Restaurant Review: Panda Express

Recently, I was cruising down Hurstbourne Lane in Louisville- running my typical weekend errands- when I saw this new place near the I-64 Exchange. I had never heard of Panda Express before. I assumed it was a typical Chinese Fast Food carryout. But it had the look of something more. More polished. More aesthetic. Once I got home, I pulled up their website to find out about them. Turns out, Panda Express has been around for a while. Not sure when we first got them here in Louisville, but the company has over 1400 locations in North America. It did, in fact, look like an Asian version of “fast food”. But, I was intrigued by the use of the word “gourmet” throughout their promotional website. While I am usually not one to review fast food places, this seemed like a good candidate for the exception. Especially considering how much I love Chinese food. So, the following weekend I “hollered” at my buddy Ken to go check this place.

First off, let’s talk about the environment at Panda Express. It definitely has that Fast Food vibe when you walk in; just a little more upscale. Everything is crisp and clean. There isn’t a whole lot of seating. I got the impression that this is a place that does get a lot of “carry-out” business. Unlike some fast food places, though, you can actually see your food right up front. And you can see it being cooked. The ordering counter is a hot bar with a wide range of selections right there for you to see and smell. Beyond the counter you can see the cooks tiring away at the enormous woks they use to prepare a variety of traditional fare.

The set-up is pretty simple. You’ve got about 10 different entrees from which to choose. You can go with a 1, 2, or 3- Entrée Plate with one side choice between Fried Rice, Steamed Rice or Lo Mein. They also have a nice selection of appetizers as well: pot-stickers, spring rolls, egg rolls. Their entrée’s range from the basic- Orange Chicken, Beef Broccoli- to what they call “Premium”- Beijing Beef, Firecracker Chicken- which are often regional favorites. At first, I was want to think the cost was a little pricey, until I remembered that the last few times I have been to my favorite burger joint, I have had to pay close to $10 to get what was once only about $7. All things considered, the pricing is fair for what you get.

Ken and I dug right in with the hopes that we had found a new place where we could eat quick dinners in the future when on the go. Ken decided to try the Shanghai Angus Steak entrée with mushrooms and crisp asparagus, and the Beijing Beef. His side was fried rice. Ken’s report: food was tasty and fresh, pricing was adequate, and he was full when we were done.

As for me, I was eager to try the Firecracker Chicken, which was a return to the menu, as well as the Beijing Beef. Now, let me take an aside here to note that one of my pet peeves with too many Chinese restaurants here in America, is that they often dumb down the flavor, and the spiciness to appease “American Taste”. I like my food spicy. So, when I see a sign, or a menu that says “General Tzo’s Spicy Chicken” or “Mongolian Chicken”, then I tend to be disappointed when there is no adequate “kick.” As you can imagine, I was ecstatic about the fact that both the Beijing Beef and the Firecracker Chicken- which are billed as spicy- were in fact quite spicy. At least, much more than I expected. With juicy chicken, sweet peppers, tangy onions and a nice hot black bean sauce, the Firecracker Chicken was a refreshing alternative to usual fast food fare. And the Beijing Beef with its onions, peppers, and starchy sweet and spicy sauce was equally delightful to my taste buds. The fried rice that accompanied my meal was light and fluffy with just the right amount of veggies and egg. And the appetizer veggie spring rolls were tasty as well. My only complaint was that the inside of the veggie rolls were a little too mushy. I am not a big fan of “mushy.” We were also happily surprised to receive free drinks due to the wait. Quite honestly, it did not seem like much of a wait to me. But the place was packed when we got there about 5:00 on a Saturday afternoon. This attention to customer happiness and encouraging loyalty was a pleasant surprise.

I could end my review with that. But… a week later, I decided to follow-up and see if it was just as good in the middle of a weekday. And I wanted to try those veggie spring rolls again to see if there was any difference. I returned to Panda Express on a Monday, with a coupon I had received the previous week for a free entrée. I was so impressed with the Beijing Beef that I had it again, and coupled it with some Kung Pao Chicken (another spicy dish). Despite a bold, blatantly visible sign about allergens, my server at the hot bar reminded me that the dish had peanuts, and that it was indeed spicy. Appreciative of her care, I told her to pile it on. The Kung Pao Chicken did not disappoint. With its peppers and tender zucchini, and seasoned with honest to god Szechuan peppers, it was quite spicy, and again, a treat of flavor for my mouth. I was also glad to discover that the veggie spring rolls, were darn near perfect; crispy throughout, no mushy.

Panda Express is a fresh and refreshing alternative to the regular fast food places. Both of my visits were less than $10 for fresh, delicious, and mostly healthy quick meals. There is no doubt that whenever I am on that side of town, and I need a meal on the go… Panda Express will be my choice.

If you want to find a Panda Express in your city, and peruse their menu, click on over to their official website… http://www.pandaexpress.com/

Ken’s Rating: * * *

Wolf’s Rating: * * * *