Panda Express started with one man, Andrew Cherng, who traveled to America from China to pursue his American dream. The very first Panda Express  was in fact named, “Panda Inn” established in 1973 in Pasadena, Calif. From there on, this restaurant became a national favorite, and soon, all Americans got the taste of Chinese cuisine without the pricey cost from a fine dining restuarant that features Chinese food. The best part is, Cherng chose to feature Mandarin and Szechuan cuisine into his restaurant. One very famous Mandarin dish is the Orange Chicken.

When one goes to Panda Express, they have many options to choose from. From Kung Pao Chicken to Beef and Broccoli, Orange Chicken may just be the most famous and known dish in America when it comes to Chinese cuisine. This famous dish is commonly known as “orange chicken” some may refer this dish to “tangerine chicken” or “orange peel chicken.” Either way, this dish, regardless the name, is still delicious and has that signature tang that everyone call recall orange chicken for.

Orange chicken is a delicacy. It’s chicken breasts which are cut into balls, dipped inside a cornstarch batter, deep-fried, and later stir fried into a tangy and sweet sauce.

The coating is absolutely beautiful and it instantly makes one’s mouth water. Not only that, with the different sides you can choose from, the dish just gets better! You get to choose from fried rice, white rice, chow mein, and brown rice. I personally chose two sides: fried rice and chow mein. The fried rice and chow mein have as much attention as the orange chicken and it makes the dish more piquant. Lastly, the meal is finished off with nothing more than China’s famous fortune cookies! These are fun treats that allow you to open it up and find a fun message inside. Not only that, these fortune cookies fill your mouth with a sweet, but very subtle vanilla taste. The crunchy texture makes it all the better.

The prices at Panda Express for a meal is reasonable. For a tray of food consisting of any entree with any two sides is only $6.59. With a tray of food for one person, it provides more than enough and can feed up to three people. However, if one is settling in on something just for themselves, a Panda Bowl with the option of any entree with any one side is only $5.59. Personally, the feel of the Panda Bowl is very comforting because it’s portioned very nicely and one gets an equal amount of entree and side.

Every Panda Express has a different interior design. However, one will always recognize Panda Express from it’s logo, the panda. The exterior design is always purple and it’s easily distinguished from other fast food restaurants surrounding it. When one is ordering, there are trays of the options right at the cash register, allowing you to see and choose which dish you would like to get. This is a big plus for many customers because some may know the look, but not the name of the dish.

Panda Express hits the spot when craving for Chinese cuisine. It has it’s variety of foods and there are many options to choose from. It’s always great to leave the restaurant feeling satisfied. Especially after reading the fortune that comes from the fortune cookie. “You are admired for your adventurous ways.” That sure does sound satisfying!