I tried Panda Express for the first time, and I get the hype even though its most famous dish let me down

Pascale MondesirJan 22, 2023, 21:54 IST

I tried Panda Express for the first time and was surprised by the flavors and menu options.Pascale Mondesir

After being a Chinese-food snob for years, I finally tried Panda Express for the first time.
I wasn't a fan of the chain's usually well-reviewed orange chicken because it was just too sweet.

I tried Panda Express for the first time after being a Chinese-food snob for years.

I went to a location close to my home in Texas.Pascale Mondesir

I thought the restaurant's interior looked sleek.

I liked that customers could order at a semicircle counter.Pascale Mondesir

Panda Express' menu seemed pretty straightforward.

The menu was displayed above the semicircle counter.Pascale Mondesir

I actually enjoyed the process of ordering food.

I liked that customers could see the food they were ordering.Pascale Mondesir

I ordered a wide selection of food.

I took my food from Panda Express home.Pascale Mondesir

I tried one of the bigger plates first.

My first bigger plate had chow mein and orange, mushroom, and kung-pao chicken.Pascale Mondesir

I was a big fan of the chow mein.

I thought the chow mein was buttery and delicious.Pascale Mondesir

The kung-pao chicken was good but a little too spicy for my taste.

The kung-pao chicken had chili peppers in it.Pascale Mondesir

The mushroom chicken had a good flavor.

The mushroom chicken had a pretty good flavor from the ginger-soy sauce.Pascale Mondesir

Surprisingly, the orange chicken was my least favorite part of the meal.

I wasn't a huge fan of Panda Express' orange chicken.Pascale Mondesir

I dove into the second bigger plate next.

My second bigger plate came with fried rice, broccoli beef, honey-walnut shrimp, and string-bean chicken breast.Pascale Mondesir

The fried rice didn't impress me at all.

The fried rice tasted kind of bland to me.Pascale Mondesir

The honey-walnut shrimp was good but I didn't even get any nuts on my plate.

My honey-walnut shrimp didn't have any nuts in it.Pascale Mondesir

I liked the broccoli beef.

The broccoli beef came with large chunks of vegetables.Pascale Mondesir

The string-bean chicken breast was one of my favorite parts of the meal.

The onions and soy sauce created a delicious bite.Pascale Mondesir

Next time, I'll try more of the chain's protein-based dishes.

If I go to Panda Express again, I'll try other chicken and beef dishes.Pascale Mondesir

I was pleasantly surprised by Panda Express since the food was nowhere near as bad or bland as I thought it would be.

I would try only a few items from Panda Express again.Pascale Mondesir

I stayed in a 187-square-foot tiny home near Disneyland for $92 a night, and I'd totally do it again

Cookies on the Business Insider India website