This episode on Panda Express is part of a deep dive into mall food in America. Check out our Mall Food Madness package below! www.eater.com/23598450/malls-restaurants-shopping-fast-food-chains
Panda Express is also good in managing their suppliers. It’s not easy to be producing for Panda Express. The suppliers’ margins are small but Panda Express’s margins are relatively big.
One thing I really like about this channel is the video editing format. They don't film the interviewer asking the questions, and instead just film the interviewee answering the questions and moving the narrative along smoothly. It maximizes the amount of time that the person at the restaurant can communicate their story without getting bogged down in a question-response process.
Great point! It also maximizes the amount of time that the person at the restaurant can communicate their story without getting bogged down in a question-response process.
I feel like ever since bon appetit youtube established influencer chefs most food channels followed suit and now focus on branding their hosts. It’s enjoyable but it’s nice to have restaurant and community chef focused videos like this
I love how unapologetic Panda Express is about how they’re Chinese-American food. They’re not trying to be authentic Chinese food, instead they proudly mix in the American palate, taste, and flavor to Chinese cuisine.
It wouldn't hurt if they added some steamed dumplings and maybe Japanese mochi to their options. Their egg rolls and fortune cookies are not particularly good.
other then adding more fat there is nothing unique about american food been here for 4yrs now its just a fat fest here no flavor what so ever asian cooking were uses spices sauces for taste were ameican's just grill streaks and rips and add cheese that's it
i'm taiwanese american, and i have a lot of respect for american chinese food. sure, i personally think it's usually too saucy and too sweet. but it's chinese-based food made with the resources immigrants had available, modified to be marketable to the american palate. it might not be "authentic", but it has a lot of history behind it and really has taken on a life of its own.
I really don't. I find the food to be largely unhealthy unlike other Asian foods like Indian, Thai, Japanese. I respect the hustle to adapt but I largely find it full of wheat, sugar and oil. Case in point Low temp deep frying.
So in conclusion, American-Chinese food has invaded Taiwan and are everywhere? You've never been to Taiwan. There's orange-chicken and sweet-sour-pork served in frozen bags at Family-mart in Taipei. I also pick up sweet-sour-pork in the back alleys of Taipei at this Cantonese restaurant which taste so much like back in America . They also serve the big-fat juicy unfried eggroll which in Taiwanese is called lumpia at the nightmarket. I also pick up my hot-and-sour soup in Taichung at this food-stand whenever I stop by for my short-business trip. At this Taiwanese factory for lunch, I pick up my sweet-sour dish once in awhile depending on the menu for the week. But I love it when they have fried wontons ready to serve. Chinese food for 1.3 billion people isn't just dumplings and rice-with-soy sauce, it varies across the region (soy-sauce is a northern traditional staple and not traditional to Taiwan nor the south). Panda Express food and American-Chinese is 95% Chinese. Trust me. I was raised in one and I travel around Asia and Europe (where they also serve American-Chinese food?)
@@turboleggy nibba indian food is made in sewer-like conditions 90% of the time. Just go and watch indian food vids on this platform lmfao dafuq you talkin bout
Used to be a General Manager of a Panda Express for multiple years. They pay their store managers close to $100k a year, and its really a great company to work for!
@@SensationsRim I am the type of guy that wants to own his own business. I used Panda as a vehicle to fund another venture. I left on great terms and I'm still friends with most of my team, talk to them often! More happy to be working for myself!
I like how they constantly update the recipe for their menu. Orange Chicken 15 years ago used to be very greasy and sugary, I usually couldn't finish. Now they got quite good, I don't mind eating Panda Express 2 or 3 times a week for lunch.
Is that what happened? I used to dislike Panda Express, but had them for the first time in 8 years recently and was so pleasantly surprised by the flavors. I'm glad they changed for the better
@@damnbabygirl8926from my experience working at Panda, they have very high standards compared to other fast food restaurants, and they definitely pay well enough and have great systems of management to ensure that. I never cooked anything while working there because I was only there for my last year of high school, but I can say that the kitchen was held to a high standard. I was always closing there so I was always making sure the kitchen (and the dining room) was absolutely spotless and sanitary
I know Panda Express is not authentic Chinese food but it’s my favorite fast food! A few days ago I bought a family meal and it was under $40 and it fed 5 of us, it’s the best bang for your buck at Panda.
Those family meals are a LOT of food. When COVID first hit, they had deals on the family meals, and I bought 2. OMG- As a single guy, I was eating Panda for 2 weeks!
Nicely done - Adrian Lok does a great job with explaining the process as well as taking pride in the Panda Express Corporation. I would hire him in a heart beat!
It's really interesting to see the people in leadership roles that they interview actually demonstrate the cooking. You can tell from his technique that he's spent hours on that wok at one point of time
Years ago I wrote to Panda Express to express a complaint that I had, and I was surprised to be personally responded to by one of the family members. They acknowledged the legitimacy of the complaint that I had, and also sent me a handful of coupons. I've been a big fan ever since. I don't even live in the states anymore, but it seems that I can find Panda Express in airport terminals everywhere.
As a Taiwanese from Taiwan, I actually enjoyed Panda Express when I was studying in the US. I really hope that panda express can try to expand to Asia to give people hear an experience of American Chinese food.
then you prob would like jiangsu / shanghai style food since the sweet n sour inspiration is from those areas. it'll be different from your fujian/hokkien taste buds lol
I wouldn’t want to speak on Asians but I don’t think it would have success over there. Personally me as a Mexican I wouldn’t like Taco Bell in Mexico, wouldn’t mind if there was but I don’t think it would have success over here because of how much the food has diverged from our culture, most Mexicans find Taco Bell nasty. I don’t know if that would be the case for Panda Express too, I’ve tried Panda Express and I think it’s pretty good, I don’t know if real Asians would say the same. EDIT: Just found out Taco Bell actually did try to open here in Mexico and well it flopped for that exact same reason
It’s interesting how much we vilify fast food chains, this was kind of eye opening for me, as someone who’s always thought of Panda Express and other fast food chains as cheap, highly processed, alternatives.
I also used to think lowly of Panda Express, until now since they are the only fast food chain that costs less than $9 for a big and balanced meal made of real meat and vegetables.
