Panda Express, are they that good?

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Not trying to be a jerk, but I was looking at PE's website and a 5.4 ounce serving of Orange Chicken has 18 grams of sugar. Per ounce that is about the same or more as a can of regular soda.

Other dishes have even more sugar in them. D:

Dude... It's fast food. Nobody is under the delusion that it's healthy. It just tastes great and doesn't leave you feeling hungry an hour later. Get over it.

 

[davmat787]

Dude... It's fast food. Nobody is under the delusion that it's healthy. It just tastes great and doesn't leave you feeling hungry an hour later. Get over it.

Get over what? You took my post the wrong way, even thought I prefaced it with "Not to be a jerk". I am no health nazi, I was merely pointing out a fact, that is all. I made no claims otherwise, and if you noticed earlier in the thread I said I eat PE once in a while. 🙄


Maybe you are just on a sugar high? 🙂

 

[wwswimming]

I saw the story about Panda Express on tonight's ABC Nightline, link = http://abcnews.go.com/Business/pand...tivational-forums-employees/story?id=13387246

Very impress from a guy that arrived in the US without any English skill or much money. Kinda strange of how they train their employees/managers (dancing, chanting, hugging, etc.).

So those that already ate there, are they that good, foodie speaking? Their revenue was over $1 billion USD last year so a lot of people must eaten there. BTW, they are planning to open some locations........wait...wait for it...China.

when i'm in San Diego visiting family, i get Panda take-out all the time, so as not to eat everything in the fridge. and it's good !

 

[Macamus Prime]

I enjoy it.

Orange Chicken is GODLY. However, it's junk. It's like eating McDonalds. Where as some local Chinese food restaurants offer some healthy and organic choices.

 

[smartpatrol]

I'm still baffled at the PF Chang's love. Panda Express I can understand - it's fast food and it's pretty decent.

But, PF Chang's? Really? If you're going to a dine-in restaurant, there are so many superior restaurants it's ridiculous. Even if you're going for pleasant Americanized Chinese food, I can think of at least a couple far-superior options around me (Stir Crazy and Big Bowl if you're curious)

 

[AstroManLuca]

lol, the ATOT food snobs never let me down.

My Asian friends crap on it all the time for not being real Chinese food. Of course, I just say that McDonald's doesn't make "real" hamburgers but I'm ok with that. All of our fast food restaurants have commercialized a type of food for the American market. Who cares what it was based on? PE's orange chicken right out of the wok is amazing and since it's popular it never sits out for more than 30 minutes anyway.

uh I don't know if you've been reading the same thread as me but it seems like most people in this thread are talking about how much they love Americanized chain Chinese restaurants.

I don't have a problem with them and I usually enjoy the food I get there but there's something to be said for authentic places. If I want fast food I'd rather get something other than Panda Express. If I want to have dinner at a restaurant I'd rather find something a bit less generic, like Little Szechuan (on Grand Ave. in St. Paul MN).

The only real advantage to the fancier chain Chinese restaurants is that they're a known quantity. And honestly they're not bad. But they're more expensive and not as good as the really good authentic places. But non-chain Chinese restaurants are a minefield, for every good one there are three or four horrible ones.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I'm still baffled at the PF Chang's love. Panda Express I can understand - it's fast food and it's pretty decent.

But, PF Chang's? Really? If you're going to a dine-in restaurant, there are so many superior restaurants it's ridiculous. Even if you're going for pleasant Americanized Chinese food, I can think of at least a couple far-superior options around me (Stir Crazy and Big Bowl if you're curious)

I honestly couldn't tell you where a single Chinese restaurant is around me or name one. I'm sure there are some but I haven't eaten at any of them. I know of at least 4 P.F. Chang's within 200 miles of here and I've eaten at all 4 of them. 😛

Is it "real" Chinese? I don't know...nor do I care. 😛 😛 😛

 

[trmiv]

The Orange Chicken is just as good or better than similar dishes I've had at many "mom and pop" Chinese places with food made by actual Chinese people. Honestly the quality of actual Chinese owned places varies so much, I'd rather just go to Panda Express most of the time since I know what I'm getting.

 

[Ninjahedge]

I honestly couldn't tell you where a single Chinese restaurant is around me or name one. I'm sure there are some but I haven't eaten at any of them. I know of at least 4 P.F. Chang's within 200 miles of here and I've eaten at all 4 of them. 😛

Is it "real" Chinese? I don't know...nor do I care. 😛 😛 😛

And thus sounds the funeral bell for all "Ethnic" cuisines in America.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Must be because of the small penis, right JM? Oh, smiley face, must be a joke 🙄

Last time I check, American food joints got plenty of people sick or died from dirty/contaminated/bad foods. Remember Whataburger, Jackinthebox, ect?

I don't eat at those places either. Really the only fast food places I'll eat at occasionally are In-N-Out, Subway, Rubio's, and Panda Express (Panda Express is the only one I've eaten at in the last couple weeks). I just don't eat much fast food.

 

[JulesMaximus]

And thus sounds the funeral bell for all "Ethnic" cuisines in America.

