour" type chicken, in duck sauce. Crispy chicken, good amount of meat (as opposed to breading), very tasty.

Beijing Beef: A spicy counterpart to the Orange Chicken; it seems to be fried as well, before being covered in a delicious dark sweet/spicy sauce. The batch I got was perhaps a bit overcooked (it was a little chewy) but left my nose watering and my mouth wanting more.

Veggies: Orange chicken has no veggies in it. Beijing Beef contains green, red, and orange peppers, in addition to onions. The Lo Mein contains celery, cabbage strips, and sprouts. A well rounded mix!

Sauce: Not a lot of extra sauce for either entree, but the sauce that is on the meat sticks well, so it wasn't really an issue.

Rice: Lo mein! And fantastic lo mein at that. It tastes like it has been grilled, got a little "charred" taste to it. Pure win!

Spiciness: The Orange Chicken is not at all spicy. In fact it's mostly just sweet. The Beijing Beef brings my nose to water, and I'd say it's about a 6 on a 1 to 10 scale. Not burning my face off, but enough so I know it's there.

Amount of Food: I'm more than satisfied with the amount of food given. Add to it the fact that every bite was delicious and I couldn't be happier.

Price: $5.75

Overall: 8/10 - Not much to complain about, and I was very happy with my first visit to Panda Express. The beef was a little overcooked, but flavor wise everything was great.

Cookie: Light colored, but not light on taste. Surprisingly sweet and flavorful.
Fortune: People enjoy having you around