It seems they made a significant change around 7-10 years ago to be a decent quality brand, like Del Taco. They have fresh ingredients that are on display.
disgusting........i wont even try to mimic uncle roger,whom is another type of disgusting and corny i find......panda express is a monstrosity and affront to chinese food....look at that garbage,i mean everything looks like the type of dishes u find in chinese stir fry but they all look gross,slimy and off and weak and mediocre, like yes the dishes should be covered and drenched in sauce,but it looks more like its decaying and putrifying and slimificating in its own juices after sitting out for too long....everything looks like a weak and pale imitation like what american kraft cheese is to cheese..... americanised for american tastebuds my ass....that shyt doesnt look delicious or satisfying even if i was starving after being on a greyhound bus for 12 hours. i hope somebody who know whats hes doing or a famous restaurant chain from hong kong or malaysia or china goes to america and put panda express out of business.
@@KarmaticEvolution no, they always used fresh ingredients. Labor costs/needs are higher but PE can deal with that with better labor retention. I used to work at one about 15 years ago and all the cooks in the back are Mexicans.
I don't care what people say about panda express. Not only is it really good food for what it is -- fast food (for reference you can get a plate of food at panda express for about the same price as a value meal at other fast food restaurants), it's staggering how high quality the food is given the price point. But on top of that, it's also a very respectable company that treat their employees right.
I have great respect for this style of food. Too often folks in my orbit deride this as un-authentic but that it missing the point entirely. Its not trying to be authentic; the food utilizes ingredients that were/are available to early chefs from Asia/China at the time, the flavours became popular and mainstream, so why mess with a money maker? I highly recommend the book "Chop Suey Nation: The Legion Cafe and Other Stories from Canada’s Chinese Restaurants" by Ann Hui, which really goes out to speak to owners and operators of 'Americanized' Chinese cafes, including her own family history in the industry.
Nothing worse than an elitist food purist. Half the reason American food is so good is because of the melting pot of immigrants who came here and blended their roots with the local culture. If you want real Chinese food, go to Chinatown.
Wow they've really stepped up their game since I was a kid in the 90s... tbh I don't remember the food being all that good back in the day, but this looks a lot better. You always have to respect fast food workers because no matter what the food is like, they're busting their ass and working incredibly hard for often low pay and no respect from customers. But especially when a huge franchise like this decides to do things right and use higher-quality ingredients, toasting their own spices, it's just great to see.
A lot of people give Panda Express crap, but all things aside, for what it is, it's still decent food. It's better than a lot of fast food options, and the variety in nutrients is there as well. If I had to live off of fast food, Panda Express (if it counts as fast food) would be in there for sure.
I love Panda Express. For anyone saying that Panda or other take-out spots are not authentic....I say yes it is. They're not authentically Asian, but they're authentically American. And the contributions of Asian-Americans and the historical struggles behind their cuisine should be acknowledged and celebrated the same way as other American cuisines like burgers and BBQ.
Panda Express has such a bad rep for many food channels on this platform but this food lead is carrying this establishment's name with so much pride and knowledge it's just awe inspiring
All looks fresh , bar the orange chicken being frozen . Vegetables look great , everything is prepped in house not pre chopped . Quite impressed actually , they have actual cooks in back .
The sad truth is that the orange chicken literally has to be frozen. The average Panda Express on a busy day uses more than 6 BOXES of orange chicken a day. It’s simply too much to prep for one or two people working in the back. All of the fried menu items are pre frozen because they can’t have battering stations in store, so they get them during shipments twice a week. Other than that, basically everything is fresh and prepped in store. All sauces except for one or two are made in house, veggies except for the peas and carrots are cut fresh, and most locations don’t even have a microwave.
I appreciate Adrian's ability to explain their process and it really gives me more respect to how Panda Express operates. Panda Express is great Americanized food. It's tastes great and is quick to buy.
It's not fast food. It's good food quickly. I really appreciate Adrian's dedication and care he takes in his preparation and cooking. You can feel his excitement in making good food for his customers. Good stuff.
@Aroldis Xanman When I'm walking around a mall that is exactly what I need. Aside from that my point wasn't so much an endorsement of the food, I was pointing out that here's a guy, Adrian, who has dedicated himself to making the experience the best it can be.
@Aroldis Xanman Panda Express doesn't use MSG. But that's beside the point. MSG is one of God's way of filtering out the weak and the feeble. If you can't handle a bit of glutamic acid bond to sodium, you probably should get handed a Darwin Award with immediate prize dispensation.
When I am in USA , I love Panda Express. The consistency is great. The taste , umami is great. It gives me access to great Chinese food at affordable price.
What a guy. I can’t help but root for him and the company. I used to deliver there when I was a truck driver. I always wondered how they had so much product coming 2-3 times a week. This video explains a lot…they seemed to really have worked on their weaknesses to bring forth affordable food and also challenge the American palate in an inviting way. 🙂
Love it when you can see the care a big chain restaurant puts into assuring their quality remains consistent. Panda Express isn't 5 star dining by any stretch, but you know what you're going to get when you visit one and they've crafted all their recipes to be flavorful and accessible
Panda is owned by one person. I have a friend who went to work there behind the counter and in a short time was manager. Within a couple of years, regional manager. They treat their employees really pretty well.
Always love an origin story, but the mall near me wasn't as diligent as the creator. But Panda Express will always have a place in my memories as a kid.
In a world of ever increasing food prices where McDonald's has the gall to charge 3 dollars for a McChicken and Subway footlongs are closer to 12 dollars, Panda is truly one of the few remaining bastions for affordable eating, a good select few items, and consistent quality.
As a Chinese master chef for more than a decade, I have to say all the ingredients and cooking skills are actually decent, I'm surprise One day I will travel to America just to taste it and rate it
I'm from Singapore, means easy access to good asian food. BUT, ill still never forget my first time eating Panda Express during my vacation in USA. i watch this with nostalgia :'^)
i love Panda Express' orange chicken! When i first visited the States in 2009, i tried this for the first time. It totally lived up to the hype and it was my first time eating chinese out of those stereotypical takeout containers you see in the movies.