I like Italian food, Mexican, Indian, French...I just don't crave Chinese. 😛

 

[vi edit]

I like Italian food, Mexican, Indian, French...I just don't crave Chinese. 😛

Heh out of all you listed "Chinese" food is one of the few that my wife and I actually do crave. There's just some days where nothing else sounds better than a pound of deep fried chicken in a sweet & spicy sauce layered over the top of a grease laden pile of flied lice.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Heh out of all you listed "Chinese" food is one of the few that my wife and I actually do crave. There's just some days where nothing else sounds better than a pound of deep fried chicken in a sweet & spicy sauce layered over the top of a grease laden pile of flied lice.

I'll have to see if there is a decent sit down Chinese restaurant around me to try out.

Anyone with recommendations in North County San Diego?

All the places I've been to sucked IMO.

 

[AstroManLuca]

I like Italian food, Mexican, Indian, French...I just don't crave Chinese. 😛

By Italian and Mexican do you mean Olive Garden and Chipotle? Or are you saying you like to get authentic foods from those countries but don't care to try authentic Chinese food?

I do acknowledge that it can be hard to find good Chinese food outside of the chains. If you were in the bay area I could suggest a place (La Mei Zi aka "Spicy Sister" in Oakland) but I don't know anything about Socal.

 

[bigi]

IMO, it's the best Chimerican fast food place in America. Comparable to Chipotle. Is chipotle actual Mexican food? Nah, it's been Americanized. Same deal here. Panda Express is clean, tries to look stylish, and doesn't do a half bad job at it.

Amen. Both about PE and Chipotle.

 

[bas1c]

What's all this crying about $8 for food? I thought we were all ballaz.

 

[Chrono]

It isn't that bad. Just watch out though, one two/three item combo is going to set you back 1000+ calories. With a soda and eating the fortune cookies, forget it, you're well into the 1300-1500 calories range. Also gotta mention that the amount of sodium they put in is crazy as well.

 

[QueBert]

Not trying to be a jerk, but I was looking at PE's website and a 5.4 ounce serving of Orange Chicken has 18 grams of sugar. Per ounce that is about the same or more as a can of regular soda.

Other dishes have even more sugar in them. D:

I'd had a persons home made "healthy" Orange Chicken. It was baked and didn't have much sauce, and the sauce it had was weak as hell tasting. I didn't understand why they even made it. It tasted nothing like O.C. at all to me. It's one of those dishes that absolutely requires a lot of sugar and to be fried to taste correct.

Perhaps they could come up with a version where the sauce is made from Coke. I know Ham's 100x better with a Coke glaze, I bet Chicken could be too.


UMMMMM Coke Chicken.

 

[JulesMaximus]

By Italian and Mexican do you mean Olive Garden and Chipotle? Or are you saying you like to get authentic foods from those countries but don't care to try authentic Chinese food?

I do acknowledge that it can be hard to find good Chinese food outside of the chains. If you were in the bay area I could suggest a place (La Mei Zi aka "Spicy Sister" in Oakland) but I don't know anything about Socal.

No, I mean some of the excellent Italian and Mexican restaurants here...not chains at all.

Trattoria Trulli is fantastic.

Fidel's in Carlsbad is pretty good for a sit down Mexican restaurant.

 

[Ninjahedge]

I like Italian food, Mexican, Indian, French...I just don't crave Chinese. 😛

Took me a second to realize who this was... Friend-O.


Anyway, what I mean is that your general attitude (not saying it is bad) is one shared by most Americans. It is what "gentrifies" most ethnic cuisines and pulls them more to our fat-and-salt friendly palates.

It goes for EVERYTHING, with certain Europen dishes suffering less (German meals such as Bratwurst, or French Pastries). Others, like Italian "Macaroni" (pasta) gets shafted in that we PILE UP the meat and carbs, dump a ton of sugar into the sauces, and call it a day. Just listen to the spoof that GTA IV does on the Olive Garden ads and you get an idea of what i am talking about.

There are quite a few people that like genuine ethnic derivatives, but most just plain like what they are familiar with with hints at something different.

It is similar to TV. People may LOVE Arrested Development, mou more people like 2½ Men. Advertising $$ is not made by how much you love watching something, but simply how many watch it, so......

Same goes for food. It does not matter that 1000 people will give their first born for a genuine Italian Meal, just that 10,000 will come in regularly for free breadsticks.

 

[Ninjahedge]

UMMMMM Coke Chicken.

"Tell him to have a Coke and a smile and shut the F up!"

Love that quote.

 

[alkemyst]

It's the most authentic chinese food you can get. Those that don't like it are just elitest.

 

[AstroManLuca]

It's the most authentic chinese food you can get. Those that don't like it are just elitest.

lol, alky accusing others of being elitist

 

[alkemyst]

Funny how that was what you focused on 🙂

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Exactly

Chinese food is one of those things that's it's almost impossible to mess up. Even the worst Chinese food place is still decent.

I disagree. The worst chinese food I have ever had the displeasure of experiencing was "served" by Ginger Beef Foodie Goodie, a restaurant in old town Alexandria. It was, quite literally inedible. I would rather eat potassium hydroxide pellets and gouge my eyes out with a rusty spoon then eat their "food" again.

To summarize: "Ginger Beef Foodie Goodie's food is no goodie"


Inconceivably, that craphole has managed to nail down a 4 star rating on yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/ginger-beef-foody-goody-alexandria

Then again, Americans do like McDonalds