Sichuan Hot Chicken Strips Land on Panda Express Menu for a Limited Time | Eater

"A nationwide mall-focused Chinese-American chain has rolled out a limited-time Sichuan hot chicken strip: crispy chicken breast strips (three per order) doused in a Sichuan-laced oil and dusted with a proprietary spice blend after frying, with extra heat available on request. The launch was promoted with a colorful video of customers eating to a Mandarin cover of Billy Ray Cyrus’s “Achy Breaky Heart” and a playful mobile game that sends an anthropomorphized pepper from Sichuan to America. Early tasting notes from Eater LA called the strips “very good.” With more than 2,000 locations, the chain frames the dish as accessible Chinese-American fusion that taps into the recent popularity of Sichuan spice and Nashville-style hot chicken; the item is available nationwide through the end of summer and could become a permanent menu offering if it proves popular." - Greg Morabito