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[johnsmith]

This place is Panda Express style chain Chinese food that I like way better. Only in the southwest though. I love their teriyaki chicken (yes I know that's Japanese).

http://thericegarden.com

This Chairman Mao parody makes me uncomfortable though

 

[King Tubby]

It's so weird to see people describe Panda Express as fast-food Chinese. That's what I thought my ghetto Chinese(-American) food was. 6 bucks for a styrofoam tray packed to the gills with fried rice and General Tso's.

 

[Ryuukan]

It's so weird to see people describe Panda Express as fast-food Chinese. That's what I thought my ghetto Chinese(-American) food was. 6 bucks for a styrofoam tray packed to the gills with fried rice and General Tso's.

thats pretty much what you can get there, for a dollar or so more

 

[smurfx]

Everyone who has mentioned their Orange Chicken knows...

Panda Express Orange Chicken is the truth.

i love the orange chicken too but no love for beijing beef? its really good too. think i'll go this weekend to panda and try the general tsos chicken.

 

[Aselith]

They didn't have General Tso's? Seems like a slamdunk.

 

[KingV]

Panda Express suck balls.

This times 1 million. It's like only acceptable at an airport where the only other option is McDonalds. It's terrible Chinese food and terrible in general.

And not just in a "high sodium bad for you terrible", it's just not good.

 

[Doug Heffernan]

Strange... I've never seen it served with noodles. Always with white rice. Is that a regional thing?

 

[Hip Hop]

Panda Express suck balls.

And overpriced.

I could do the same amount, for about half the price of it and at much better quality at other joints.

 

[Aselith]

Strange... I've never seen it served with noodles. Always with white rice. Is that a regional thing?

It usually defaults to rice but you can ask for noodles instead. Noodles tend to keep better than rice so that's probably why they do noodles for fast food.

 

[Feel the Swift]

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.

Facts only.

 

[Tubobutts]

Are you guys telling me the fast food version of a cusine isn't authentic? I feel like I've been lied to. Oh what will I do. I can't eat food if it's not authentic. Oh jeez. Woe is me. What a world.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

btw this was an entertaining doc on netflix.

I just watched this a few days ago. It was really good. It was weird seeing a thread on General Tso's Chicken right after watching that documentary.

 

[kess]

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.

Are small independently run Chinese restaurants the exception in most of America? I've always taken them for granted. This is Pennsylvania, mind you, but there at least one in every small town.

 

[Rewrite]

Can't wait to try this. I love Panda.

 

[LumpOfCole]

Here in Central Florida, it's not an exaggeration to say Panda Express is better and more quality consistent than 90% of the Chinese Takeout places around the city. There are a few good ones though. My favorite is a place in my immediate area is a place called China Wok III who literally has to stable the boxes shut as the packed in chicken and rice will practically burst out when opened. Extremely good General Tso there, but you can feel yourself getting dangerously fatter before you even finish half of the meal.

 

[-MD-]

Panda Express is so bad lol.

I make General Tso chicken at home all the time for like 1/8th the price of takeout, definitely the way to go.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

Are small independently run Chinese restaurants the exception in most of America? I've always taken them for granted. This is Pennsylvania, mind you, but there at least one in every small town.

I was wondering this too

There isn't even a Panda Express in my area, likely because we have 10 thousand million independent Chinese restaurants in 10 mile radius. I could order and have at least 5 different places to pick from that would deliver to my house.

I just don't see the point in PE unless you live in the middle of nowhere, and even then, I'd be surprised if there wasn't at least one local Chinese restaurant.

 

[shinshoryuken]

Panda express is my favorite Chinese food place. .but I pretty much dislike Chinese food.

Panda express is probably more sanitize than 99 percent of the Chinese resturants around.

 

[kirblar]

Are small independently run Chinese restaurants the exception in most of America? I've always taken them for granted. This is Pennsylvania, mind you, but there at least one in every small town.

They're the norm. Quality varies wildly though.

 

[v1lla21]

Panda express is really hit or miss for me. The ones by my house and work are good but I've been to a few others and the rice and chow mein were straight up bad along with some of the sides. I don't go as often since a bit further down the road is a local Chinese restaurant that's godtier. Could eat there every day.

 

[norm9]

Id love to try some Panda Express today but they don't deliver and real chinese food places do.

 

[Rival]

I like Panda Express every once in a wild but it's not Chinese food.

 

[AEREC]

After eating panda express I always feel like there's just a big lump sitting in my stomach.

Rice does that.

 

[pgtl_10]

I don't really like pseudo-Asian food but is Panda Express below PF Chang's/Pei Wei?

 

[marzlapin]

Are small independently run Chinese restaurants the exception in most of America? I've always taken them for granted. This is Pennsylvania, mind you, but there at least one in every small town.

No, they're everywhere. But being small and independent doesn't guarantee their food is good. I've had the best and worst Chinese food at these types of places.

Anyway you should watch that General Tso's documentary, it goes into the history of Chinese food in America and why there are so many small independent Chinese restaurants all over the country.

