Panda Express (Beijing "Beef")

Couldn't find a dedicated thread for Mr. Panda, so I thought I'd create a place for Orange Chicken (TM) love and hate. I'm not the biggest fan, but when I'm on the road (particularly, at oases), whatever crack they're dusting the food with calls me back for a small order of gooey, tangy chicken (which I coat with spicy mustard, ignoring its bed of bland fried rice or poorly prepped vegetable stir-fry), followed by an Auntie Anne's pretzel. Then I shudder, take a shower, and try to eat home cooking for the next few days.

My recent question - the company is making a huge push with Beijing Beef, claiming it's worthy to stand up to the OC. Other commentators mention that it's the first system-wide dish introduction in 20 years. I had it today, and it's like the pale shade of Ben Li's garlic black pepper tenderloin at Double Li. Inoffensive, and disturbingly uniform. I enjoy the fact that the onion and pepper prep work seems to be somewhat better, so that the vegetables actually get cooked. But the beef itself is eerie - no gristle, variation of flavor, or texture at all, really. It's like breaded deep-fried breading. I suspect it's a salisbury-steak like product (processed) as opposed to shaved or sliced whole beef - can anyone confirm?

http://www.pandaexpress.com/webzine/BB2008/index.html

Panda Express exposes the cheap, self-loathing streetwalker I truly am. And yes, I will eat the fortune cookie.

I have also outed myself as a more than willing acquiescer to the inevitability of dining at Panda, when finding oneself near a tollway plaza in the far boondocks with no time to leave the highway and hunt for better things. Orange chicken, it's like a chicken went and died in a jug of Kool-Aid, yum.

I'm not going to say it's good Chinese, but it's unusually good for bad Chinese, as I'm reminded whenever I try anybody else's in a food court. And even then, bad Chinese is often more real than anything else you'll find; better to eat gloopy vegetables and rice than Subpar, Sbarro's pizzehh or a Not-So-Great Steak and Fry.

Sorry, guys, although the 'spouse frequently partakes of the orange-frosted doughuts with the creamy chicken center, I can't stand Panda Express food and far prefer the options mentioned above, sub-par though they may be (I must say, I'm shocked to hear this coming from someone so recently expressing horror of faux cookie dough mix-ins - add Orange Crush concentrate and they seem nearly the same to me!)

I do, however, occasionally partake of the sometimes-Chinese, sometimes-Cajun chicken thigh dish (when "cajun" it's called "bourbon chicken," I forget what it's called when it's "chinese") offered by some mall food-courts, and find them to be moderately inoffensive.

I just had the bourbon chicken, when compelled to go to Old Orchard's food court by a small child, and I much prefer Panda's orange chicken.

Hmm, I'm getting hungry for Orange Garden tonight....

I like the Beijing beef for the kind of food you mention. I feel better about it than orange chicken as it has some vegetables in it and I like to think its healthier but its probably not. I am not too fond of Panda Express but sometimes you gotta go there in a pinch.

In the early 90s I worked in the Loop and was mightily addicted to the gan pan chicken at Chen's Express on Wabash south of Madison. This was chicken wings in a hot sauce over fried rice. I had it once at the Chen's on Lake Street and it was greasier and not as good.

I don't work in the Loop any more and haven't been in Chen's for years, but I still think fondly of those wings.

I'm wary of "tender marinated beef tossed with wok-seared mushrooms, freshly cut leeks, crunchy onions, and crispy red bell peppers...finished with Panda's new secret Kobari™ sauce, inspired by the sweet, smoky and spicy flavors found in Korean BBQ," but given that it's free today (Wednesday), "Kobari Bold Asian Beef" exerts a certain sleazy call over that part of my hypothalamus already reprogrammed by Orange Chicken. YMMV. Not sure the ad folks could get away with "Brave European Pork" or "Assertive Australian Camel," but still.

Hmm I'll have to check that out. A panda express is in my building and I loathe going there but sometimes have no choice.

I would kill for the good fried rice of my youth. Dark brown, tasty, slightly greasy, green onions. And a nice fat egg roll with a blistered won ton skin, and a sllight taste of pnut butter and five spice. I'm in a panda express free zone palate wise but realistically i'll probably still go.

I had the Beijing Beef just once and was entirely put off by the "beef". It had a very odd texture and the sauce wasn't all that good. It was kinda sour - too sour.

On the rare occasion I do eat at Panda Express, I'll get the Mushroom Chicken. The chicken and garlic sauce is tasty. But I really love the whole button mushrooms and zucchini slices.

The orange chicken is delicious initially but becomes unbearably sweet after the first few bites.

Dare I mention that they're giving away free Thai Cashew Chicken with a coupon on 10/3?
http://www.frugallivingnw.com/frugal-fu ... esday-103/

Here's a link to the actual coupon, I think: http://pandaexpresssocialmedia.com/medi ... 12.jpg?web

I admit to heading towards the Panda more often these days... trying to go gluten-free leaves very little to eat at most fast food places. Even if the veggies aren't stellar, they ARE identifiable as actual vegetables, and usually not bad.

I have to say, this free Thai Chicken sample isn't bad. There are real veggies in here, with a sauce that isn't great but also isn't overwhelming, gloppy, or hiding all the food. I probably won't be back what with Elephant Thai being only another mile or so south and Tub Tim Thai a mile north, but for a $2 meal (I ordered veggie rolls too, after seeing the size of the lunch sample) it isn't bad.

The veggie rolls, however, were the dog of the meal. The flavor wasn't bad and the shell was crisp and flaky, but the veggies were basically mush.