Anthony Z.
Yelp
Curiosity killed the cat.
This was my last meal in Phoenix, and it made me sad Phoenix went out with a flop. Many people claim that this place is for the novelty since it's a Chinese Mexican fusion, and curiosity got the best of me.
To sum up, this place is a Chipotle-Panda hybrid with you picking a "plate" with a "base" (rice, beans etc) and protein (chicken, beef etc). Being more expensive than Panda and Chipotle for an order, you'd expect something better, especially when it's not a chain!
I ordered the hyped Jade Red Chicken, Jen Red Pork, and for a safety measure, Carnitas between 2 bowls. For my bases, I got the white rice, fried rice, and black beans.
Jade Red Chicken - orange chicken but dry and unrefined; it's basically a sour and spicy version of it. The flavor profile doesn't hint at Chinese nor Mexican 1/5
Jen Red Pork - Basically the same exact flavor as the chicken, but pork. Also very dry and had a distinct pork taste that wasn't cooked away. 1/5
Carnitas - dry and not authentic compared to various Mexican places I've had in LA and Mexico. 1/5
Fried Rice/Rice - for an extra charge on the fried aspect, this was the worst part of the entire meal. The meats have something unique to say the least, but the rice is not good. Short grain, hard, and dry, even Panda/Chipotle use better rice quality than that. 1/5
Black Beans - tolerable, but way too salty.
At least they give you a free snickerdoodle cookie, but is it really free when you subject yourself to this place?
If you've ever had authentic Chinese or Mexican food, this place takes the Chinese buffet food and mixes it with Taco Bell. While some people love said restaurants, it's definitely not for the majority. Would not recommend.