Wow, I didn't know all that much about Panda express & American Chinese food. I'm Chinese-American, I haven't ever had panda express, but everyone in the US calls it "fake," "not authentic," derides it and such. When in reality American Chinese food is it's own cuisine entirely because of obviously different circumstances on a different continent. Never really thought about that
I was shocked at how much effort went into a meal from Panda Express. I used to love this place in my early years of College before Pei Wai's cheap coupon deals and closer access to food sold me (PE was 35 min away by Interstate @ 80mph while Pei Wai was a 5 minute 2-lane drive north of Campus) I think I might go back again, regardless of how meh it's quality is reported to be
The worst thing about PE is the inconsistency. Where I used to live I would always go to the one further away because the food was almost always better than the closer one. But even that one wouldn't be 100%. The way they make the food is great but it also brings in variables where two different chefs may not make it the exact same way. And then there's the fact that even if it's great when it's fresh, if it has been sitting in those warming trays for hours then it gets all mushy and gross. I had a Pei Wei right down the street from me for a few years as a kid. I miss it.
@@sntslilhlpr6601 Pei Wei is the way to go. I went to the aforementioned new local one and they told me, at 8:15 (close at 9) that this is all they had left and are not cooking more. Reviewing the Google Reviews show this is a concurrent case where the staff starts cleaning an hour-plus before
i think that's the biggest issue. they can follow the company guidelines/recipe, but the ones near me are nowhere (even visually) as appealing at the dishes presenting in this video. That, for me, is why i rarely eat at panda.. consistency. when i order, it tends to just be slop in a box, huge contrast vs this video.
Panda E has some really good items they serve. I had actually never been to a PE until I was about 19 y/o. For flavor and price, it really is some of the best Chinese food in my area.
Great vid. I make a version of orange chicken at home very similar to this. The secret to the breading is to go 50/50 rice and wheat flour with a about a tenth straight corn starch, dredge twice for breading "verticality", then low deep fry then high deep fry. This makes a breading so crunchy that it's still crunchy an hour after being coated with sauce.
There is a pretty big mis-conception with asians and our opinions on Panda Express. Most of us don’t actually hate Panda Express. It’s just that their food isn’t truly asian cuisine so it doesn’t match our tastes to the tea, but that’s entirely understandable as Panda Express did have to adapt to Western tastes. In other words, about 50% of asians will probably say that Panda Express is a passable option for chinese food. We asains love *dog* ging on Panda Express for their food being a mockery of the real deal, but that’s because we’re comparing half-western half-eastern to full-eastern. It’s also quite sad and a little infuriating to some asians when their friends go out and say they are getting chinese food and come back with Panda Express. The only thing I hate about Panda Express is that some people genuinely think Panda Express’s food is *true* chinese food, which it clearly isn’t. I hate having to argue with people that it isn’t true chinese food, but for some reason, they won’t budge! I’m the asian here! I know more about my own region’s food than you! I’ve been eating it my entire life! That’s enough of my rambling though. Sorry if I wasted your time with all that. One more thing though… Will asians still dog on Panda Express because of their food? Yes. I can guarantee that for sure.
Their Orange Chicken is my guilty pleasure tbh. I love eating it in the winter around Christmas when it gets really cold. Perfect weather for some Orange Chicken
Being an Asian business in America is hard because everyone craves the authenticity label, but of course it’s going to be influenced by American flavors due to not having access to some ingredients either from bans, no shipping to the area, or it’s too expensive to be worth buying. Even then when you grow or live in America for a long while you either lose a little piece of your culture over time or simply have to adjust to the American palette to ensure your resturant doesn’t fail.
I am no expert but I really can’t tell the difference between real Chinese food and Panda Express. I tried both and I seen how they are cooked it’s mostly the same.
Not gonna lie I do miss Orange Chicken. People would think these kinda food be highly accessible in Asia. Closest thing are “local” buffets but you’re not gonna see things like shrimps and angus steak😂
I'm South Korean, and it is interesting to see how different American-Chinese food compare to Korean-Chinese food. I also have been to Japan and Japanese-Chinese food was also very different (Ramen etc)
The first Panda Express was opened in my hometown of Glendale, Ca. It was opened in the Glendale Galleria food court area. The chain was so successful that there was one even inside my local Vons Supermarket.
i dont know why people like to ignore the emphasis he placed on panda express being "american-chinese" food rather "authentic chinese". if you want real chinese food, make some for yourself, or hit up one of your chinese friends, or even go to china if you got the money for it. things don’t have to be complicated...
The interesting thing about Panda Express is that even though they're "meh" to some, they're consistently "meh" no matter where you go. Perhaps I haven't been to many Panda Express locations, yes, but when you're looking for guilty Asian pleasures somewhere new it's usually been pretty reliable in terms of taste and quality.
I love Panda Express' in malls. They basically run all other food vendors out of business.... The lines of costumers are huge, and the other vendors.... Have like 3 persons lined up.
As an authentic Chinese I would say these dishes may not look like authentic Chinese food, but they look delicious, and most important is they suit the local flavors. I hope one day I could taste it
It needs lots of acidity to cut the sugary flavor in the sandwich but if they add lots of fresh herbs and citrusy dressings in it, I think it would make a great sandwich for lunch.
What’s sad about having so many restaurants is the reduction in the quality of food. I’ll crave it, buy it, immediately regret it because food is old or executed poorly. I hope they have a QA team going around to attempt to maintain quality.
2:38 the chicken prep was completely skipped Great video with a lot of interesting stories about the restaurant's history 10:17 wow this shrimp dish looks delicious! I need to find my closest Panda Express!
This young chef impresses me a lot , so genuine so real so dedicated, he should work in a fine restaurant , can’t believe he is cooking fresh food for Panda wooooooow 😊🤗😱
Just saw an ad asking to donate to end world hunger, couldn’t help but think back to when I worked for Panda Express and all that food that ends up in the trash. Crazy
I wouldn't say Panda Express invented orange chicken. The owner may have come up with his recipe in the 1987 and thought it was novel but orange or tangerine chicken has been a staple dish in Chinese restaurants and takeaways in the UK and Ireland since at least the late 70s. Most Chinese immigrants in UK and Ireland back then came from Hong Kong and the sweet and sour flavour profile is a classic Cantonese pairing. My parents had classic sweet and sour sauce (tomato based with pineapple), orange chicken and lemon chicken on their menu when they started their own business in the early 80s and had been working in restaurants prior to that in the 70s that also had these menu items.
