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Panda Express’ orange chicken changed the game for American Chinese food 35 years ago
- Thread starter Forerunner
- Start date
Eh not bad for a quick hit on the subject.
Recommended for a better, deeper dive:
View: https://youtu.be/7z0hmBIR8BE
Should still be on Netflix for those of you who find this story and history interesting. Highly recommended.
yeah i mean, by all means promote what you perceive to be the original versions of foods you're familiar with, and the point about stereotypes is a good one (plus it can go the other way when major chains act as sanitized takes on "foreign" cuisine). but acting like adaptations are a "white people thing" rather than the obvious and natural extension of multiculturalism everywhere around the world is just myopic.
like, i personally think japanese curry is terrible but there's no denying that it's an incredibly popular adaptation of a previously unfamiliar food to another palate!
Not Chinese so I don't want to be too judgmental here, but if I were one of the young people in this video, I'd be pretty humbled by seeing myself act like this in comparison to my elders.
I sympathize with the desire to defend one's home culture, the challenges of navigating two distinct cultures, and experiencing constant discrimination in white-dominated America - but fundamentally tasty food is tasty food. The elders seem to understand that while the young folks do not.
Yea the young man embarrassed himself here tbh
You aren't missing anything you can't get at any other Chinese American restaurant, and at a higher quality. Everyone sells orange chicken at this point and they'll have better appetizers, sides, and rice than Panda Express.
It's bad simply because it's bad. Most Americans could not tell you what is actually "authentic" even if you served it to them.
The part where one of them comments that she actually kinda likes the chow mein - and the other two glare at her, with the guy saying that she obviously hasn't had authentic Chinese food - my god, so cringey.
When I was a kid, prior to even knowing what panda express was, my parents always ordered from a local Chinese take out place called Canton Kitchen. They had the best orange chicken, very lightly breaded, really bright orange, sweet, tangy sauce, with big chunks of chicken. I loved it growing up and it was always such a treat.
Oh
Then I guess I probably had it when I was younger
Always go to non big brand Chinese restaurants
this is like saying you can get a better burger than a big mac anywhere.
technically true yes but it's not going to be a big mac. panda express orange chicken exists unto itself and is worth meeting on its own terms.
anyone from any background saying they only value "authentic" food is full of shit. and to your point, that would still have no bearing on whether panda express is good or not
The store bought versions of their sauces are actually quite good. I've only had Panda express at a theme park. It was fine.
They are the same people that have to let you know they cook a better burger at home then any fast food restaurant. Missing the point of the topic to try and stroke their ego no one cares about.
Yeah, obviously there are real social concerns that X-Y face that X in X country don't, but going online and seeing the ultranationalist who can only speak 15 words of their parents language and has maybe been there once or twice is so weird lol
There's no Panda Express' here but hearing food described as "sugary chicken" in this thread sounds twisted, like sweetmeats in the 1800s that were named after human ribs
I don't think I've ever eaten at Panda Express, just at local places. There's some really great local places around here that also do dim sum menus and the like, so their food is always great.
I love American Chinese food but also really don't like Panda Express? I feel like this is an opinion that gets squeezed out in these threads but there are tons of local/regional chinese food places that are way better than Panda Express, that are not at all authentic but nonetheless very good. It's like comparing pizza hut to actual Italian cuisine while disparaging all good sub/pizza places in the process?
I get panda about once a year but I make orange chicken in our instant pot about every other week.
I've got a real easy recipe that I've basically memorized by now.
I've got a real easy recipe that I've basically memorized by now.
Damn, this video is pretty good. I really like American Chinese food(I'm not Chinese), but always felt like I had to put it down sometimes because it's not authentic and is a cheap imitation of the real thing. I feel like I want to stand up for it the next time someone wants to shit on it as fake and a cheap imitation.
And it was interesting to hear her explanation of how every little town in the US has one. I was raised in a smaller town, we had our own. And all the neighboring small towns also have their own. American Chinese, Italian American, and Tex Mex feel like the big 3 that you will find in every little town in the US(I mean like a population of 1-10k, not 10 or 50 lol).
As for Panda Express vs local American Chinese restaurants? I find that it varies. With Panda Express what you're guaranteed is consistency. You know it'll be the same quality just about everywhere as it should be because it's a chain. And I do like Panda Express Bejing beef and Orange chicken are always my go to. As for local places, they can be really hit and miss. My first apartment, I tried two local places and didn't like either. I just settled on Panda Express after that lol.
I forgot to mention the cream cheese rangoons. I might like those even more than I like the entrees.
Why is it so hard to believe that Panda Express popularized orange chicken specifically?
Even for American Chinese food specifically, General Tso's is a more popular dish and pre-dates it so claiming Panda Express was responsible for the popularity of Chinese takeout is a stretch.
Please don't. Support any local Chinese restaurant, they will likely have significantly better food.
I have never eaten at a panda express. I don't know if I'm spoiled to live in a part of the country with so many local places I would never have to eat at one, but it always looks like crap when I see it in pictures.
Panda is okay, and I definitely eat it from time to time, but there are so many better local options imo.
Saying "someone did this before" and providing receipts is researching a topic and keeping the record straight.
Saying, "someone did this better and before" while providing no receipts and leaning on your own unsubstantiated assertions is...being a hater.
Don't be a hater, fam.
Saying, "someone did this better and before" while providing no receipts and leaning on your own unsubstantiated assertions is...being a hater.
Don't be a hater, fam.
Panda Express is the best junk food. Orange Chicken/Beijing Beef with Lo Mein was my guilty pleasure for years.
That's when I've noticed it becoming a thing before the decline of malls. I'd wager this is when they ramped up their franchising?
I used to be one of those naysayers of preferring something more "authentic," but it does a decent job if your looking for American Chinese. Another thing, not every local fast food Chinese spot are good. They can vary wildly in quality just like your run off the mill burger joint.
As someone who lived in Korea for 4 years and regularly goes to Korean restaurants (outside of Korea I've been to Korean restaurants in Mexico City, New York City, Houston, and LA), this really hasn't been my experience at all. Hell, even within Korea there's some discrepancies on dishes. The dakgalbi you'll find in Gyeonggi-Do is quite a bit different than the Dakgalbi you'll find in Chuncheon, for example (and it was my favorite dish in Korea, yet I haven't found anything close to that here in the US despite "Dakgalbi" being pretty common on menus).
Outside of Korea even something as simple as mandu isn't very consistent, sometimes places will have Korean-style dumplings, other times it's closer to what you'd find in somewhere like Hong Kong.
Nah.
I don't go to Panda Express for Chinese food. I go to Panda Express for Panda Express.
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