Panda Express is a successful fast-food chain that helped introduce Asian food to the American
consumer, and by doing so pulled their unique cuisine out of the fringes and into the culinary
mainstream. In the first part of this series, we covered the origins of Panda Express and
how the owners, college sweethearts, take care of their workforce and push for technological
advances in their chains. In this part, we reveal some secrets that even the most die-hard
patrons of Panda Express may not know about. So let’s uncover the TOP 10 UNTOLD TRUTHS
OF PANDA EXPRESS - Part 2.
Panda Express has Healthy Food Choices
At a time when the fast-food business is shrinking everywhere, Panda Express is actually expanding.
With over two thousand outlets in the US, the franchise is breaking the norms. But that
doesn’t mean that all the food you eat there is good for you. Health-wise, fast food is
not really the best option. You probably heard in the news recently about the teenager who
lived on a diet of ham, cheese, and fast food that made him go blind and lose most of his
hearing as well. This is a pretty severe case, due to the teen’s eating disorder, called
ARFID, Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, which unfortunately led to a severe nutritional
deficiency. But just because this was a complicated diagnosis doesn’t mean we all shouldn’t
be a bit more careful about what we put in our bodies. Even with the growing trend among
fast-food giants to clean up their menu and offer healthier choices, one still has to
be really picky when it comes to eating at a fast-food outlet. So what are the healthy
choices you can have at Panda Express? Turns out there are several options that won’t
clog your arteries. These include mixed veggies, chicken breast entrees, and broccoli beef
- if you don’t mind the broccoli. Surprisingly, sweet and sour pork is on the healthy menu.
If you like shrimp, then go for the tangy shrimp. The whole dish only has seven grams
of fat.
They Have Unhealthy Choices Too
So we mentioned some of the healthy food choices Panda Express has to offer. But what about
the less healthy ones? Since we brought it up, let’s see what food items you should
avoid at all costs when you’re having a meal there. One of the first things to totally
ignore when you look at the menu is the rice and noodle dishes. None of them are even remotely
healthy. We’re talking about the fried rice and even steamed white rice, because rice
is all carbs and mostly filler. The same ban should cover the famous, or infamous, chow
mein. It has enough sodium to send your physician into a hissy fit. The list of bad food also
includes veggie dishes like the popular eggplant and tofu. This harmless looking dish has too
much fat and more than enough sugar to make it truly worthy of the name junk food. Moving
on to beef. There are two beef items you should totally avoid. These are the Beijing beef
and Mongolian beef. The BBQ pork is also bad for your poor heart. As for seafood, you should
steer clear of ordering the honey walnut shrimp, the kung pao shrimp, or the crispy shrimp.
And while we’re there, don’t scan the appetizers and soups menu, because everything
there will conspire against your cardiovascular system.
The Owners are both Immigrants
We all know that not all the Asian food we eat is made by people from Asian countries,
any more than the pizza we enjoy is made by Italians. Authenticity and originality are
no longer a prerequisite in this day and age - especially as far as fast food is concerned.
To be honest, it’s hard to imagine that people in China used to eat many of the items
on the Panda Express menu in their day to day life. We all accept that and still enjoy
the Mexican food, Thai food, and Chinese food we eat at the Americanized restaurants that
dot our cities and towns. But what might come as a surprise to you is that both Andrew and
Peggy Cherng, the owners of Panda Express, are immigrants who hail from Asia. Andrew
was born in Yangzhou, China but spent most of his childhood moving between Japan and
Taiwan. He later came to the US to study, and that’s where he met Peggy at college.
Peggy was born in Burma, but spent her early years in Hong Kong. This multicultural background
of both owners is reflected on their menu as well. The food you eat there has its roots
in different Asian cuisines and cultures, not just the Chinese one.
Panda Express wasn’t Meant to be a Restaurant
Few people know where they want to take their life right from the get-go. We start with
no clear idea of what we would want to do with our lives. Many years later, and after
many false starts, we might stumble into our mission in life by chance. And those are the
lucky people. Yet there are some who never find their passion and settle for whatever
place they find available under the sun. The reason we bring this up is that before Panda
Express was on the horizon, both Andrew and Peggy had totally different plans for their
lives. Peggy was getting a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and Andrew was working on his
master’s in applied mathematics. After getting her degree, Peggy worked as a software developer
at 3M and McDonnel Douglas aerospace manufacturing. She even joined the US Navy as a programmer
for a while. Neither of them had any dreams about owning or running a restaurant. Theirs
were white-collar jobs, and they spent their hours staring at computer screens. If you
had told them that in a few years they would be the owners of a fast-food chain with a
couple of thousand outlets, they would have probably laughed right in your face.
Try the Live Test Kitchen
Unlike other fast-food chains where new menu items are being planned in secret kitchens
behind coded doors, guarded by heavily armed ex-Marines (or at least that’s how they
show it in the movies), Panda Express likes to test their food in an outlet in Pasadena,
California. It’s called the Innovation Kitchen, and as the name implies, this is the place
where food meets technology and the genius of creative chefs. But it’s not just food
that gets tweaked. Innovation covers every aspect of the fast-food chain. From what music
to play, to the staff uniforms. But mainly it’s new dishes that attract fans of the
Chinese food chain. People go there to try out new dishes. Of course, not all of these
dishes find their place on the official menu. Many don’t even make it past the trial stage.