Yupper. You hit the nail on the head. A lot of "Chinese-Americans" or "Taiwanese-Americans" never even been to Europe and assume with their limited culinary experience that everything is all American. They should visit China, Taiwan, and other parts of Asia to realize Panda Express food is pretty much something you can find similarly in Asia. I get my orange-chicken once in awhile at my factory...which is in Asia. depending on the menu of the week. I just scooped up some shrimp and pineapple sauce into my to-go box at lunch yesterday...at a factory in the middle of nowhere Asia.
You also have 陈皮鸡 which is the likely ancestor to all of those recipes, and the standard bright-red ketchup-based sweet and sour sauce is extremely common in China for making things like 咕噜肉 or 松鼠鱖魚.
Hit those wok rings at 0:44 with the small black knife, and under the blancher too. I cleaned that daily when it was never shown on a channel with such a big following.
I love how they put a lot of meat in there dishes when there filming. but when i go to the panda express in my area ill be lucky to get 2 or maybe 3 pieces of meat
The courteously men who was interviewed actually affable, he reply the questions extremely tender and his knowledge about the food was not trivial. I am a avid food traveller and big fan of food. And I hope I can nourish the hope can have a trip to his restaurant to experience the orange fr chicken, it will be a spectacular experience in my live
Panda Express has gotten down the psychology of visual portion control down to a science. The scoop and then that gratuitous extra piece of the food item to make you feel you got a little extra.
As a Chinese, my friends and I agree that if we eat American Chinese food 1-2 times a month, it's the most delicious thing ever for a quick meal. But if we start to eat more than 2 times a week, it's the most disgusting thing because of the heavy flavours and greese.
@@88KeysIdaho he must be somewhere remote or rural because there are thousands of actual sichuan restaurants, run by chefs and families from sichuan, in the US now
@@jw6451 He's not anywhere rural, and perhaps my comment was over-stated. He just means in general, that it's pretty authentic. Sure there are genuine "Sichuan" restaurants here, but he likes Panda Express as being a pretty decent version of Sichuan food.
This episode on Panda Express is part of a deep dive into mall food in America. Check out our Mall Food Madness package below!
www.eater.com/23598450/malls-restaurants-shopping-fast-food-chains
Wait a second... they use Angus steak at Panda Express? 🤔
No they use crap meat
Panda Express is also good in managing their suppliers. It’s not easy to be producing for Panda Express. The suppliers’ margins are small but Panda Express’s margins are relatively big.
Enjoy your slop, you filthy ridiculous Americans!
Great reads!
One thing I really like about this channel is the video editing format. They don't film the interviewer asking the questions, and instead just film the interviewee answering the questions and moving the narrative along smoothly. It maximizes the amount of time that the person at the restaurant can communicate their story without getting bogged down in a question-response process.
Great point! It also maximizes the amount of time that the person at the restaurant can communicate their story without getting bogged down in a question-response process.
I think the main reason is, they lost too many good host to "bigger media", till the point they don't want to put host anymore, and it seems work!
I feel like ever since bon appetit youtube established influencer chefs most food channels followed suit and now focus on branding their hosts. It’s enjoyable but it’s nice to have restaurant and community chef focused videos like this
🙌👌
100% and doesn't do excessive jumpcuts. Actually gives space and time for the person to talk and explain
I love how unapologetic Panda Express is about how they’re Chinese-American food. They’re not trying to be authentic Chinese food, instead they proudly mix in the American palate, taste, and flavor to Chinese cuisine.
Same thing with Taco Bell too lol
@@MillionMixVevo98 NOOOOOO LMFAO
@@MillionMixVevo98 ya but them frijoleros get all triggered when we say its mexican american food LMAO
It wouldn't hurt if they added some steamed dumplings and maybe Japanese mochi to their options. Their egg rolls and fortune cookies are not particularly good.
other then adding more fat there is nothing unique about american food been here for 4yrs now its just a fat fest here no flavor what so ever asian cooking were uses spices sauces for taste were ameican's just grill streaks and rips and add cheese that's it
i'm taiwanese american, and i have a lot of respect for american chinese food. sure, i personally think it's usually too saucy and too sweet. but it's chinese-based food made with the resources immigrants had available, modified to be marketable to the american palate. it might not be "authentic", but it has a lot of history behind it and really has taken on a life of its own.
I really don't. I find the food to be largely unhealthy unlike other Asian foods like Indian, Thai, Japanese. I respect the hustle to adapt but I largely find it full of wheat, sugar and oil. Case in point Low temp deep frying.
So in conclusion, American-Chinese food has invaded Taiwan and are everywhere? You've never been to Taiwan. There's orange-chicken and sweet-sour-pork served in frozen bags at Family-mart in Taipei. I also pick up sweet-sour-pork in the back alleys of Taipei at this Cantonese restaurant which taste so much like back in America . They also serve the big-fat juicy unfried eggroll which in Taiwanese is called lumpia at the nightmarket. I also pick up my hot-and-sour soup in Taichung at this food-stand whenever I stop by for my short-business trip. At this Taiwanese factory for lunch, I pick up my sweet-sour dish once in awhile depending on the menu for the week. But I love it when they have fried wontons ready to serve. Chinese food for 1.3 billion people isn't just dumplings and rice-with-soy sauce, it varies across the region (soy-sauce is a northern traditional staple and not traditional to Taiwan nor the south). Panda Express food and American-Chinese is 95% Chinese. Trust me. I was raised in one and I travel around Asia and Europe (where they also serve American-Chinese food?)
I always laugh at people who snub their nose at food because its not "authentic." Imo those people are arrogant and pretentious.
@@turboleggy nibba indian food is made in sewer-like conditions 90% of the time. Just go and watch indian food vids on this platform lmfao dafuq you talkin bout
@@turboleggyLmao thinking Asian cuisine is health and nutritious
Used to be a General Manager of a Panda Express for multiple years. They pay their store managers close to $100k a year, and its really a great company to work for!
Why did you leave the company if it's really great to work for?
@@SensationsRim could've retired or left to move to another country
@@SensationsRim I am the type of guy that wants to own his own business. I used Panda as a vehicle to fund another venture. I left on great terms and I'm still friends with most of my team, talk to them often! More happy to be working for myself!
@@Colors82 Nope, started my own business. Couldn't have done it without Panda.