 

[kirblar]

I don't really like pseudo-Asian food but is Panda Express below PF Chang's/Pei Wei?

I like it better than Pei Wei. Far less sugar.

 

[shinshoryuken]

I like Panda Express every once in a wild but it's not Chinese food.

yeah...panda express probably doesn't have rat poop to make in authentic...

 

[Night Angel]

I've never had General Tso's with those veggies in it. Fail.

 

[Dylan Sexbang]

This was the first thread I read when I woke up. 4 hours later, I have a craving for panda.

 

[pgtl_10]

This was the first thread I read when I woke up. 4 hours later, I have a craving for panda.

It worked!!!

 

[GreatestHits]

I always figured Panda Express was the Taco Bell of Chinese food.

-d0hv

It is. Which is why it actually gets praise on gaf. Every time I went it tasted like regular run-of-the-mill chinese missing half the flavor and packed with idk... water. Bland. But they're making money.

 

[ThatCrazyGuy]

I prefer pick up stix, but I like PE orange chicken, so I will try this.

I will say in the south, some of the cheap Chinese joints don't do fried chicken pieces in sauce as good as PE. Give me dat west coast back!

 

[DOWN]

What is authentic Chinese cuisine? I love New York style Americanized Chinese food

 

[webkatt]

People like Panda Express because it is very American, In a non-threatening kind of way. I have a few friends from the mid-west who eat there because they know what they are getting, "exotic Chinese cuisine".

These are the people who refuse to eat at a "real" American Chinese restaurant because they "probably use weird spices".

 

[Haly]

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.

I assure you I would no more mistake American Chinese for Chinese than I would Tex-mex for Mexican.

 

[johnsmith]

I don't really like pseudo-Asian food but is Panda Express below PF Chang's/Pei Wei?

Never been to Pei Wei, but yes PF Changs is much better, but it better be since its a sit down restaurant charging twice as much.

 

[Hippopuncher12]

I will never understand the purpose of Panda Express

Yeah, I am with you. It confuses me...so you charge me basically the same as a regular chinese place and your food isn't as good? I mean......okay?

 

[What A Time To Be Alive]

This just reminded me I haven't been to Panda Express in years.

I usually go to the chinese resturant right across the street from me. Place has some crazy good General Tso's chicken boi

 

[Brian_FETO]

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.

It obviously depends on the area you're in, being in a suburb of Chicago I have several solid options for Chinese. (Particularly a place called Double Dragon, awesome stuff)

Still, I know people from this area who swear by Panda and I really don't get why anyone would go there outside of A. having no other palatable Chinese options in the area or B. just needing something fast at an airport or something

(we also have some pretty incredible buffets around here but having eaten in places like Aurora I have seen some pretty low quality excuses for Chinese)

 

[The Technomancer]

What is authentic Chinese cuisine? I love New York style Americanized Chinese food

I mean, it's a big country. But the closest stuff to American Chinese is still very different. Usually much spicier and with sauces that aren't as thick and more greens and fish soup and stuff

Compare the image in the OP to this:

 

[SlickShoesRUCrazy]

Haven't they had this for months?

Could have sworn I saw commercials for this months ago.

 

[jblank83]

Boohoo, not authentic. Don't care.

Gimme some of this, some orange chicken, and some broccoli beef.

Speaking of inauthentic but incredibly delicious, I'll take California Mex any day over authentic Mex.

 

[itwasTuesday]

Stop enjoying food!

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

they didnt have this before? smfh

 

[BajiBoxer]

At least around me the Chinese take out places are better and less expensive.

Same here. Panda Express would struggle to compete.

 

[4Tran]

I don't eat Americanized Chinese food in general, but the one time I had Panda Express was really bad. This thread is the first time I've ever heard of General Tso's Chicken, so that's about the limit of my contribution.

What is authentic Chinese cuisine? I love New York style Americanized Chinese food

That's a bit like asking what is authentic Indian food or what is authentic European food. China has so many regional cuisines that it's hard to pin it down to anything general (there are even places where rice isn't common!) Most American Chinese foods are based on Cantonese cuisine although a lot of restaurants will purport to feature Sichuan cuisine (they probably aren't authentic). Here's a useful guide: http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-food/eight-cuisine.htm

 

[Gully State]

yeah...panda express probably doesn't have rat poop to make in authentic...

Smh....please tell us more.

 

[BamfMeat]

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.
.

I agree with everything you said here, except this. At least at every Panda here in PHX, you can literally watch them chop the vegetables and put them in this gigantic-ass containers in the cooler.

That's the thing about Panda, their food is straight up fresh. I've had the fast-food chinese here. All the shit tastes the same. At least at Panda, the different dishes taste relatively different.

Of course sit down chinese is better, but that's a whole nother subject altogether.

 

[Dongs Macabre]

yeah...panda express probably doesn't have rat poop to make in authentic...

What does this even mean?

 

[Formless]

I'm surprised they didn't already have it. I guess spicy things aren't mainstream America yet.