Panda Inn is a fun, flashy tribute to Chinese American classics - Review - Los Angeles - The Infatuation

"If you’re a Panda Express fan, the food at Panda Inn will seem familiar. A family-run Chinese American spot founded in 1973, Panda Inn was the original sit-down restaurant behind the fast food empire, which began as a casual spinoff and later brought combo plates to mall food courts across the country. Panda Inn has always been a reliable group spot where you can share staples like mongolian beef, kung pao shrimp, and orange chicken (of course) around a large family-sized table, but their revamped flagship in Pasadena doubles as a bustling and buzzy dinner destination, too. The massive space is as impressive as a Macau casino, with floor-to-ceiling windows, a row of private dining rooms, a shiny cocktail bar, and handsome oak tables with white marble lazy susans. The already sizable Chinese American menu has been expanded significantly, too, with sections dedicated to sushi and sashimi, plus regional Chinese specials like lion’s head meatballs and braised pork belly rice. Don’t get too cute with your order, though—the best dishes at Panda Inn are still the classics. Round up as many family and friends as you can, order a round of lychee martinis, and promise them you won’t skip out on the honey walnut shrimp. Food Rundown Mango Tea Smoked Duck Salad One glance at this salad's wacky ingredients—fresh mango, smoked duck, wonton strips, honey walnuts, and banana chips—and we knew it was either going to be act of genius or a flop. It's the latter. The duck meat is fine, but the rest of this hodge-podge tastes like someone threw trail mix over a bag of mixed greens. Skip. photo credit: Nicolas Zhou Olive Flounder Crudo You'll find a few sashimi dishes hidden among Panda Inn Pasadena's sprawling menu, and most resemble what you'd find at any sceney sushi bar (albacore with crispy onion, etc.), save for this one: Thin, springy slices of flounder in a pool of puckery ponzu dusted with nutty miso powder. It's a solid crudo, but by no means a must-order. photo credit: Nicolas Zhou Orange Chicken If there was a museum dedicated to fast food, Panda’s tangy-sweet orange chicken would be in a display case next to the Big Mac, Blizzard, and Cheesy Gordita Crunch. It’s a bonafide classic, and even though the recipe here isn’t different from what’s at Panda Express, it’s cooked to order rather than served from a steam table, which makes a noticeable difference. Don’t leave without getting some. photo credit: Brant Cox Mongolian Beef Another staple of Chinese-American cuisine done well. If this and the orange chicken aren’t showing up on your table during the entree round, you might want to do some self-reflection on why you're eating here. photo credit: Brant Cox Honey Walnut Shrimp Tempura Roll Stuffing one of Panda’s most popular dishes inside sushi sounds fun in theory, but the reality is disappointing. The crispy shrimp gets lost inside what’s basically a mediocre vegetable roll, and the sticky candied walnuts and dessert-sweet mayo end up dominating. Stick with the classic honey walnut shrimp. photo credit: Brant Cox Sizzling Rice Soup The highlight of the soup section. This balanced soup should be considered a nice addition to your meal rather than a headliner, but we're fans of the generous amounts of plump shrimp and scallops, and the puffed rice that adds crunch to each spoonful. photo credit: Brant Cox Spicy Tofu Eggplant Every time we visit a Panda Inn, this dish ends up being the talk of the table. The eggplant has a nice smoky char, the sauce-drenched fried tofu cubes pop as you bite into them, and the spicy garlic sauce delivers some actual heat. photo credit: Brant Cox Spicy Serrano Pork The menu at Panda Inn Pasadena is nine pages long, so we wouldn’t fault you for breezing over dishes with less name recognition. Just make sure the serrano pork isn’t one of them. This impressive stir-fry features juicy pork jowl slices with the perfect amount of snap, crunchy nubs of young bamboo, sauteed fresh chiles, and a bold, savory bean paste that clings to each ingredient. Be sure to ask for some white rice on the side. photo credit: Brant Cox" - Brant Cox