@@cashinmind8971 ah ok, good for you
Adrian needs to have his own show. He's so good at explaining things.
He's so good at promoting his own products at least...
@Steven Lister what
good producers :-)
@@linknotzelda1080Steven is using AI bot responses
he looks like Nile Red
I like how they constantly update the recipe for their menu. Orange Chicken 15 years ago used to be very greasy and sugary, I usually couldn't finish. Now they got quite good, I don't mind eating Panda Express 2 or 3 times a week for lunch.
Is that what happened? I used to dislike Panda Express, but had them for the first time in 8 years recently and was so pleasantly surprised by the flavors. I'm glad they changed for the better
@@damnbabygirl8926from my experience working at Panda, they have very high standards compared to other fast food restaurants, and they definitely pay well enough and have great systems of management to ensure that. I never cooked anything while working there because I was only there for my last year of high school, but I can say that the kitchen was held to a high standard. I was always closing there so I was always making sure the kitchen (and the dining room) was absolutely spotless and sanitary
I eat it probably every 2 weeks and i agree. I used to find orange chicken gross but now the sauce is not as heavy and I can appreciate that
I always expected that sauce to be pre-bagged and mass produced. It's kinda cool how they make it fresh. No wonder it tastes so good!
not sure if i needed to know that the water they use is brown.. @1:32
@@BarbadosCheeks the water is brown because it was the same container that was use for the sauce a few second earlier
@@BarbadosCheeks its purpose to scrape the leftover sauce. so nithing wasted
idt every store preps like this one. i've definitely seen bags in the back of some panda expresses
@@BarbadosCheeks idiot
I know Panda Express is not authentic Chinese food but it’s my favorite fast food! A few days ago I bought a family meal and it was under $40 and it fed 5 of us, it’s the best bang for your buck at Panda.
I laughed so hard at this comment idk why
$40 dollars to feed 5? what are yall mice
@@BuckingHorse-Bull no I’m fat.
Those family meals are a LOT of food. When COVID first hit, they had deals on the family meals, and I bought 2. OMG- As a single guy, I was eating Panda for 2 weeks!
Panda express is the authentic value for money fast food. The most authentic fast food. It is fast and still cater reasonable pricing.
Nicely done - Adrian Lok does a great job with explaining the process as well as taking pride in the Panda Express Corporation. I would hire him in a heart beat!
It's really interesting to see the people in leadership roles that they interview actually demonstrate the cooking. You can tell from his technique that he's spent hours on that wok at one point of time
Nah it's all scripted for the tv. That's not how it's run behind the scenes.
@@goodputin4324 how do they do it then?
@@goodputin4324 jolly gosh you wouldn't say??
@@goodputin4324 clearly he’s not gonna be behind the wok when he’s a corporate executive, but doesn’t mean he doesn’t have experience or enjoys it
Years ago I wrote to Panda Express to express a complaint that I had, and I was surprised to be personally responded to by one of the family members. They acknowledged the legitimacy of the complaint that I had, and also sent me a handful of coupons. I've been a big fan ever since. I don't even live in the states anymore, but it seems that I can find Panda Express in airport terminals everywhere.
I always respected Panda for not cutting as many corners as so many other american food chains do
Panda is family owned , they have morals . As where other fast food restaurants are keener by mindless businessmen
Agreed. Hopefully they don't get a new CEO sometime down the line who looks for ways to "maximize profit" and start that crap.
Let's keep it that way
@@Captain_Crayzay The advantage of not being a publically-traded company is that you don't have the pressure to increase profits year after year.
Bullcrap.
As a Taiwanese from Taiwan, I actually enjoyed Panda Express when I was studying in the US. I really hope that panda express can try to expand to Asia to give people hear an experience of American Chinese food.
then you prob would like jiangsu / shanghai style food since the sweet n sour inspiration is from those areas. it'll be different from your fujian/hokkien taste buds lol
Agreed. I'm sure native Asians in Asia would be curious to try out Asian American food and how much they have diverged.
I wouldn’t want to speak on Asians but I don’t think it would have success over there. Personally me as a Mexican I wouldn’t like Taco Bell in Mexico, wouldn’t mind if there was but I don’t think it would have success over here because of how much the food has diverged from our culture, most Mexicans find Taco Bell nasty. I don’t know if that would be the case for Panda Express too, I’ve tried Panda Express and I think it’s pretty good, I don’t know if real Asians would say the same.
EDIT: Just found out Taco Bell actually did try to open here in Mexico and well it flopped for that exact same reason
@@nikoandroman Taco Bell is actually nasty, Panda Express is actually good. I think that is a big difference. Dunno how it would do in Asia though!
@@Technoyote It’s good for us but I don’t know how most Asians would take Panda
It’s interesting how much we vilify fast food chains, this was kind of eye opening for me, as someone who’s always thought of Panda Express and other fast food chains as cheap, highly processed, alternatives.
I also used to think lowly of Panda Express, until now since they are the only fast food chain that costs less than $9 for a big and balanced meal made of real meat and vegetables.
it is cheap crap what are you on about the chicken looks like dog grade
It seems they made a significant change around 7-10 years ago to be a decent quality brand, like Del Taco. They have fresh ingredients that are on display.
disgusting........i wont even try to mimic uncle roger,whom is another type of disgusting and corny i find......panda express is a monstrosity and affront to chinese food....look at that garbage,i mean everything looks like the type of dishes u find in chinese stir fry but they all look gross,slimy and off and weak and mediocre, like yes the dishes should be covered and drenched in sauce,but it looks more like its decaying and putrifying and slimificating in its own juices after sitting out for too long....everything looks like a weak and pale imitation like what american kraft cheese is to cheese.....
americanised for american tastebuds my ass....that shyt doesnt look delicious or satisfying even if i was starving after being on a greyhound bus for 12 hours.
i hope somebody who know whats hes doing or a famous restaurant chain from hong kong or malaysia or china goes to america and put panda express out of business.
@@KarmaticEvolution no, they always used fresh ingredients. Labor costs/needs are higher but PE can deal with that with better labor retention. I used to work at one about 15 years ago and all the cooks in the back are Mexicans.
I don't care what people say about panda express. Not only is it really good food for what it is -- fast food (for reference you can get a plate of food at panda express for about the same price as a value meal at other fast food restaurants), it's staggering how high quality the food is given the price point. But on top of that, it's also a very respectable company that treat their employees right.