But people enjoy it. They enjoy being part of the whole experience. They try the new
dishes, give their feedback and walk out happy. And for the chefs, they too couldn’t be
happier. They get live feedback on their creations right then and there. This helps them refine
their dishes, and figure out what is wrong with the items which aren’t to people’s
liking. When you think about it, this is how all fast food giants should test their new
menus. Let the customers have their say before you surprise them with something that could
either be a hit or a miss.
So many Panda Express Outlets
We mentioned that Panda Express has over 2,000 outlets all over the country. Does that mean
there are as many malls still open in the US? Not necessarily. And, honestly, we don’t
think anybody knows the exact number of malls right now considering that strip malls are
so 1990s. But back to our food franchise. Thankfully, you don’t have to go to a mall
to find an outlet. Far from it. Just like other fast-food giants such as McDonald’s
and KFC, Panda Express has lots of stand-alone outlets. With so many outlets, the chances
of you having one near you are quite high. Even if you have not seen a freestanding Panda
Express before, that might have to do with the fact that you weren’t looking. Many
people only look for Panda Express in food courts. But in reality, the chain has outlets
in places such as airports, college campuses, and even theme parks. So the next time you’re
taking a local flight, go look for Panda Express to enjoy one of their healthy meals before
the food on the plane puts you off altogether.
Bubble Tea is Making a Splash
Go to any restaurant or cafe that serves casual food and look around. Chances are you’ll
find a cup of bubble tea on the table next to you. This refreshing drink has caught people’s
imagination and is spreading all over the country at a high pace. And that’s something
that Panda Express didn’t miss - they decided to get on the bubble tea train as well. The
only problem is you won’t get this fabulous drink at just about any outlet. Only a few
restaurants offer these beverages. How do you know if the one you just entered serves
your favorite tea or not? Easy. If you find a Panda Tea Bar then you’re in luck. There
you can order anything from milk tea, shakes, coffees, teas, and smoothies. That’s not
all. As part of the Panda Tea Bar fun, you can also mix your drink with chia seeds, pudding,
boba, jelly, or aloe vera. Say what you like about tea, it’s certainly a healthier option
than sodas. At least you know what’s in your cup. Tea leaves, water, and sugar. But
soda is a whole different ball game. What Pepsi and Coca Cola put in their beverages
is beyond me. Better the devil you know. Tea it is, then.
Panda Express Pizza and Salad
One of the common features that all fast food chains share is the tendency to explore new
culinary territories that may not even be related to their core business. We have seen
McDonald’s venture into the pizza world and fail. But it seems that such a debauched
attempt didn’t deter Panda Express from attempting the same feat. Recently the chain
has acquired two other franchises. The first is Pieology Pizzeria and the other is Just
Salad. So what does this mean to the American-Asian food fans? Will we one day see pizza served
in Panda Express? Will salads and green take their rightful place on the menu? It’s still
too early to tell. For one thing, the Panda Express pizza experiment is different from
the McDonald’s one. McDonald’s was serving pizza along with its other trademark items
all in the same outlet. But here we have the pizza pies in their own outlet with nothing
to connect them to orange chicken expect ownership. There certainly is the possibility of both
menus eventually overlapping, and we might see novel items being introduced in both franchises.
Millions of Fortune Cookies
The most famous item to come out of American-Chinese cuisine is probably the fortune cookie. True
to its origins, Panda Express serves this delicacy in its restaurants all over the country.
And they’re in demand. It seems nobody can think of themselves dining at Panda Express
without cracking open a fortune cookie to know what awaits them in the future. To give
you an idea of how popular they are, it is estimated that every year about 282 million
fortune cookies are handed out to customers. That’s an amazing figure. And due to their
popularity, the chain has renamed them ‘fortunate cookies’. The messages they carry are always
happy and optimistic ones. It’s the best way to end a meal. To read something motivating
and cheerful to lift you up. Even those who don’t believe in fortune cookies seem to
delight in it. Maybe it’s the crunchy cookies or maybe we all just like to finish our meal
on a high note. With that many fortune cookies being given out, we are sure some people must
be eating more than one. I guess it’s good to cover your bases. The more fortunes you
can get your hands on, the better the odds that one of them will be right on the mark.
The Early Roots of Panda Express
The last truth has to do with the very early origins of Panda Express. When the owners
started flirting with the idea of opening a restaurant, they were smart enough to start
small. It was a sit-down restaurant in Pasadena. Nothing fancy. Simple delicious food and good
service. That’s how far their culinary dreams were able to take them at the time. It was
the early 70’s and the menu was inspired by traditional dishes from Mandarin and Sichuan
cuisine. It was hard work, and the only way they could tell if a menu item was a hit or
a miss was by getting direct feedback from the customers. But soon they were opening
more sit-in restaurants in other spots. People loved their authentic food and couldn’t
get enough of these flavors. Well the hard work paid off, as more and more restaurants
were to follow. Starting small and fine tuning the menu truly worked, and the rest, as they
say, is history.
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