Panda Express opened their first of many branches last Dec 12, 2109 at the UG/F of Sm Megamall building A. The popular Chinese-American franchise was brought in by Jollibee Foods Corp., so you can expect expansion to be quick and plentiful.
The restaurant has a cafeteria style counter with open kitchen so you can see the chefs furiously cooking your dishes in the back while looking at available entree options in front.
Serving sizes will be exactly the same as the one in the US while prices come out cheaper than the US prices. Bowl (1 entree and 1 side) is priced at P195, Plate (2 entrees and 1 side) at P245 and Bigger Plate (3 entrees and 1 side) at P295. Each menu item also show their calorie content so if you are looking for healthier options then go for their “Wok Smart” dishes which are all 300 calories and under.
This is my first time to try Panda Express so I was pretty excited to attend the sneak taste a few days before opening.
Orange Chicken, Panda Express’ signature dish was the one I was most excited to try. One bite of the tangy, sweet and spicy chicken and I was hooked., let’s not talk about how much of this I ate. I’ll definitely be back for this one.
Here are the other dishes I tried.
Asian Grilled Chicken. This is basically grilled chicken with teriyaki sauce, and tastes as how I expected it to. Kids will like this and it’s also one of their Wok Smart dishes at 300 calories per serving.
Broccoli Beef. Classic dish and well executed plus only 150 calories, the lowest among all their entree choices.
Kung Pao Chicken. Their take on a Szechuan dish but with an added American touch of zucchini. The spice level was just right unless you eat the chili peppers itself.
Chow Mien. I found this quite dry because they use a lot less oil so you should pair it with the saucier entrees.
Savory Shrimp, Beijing Beef, String Bean Chicken Breast. Got a little piece of each to try and surprisingly like the Chicken breast the most, juicy meat with familiar flavor and fresh taste. I found the Beijing beef too sweet for me.
For those wondering why the Honey Walnut Shrimp is not on the menu, they are working on adding it to the menu next year.
So if I had to rank my favorites it’s Orange chicken way above all then the String Bean Chicken Breast and Kung Pao Chicken.
Panda Express
UG/F SM Megamall Building AMandaluyong City, Philippines
Facebook Page: Panda Express Philippines
Like this post and want to stay updated? Subscribe to Tales From The Tummy