I have great respect for this style of food. Too often folks in my orbit deride this as un-authentic but that it missing the point entirely. Its not trying to be authentic; the food utilizes ingredients that were/are available to early chefs from Asia/China at the time, the flavours became popular and mainstream, so why mess with a money maker? I highly recommend the book "Chop Suey Nation: The Legion Cafe and Other Stories from Canada’s Chinese Restaurants" by Ann Hui, which really goes out to speak to owners and operators of 'Americanized' Chinese cafes, including her own family history in the industry.
I've read that book; it's a great read!
Nothing worse than an elitist food purist. Half the reason American food is so good is because of the melting pot of immigrants who came here and blended their roots with the local culture. If you want real Chinese food, go to Chinatown.
Wow they've really stepped up their game since I was a kid in the 90s... tbh I don't remember the food being all that good back in the day, but this looks a lot better. You always have to respect fast food workers because no matter what the food is like, they're busting their ass and working incredibly hard for often low pay and no respect from customers. But especially when a huge franchise like this decides to do things right and use higher-quality ingredients, toasting their own spices, it's just great to see.
It's informative and gives a view on how a big chain like Panda Express operates.
I was not expecting this degree of education from Panda. I’m blown away.
I didnt expect that from a panda either
A lot of people give Panda Express crap, but all things aside, for what it is, it's still decent food. It's better than a lot of fast food options, and the variety in nutrients is there as well. If I had to live off of fast food, Panda Express (if it counts as fast food) would be in there for sure.
I love Panda Express. For anyone saying that Panda or other take-out spots are not authentic....I say yes it is. They're not authentically Asian, but they're authentically American. And the contributions of Asian-Americans and the historical struggles behind their cuisine should be acknowledged and celebrated the same way as other American cuisines like burgers and BBQ.
This made me want Panda Express 😂
Same
Panda Express has such a bad rep for many food channels on this platform but this food lead is carrying this establishment's name with so much pride and knowledge it's just awe inspiring
All looks fresh , bar the orange chicken being frozen . Vegetables look great , everything is prepped in house not pre chopped . Quite impressed actually , they have actual cooks in back .
It gets crispier if its frozen
The sad truth is that the orange chicken literally has to be frozen. The average Panda Express on a busy day uses more than 6 BOXES of orange chicken a day. It’s simply too much to prep for one or two people working in the back. All of the fried menu items are pre frozen because they can’t have battering stations in store, so they get them during shipments twice a week. Other than that, basically everything is fresh and prepped in store. All sauces except for one or two are made in house, veggies except for the peas and carrots are cut fresh, and most locations don’t even have a microwave.
All chinese restaurant use frozen battered chicken coming in a big box from the factory.
I appreciate Adrian's ability to explain their process and it really gives me more respect to how Panda Express operates. Panda Express is great Americanized food. It's tastes great and is quick to buy.
people hate on panda express too much, life is too short to not admit that its delicious
It's not fast food. It's good food quickly. I really appreciate Adrian's dedication and care he takes in his preparation and cooking. You can feel his excitement in making good food for his customers. Good stuff.
@@aroldisxanman6840 MSG isnt a bad thing to add to quality food
@Aroldis Xanman When I'm walking around a mall that is exactly what I need. Aside from that my point wasn't so much an endorsement of the food, I was pointing out that here's a guy, Adrian, who has dedicated himself to making the experience the best it can be.
@@aroldisxanman6840 literally nothing wrong with MSG.
@Aroldis Xanman Panda Express doesn't use MSG. But that's beside the point. MSG is one of God's way of filtering out the weak and the feeble. If you can't handle a bit of glutamic acid bond to sodium, you probably should get handed a Darwin Award with immediate prize dispensation.
@Aroldis Xanman ignorant asf
I just had Panda Express today. The teriyaki chicken tastes so good it reminds me of sweet crab meat. This was a great behind the scenes interview.
When I am in USA , I love Panda Express.
The consistency is great.
The taste , umami is great.
It gives me access to great Chinese food at affordable price.
Chinese tends to be pretty affordable. My favorite hole in the wall place is like buy a 12 dollar meal but is actually enough food to eat 3 meals.
What a guy. I can’t help but root for him and the company. I used to deliver there when I was a truck driver. I always wondered how they had so much product coming 2-3 times a week. This video explains a lot…they seemed to really have worked on their weaknesses to bring forth affordable food and also challenge the American palate in an inviting way. 🙂
Love it when you can see the care a big chain restaurant puts into assuring their quality remains consistent. Panda Express isn't 5 star dining by any stretch, but you know what you're going to get when you visit one and they've crafted all their recipes to be flavorful and accessible
Panda is owned by one person.
I have a friend who went to work there behind the counter and in a short time was manager.
Within a couple of years, regional manager.
They treat their employees really pretty well.
Always love an origin story, but the mall near me wasn't as diligent as the creator. But Panda Express will always have a place in my memories as a kid.
In a world of ever increasing food prices where McDonald's has the gall to charge 3 dollars for a McChicken and Subway footlongs are closer to 12 dollars, Panda is truly one of the few remaining bastions for affordable eating, a good select few items, and consistent quality.
the innovation kitchens are so good. i got an orange chicken burrito with boba nad it was so good
This makes Panda Express seem like a mom-and-pop restaurant
Theres something so charming about the way he speaks!
he's like the chinese american shamwow guy
As a Chinese master chef for more than a decade, I have to say all the ingredients and cooking skills are actually decent, I'm surprise
One day I will travel to America just to taste it and rate it
A lot of people hate on Panda Express, but I really want them to open in my country
I'm from Singapore, means easy access to good asian food. BUT, ill still never forget my first time eating Panda Express during my vacation in USA. i watch this with nostalgia :'^)
this video has shown me how surprisingly high quality Panda Express is
i love Panda Express' orange chicken! When i first visited the States in 2009, i tried this for the first time. It totally lived up to the hype and it was my first time eating chinese out of those stereotypical takeout containers you see in the movies.
I hate it. You need to try Chinese food at a local Chinese restaurant.
@@CoolAce1ngl the best Chinese food I had was from a local place that had 2-3 locations in my city
Wow, I didn't know all that much about Panda express & American Chinese food. I'm Chinese-American, I haven't ever had panda express, but everyone in the US calls it "fake," "not authentic," derides it and such. When in reality American Chinese food is it's own cuisine entirely because of obviously different circumstances on a different continent. Never really thought about that
I'm impressed with how much is prepared in house. I thought a lot like chopping veggies was done at a distribution center.
This might as well have been an ad because now I want Panda Express 🤣🥰
I was shocked at how much effort went into a meal from Panda Express. I used to love this place in my early years of College before Pei Wai's cheap coupon deals and closer access to food sold me (PE was 35 min away by Interstate @ 80mph while Pei Wai was a 5 minute 2-lane drive north of Campus) I think I might go back again, regardless of how meh it's quality is reported to be
The worst thing about PE is the inconsistency. Where I used to live I would always go to the one further away because the food was almost always better than the closer one. But even that one wouldn't be 100%. The way they make the food is great but it also brings in variables where two different chefs may not make it the exact same way. And then there's the fact that even if it's great when it's fresh, if it has been sitting in those warming trays for hours then it gets all mushy and gross.
I had a Pei Wei right down the street from me for a few years as a kid. I miss it.
@@sntslilhlpr6601 Pei Wei is the way to go. I went to the aforementioned new local one and they told me, at 8:15 (close at 9) that this is all they had left and are not cooking more. Reviewing the Google Reviews show this is a concurrent case where the staff starts cleaning an hour-plus before
I'm impressed they have anything close to consistency considering how much of the flavor profile depends on the chefs' skill.
i think that's the biggest issue. they can follow the company guidelines/recipe, but the ones near me are nowhere (even visually) as appealing at the dishes presenting in this video. That, for me, is why i rarely eat at panda.. consistency. when i order, it tends to just be slop in a box, huge contrast vs this video.
Panda E has some really good items they serve. I had actually never been to a PE until I was about 19 y/o. For flavor and price, it really is some of the best Chinese food in my area.
Never been too a pyshical education gym until you were 19?
@@alan.74 lol. You know what I meant. Panda Express
@@averywebb1179 Lol
They better never get rid of that Beijing beef 😤 They ran out during covid and I staked out the resteraunt for months.
i prefer the wuhan wagyu that was served during covid
Their beijing beef and honey walnut shrimp are to die for
I love that idea. They took a full dining experience, to turn it into a fast food take out meal.
40 years strong and growing.
'A lot of times we're the first taste of Chinese food for a lot of people in the US' this is equal parts cool and sad.
I'd say its more cool, gotta start folks somewhere before working them up to century eggs
It’s not real Chinese food. It’s not even close.
@@BigTuna18yes it is. It is the most authentic Chinese food in the USA.
I find that odd because Chinese restaurants actually outnumber many fast food chains, including McDonalds, in the US.
@@BigTuna18 I bet you're a white guy who doesn't travel a lot and learn other cultures
Great vid. I make a version of orange chicken at home very similar to this. The secret to the breading is to go 50/50 rice and wheat flour with a about a tenth straight corn starch, dredge twice for breading "verticality", then low deep fry then high deep fry. This makes a breading so crunchy that it's still crunchy an hour after being coated with sauce.
Didn't know Sichuan peppercorns were banned in the States. Here in Canada we can find them almost in every major store.
Everything is banned in that poo country
I'm not a fan of fast food...but I could eat about 50 pounds of Panda's kung pao and die a happy man.
Please expand in Japan at competitive prices... we need you
Right now its just too crazy expensive here.
yea i try out orange chicken every time when I go to panda express, i just love it.
Whoever got served the food he was cooking got the best ever Panda Express meal 😂
There is a pretty big mis-conception with asians and our opinions on Panda Express. Most of us don’t actually hate Panda Express. It’s just that their food isn’t truly asian cuisine so it doesn’t match our tastes to the tea, but that’s entirely understandable as Panda Express did have to adapt to Western tastes. In other words, about 50% of asians will probably say that Panda Express is a passable option for chinese food. We asains love *dog* ging on Panda Express for their food being a mockery of the real deal, but that’s because we’re comparing half-western half-eastern to full-eastern. It’s also quite sad and a little infuriating to some asians when their friends go out and say they are getting chinese food and come back with Panda Express. The only thing I hate about Panda Express is that some people genuinely think Panda Express’s food is *true* chinese food, which it clearly isn’t. I hate having to argue with people that it isn’t true chinese food, but for some reason, they won’t budge! I’m the asian here! I know more about my own region’s food than you! I’ve been eating it my entire life! That’s enough of my rambling though. Sorry if I wasted your time with all that. One more thing though…
Will asians still dog on Panda Express because of their food?
Yes. I can guarantee that for sure.
As a chinese person, I now have way more respect for Panda Express
Their Orange Chicken is my guilty pleasure tbh. I love eating it in the winter around Christmas when it gets really cold. Perfect weather for some Orange Chicken
I grew up on this lol. Even though it’s Americanised, it’s still good.
It's amazing when you get a fresh batch of your favorite, but bad if sitting on the warmer for an hour
Panda Express is my favorite fast food restaurant. The orange chicken is definitely on my list if I were to have a last meal.
I really like Panda Express. They do not cut corners and they use a lot of techniques that are authentic to Chinese cooking.
They're putting in the effort to match both American and Chinese palates. Geniuses.
Being an Asian business in America is hard because everyone craves the authenticity label, but of course it’s going to be influenced by American flavors due to not having access to some ingredients either from bans, no shipping to the area, or it’s too expensive to be worth buying. Even then when you grow or live in America for a long while you either lose a little piece of your culture over time or simply have to adjust to the American palette to ensure your resturant doesn’t fail.
these are some amazing cooking techniques! I can’t wait to try out them all!
I am no expert but I really can’t tell the difference between real Chinese food and Panda Express. I tried both and I seen how they are cooked it’s mostly the same.
I never knew that the Orange Chicken is fried twice, interesting. That Orange Chicken sauce varies by restaurant, but its amazing when done well.
I freaking love Panda Express! I always order the chow mein with orange and teriyaki chicken and add some broccoli for the veggies. Super delicious!
I love his honesty and straight forwardness throughout the whole video. good job
Not gonna lie I do miss Orange Chicken. People would think these kinda food be highly accessible in Asia. Closest thing are “local” buffets but you’re not gonna see things like shrimps and angus steak😂
I'm South Korean, and it is interesting to see how different American-Chinese food compare to Korean-Chinese food. I also have been to Japan and Japanese-Chinese food was also very different (Ramen etc)
The good thing here is there's panda express here in The Philippines.
Damn I really wanna try their orange and kung pao chicken.
That’s what I always order, with the lo mein. It’s honestly pretty solid.
The first Panda Express was opened in my hometown of Glendale, Ca. It was opened in the Glendale Galleria food court area. The chain was so successful that there was one even inside my local Vons Supermarket.
Panda Express is probably the closest Chinese food you get from a chained restaurant.
You'll be very surprised if you go to China expecting Panda Express. It's practically American food at this point.
Are you from China?
I always loved Panda, but watching this makes me appreciate it even more.
i dont know why people like to ignore the emphasis he placed on panda express being "american-chinese" food rather "authentic chinese". if you want real chinese food, make some for yourself, or hit up one of your chinese friends, or even go to china if you got the money for it. things don’t have to be complicated...
The interesting thing about Panda Express is that even though they're "meh" to some, they're consistently "meh" no matter where you go. Perhaps I haven't been to many Panda Express locations, yes, but when you're looking for guilty Asian pleasures somewhere new it's usually been pretty reliable in terms of taste and quality.
0:09 There is no Panda Express in Vermont. You gotta upload a correction. Or get a restaurant in Vermont.
I love Panda Express' in malls. They basically run all other food vendors out of business.... The lines of costumers are huge, and the other vendors.... Have like 3 persons lined up.
As an authentic Chinese I would say these dishes may not look like authentic Chinese food, but they look delicious, and most important is they suit the local flavors. I hope one day I could taste it
I will totally buy an orange chicken sandwich. Sounds delicious.
It needs lots of acidity to cut the sugary flavor in the sandwich but if they add lots of fresh herbs and citrusy dressings in it, I think it would make a great sandwich for lunch.
FORGOT TO MENTION THE MSG!!!
What’s sad about having so many restaurants is the reduction in the quality of food. I’ll crave it, buy it, immediately regret it because food is old or executed poorly. I hope they have a QA team going around to attempt to maintain quality.
Yup so true
2:38 the chicken prep was completely skipped
Great video with a lot of interesting stories about the restaurant's history
10:17 wow this shrimp dish looks delicious! I need to find my closest Panda Express!
This young chef impresses me a lot , so genuine so real so dedicated, he should work in a fine restaurant , can’t believe he is cooking fresh food for Panda wooooooow 😊🤗😱
Just saw an ad asking to donate to end world hunger, couldn’t help but think back to when I worked for Panda Express and all that food that ends up in the trash. Crazy
I wouldn't say Panda Express invented orange chicken. The owner may have come up with his recipe in the 1987 and thought it was novel but orange or tangerine chicken has been a staple dish in Chinese restaurants and takeaways in the UK and Ireland since at least the late 70s. Most Chinese immigrants in UK and Ireland back then came from Hong Kong and the sweet and sour flavour profile is a classic Cantonese pairing. My parents had classic sweet and sour sauce (tomato based with pineapple), orange chicken and lemon chicken on their menu when they started their own business in the early 80s and had been working in restaurants prior to that in the 70s that also had these menu items.
Yupper. You hit the nail on the head. A lot of "Chinese-Americans" or "Taiwanese-Americans" never even been to Europe and assume with their limited culinary experience that everything is all American. They should visit China, Taiwan, and other parts of Asia to realize Panda Express food is pretty much something you can find similarly in Asia. I get my orange-chicken once in awhile at my factory...which is in Asia. depending on the menu of the week. I just scooped up some shrimp and pineapple sauce into my to-go box at lunch yesterday...at a factory in the middle of nowhere Asia.
You also have 陈皮鸡 which is the likely ancestor to all of those recipes, and the standard bright-red ketchup-based sweet and sour sauce is extremely common in China for making things like 咕噜肉 or 松鼠鱖魚.
yup.. he might have thought it's innovative, but 陳皮雞 has been around for a looooong time
484,986 views, 7.9k likes, 510 comments, 3.41M subscribers. Nice!!
Black Pepper Angus steak dish took 5 years to develop? Well glad they stuck with it cuz that is my absolute favorite from Panda 🤤
Hit those wok rings at 0:44 with the small black knife, and under the blancher too. I cleaned that daily when it was never shown on a channel with such a big following.
"i know it looks like alot of sugar but its for 2 americans"
LMAO
Soo true lol
🤣🤣
As a filipino whose nationality is completely unrelated to this video, I can confirm the chicken looks good.
I love how they put a lot of meat in there dishes when there filming. but when i go to the panda express in my area ill be lucky to get 2 or maybe 3 pieces of meat
You need to find another store then, because every one I've been to always serves a lot of meat!
The courteously men who was interviewed actually affable, he reply the questions extremely tender and his knowledge about the food was not trivial. I am a avid food traveller and big fan of food. And I hope I can nourish the hope can have a trip to his restaurant to experience the orange fr chicken, it will be a spectacular experience in my live
orange chicken sandwich sounds interesting😂
i love how they found the only panda express that has asian people working in it
Now I know who to blame for Panda Express getting rid of Black Pepper Chicken.
Panda Express has gotten down the psychology of visual portion control down to a science. The scoop and then that gratuitous extra piece of the food item to make you feel you got a little extra.
As a Chinese, my friends and I agree that if we eat American Chinese food 1-2 times a month, it's the most delicious thing ever for a quick meal. But if we start to eat more than 2 times a week, it's the most disgusting thing because of the heavy flavours and greese.
As a Chinese, I am obsessed with panda express. best Chinese food in usa!
My brother-in-law is from Chengu (Sechuan). He says Panda Express is the most authentic Chinese food he encounters in the US.
@@88KeysIdaho he must be somewhere remote or rural because there are thousands of actual sichuan restaurants, run by chefs and families from sichuan, in the US now
@@jw6451 He's not anywhere rural, and perhaps my comment was over-stated. He just means in general, that it's pretty authentic. Sure there are genuine "Sichuan" restaurants here, but he likes Panda Express as being a pretty decent version of Sichuan food.