When it comes to eating Chinese food, I have to be careful of where and what we eat. Patti is allergy-free, but I have a peanut and sesame seed/oil allergy, which makes it hard to find the right restaurant. We've eaten at China Chef in Clovis on Willow, and they have made food for me without peanut or sesame oil, which doesn't leave much flavor in the food, but it makes it easier for me to order from them. Then there is Kowloon Kitchen on Shaw Ave, where they learned that when I order not to use peanut or sesame oil. They do this on a special request; if you have allergies like me, ask, and they will accommodate your order. The same goes for China Chef. Then there is Panda. They claim, at least at the one near us on Fowler and Ashlan, not to use peanut or sesame oil unless documented in their recipe. I can attest to this since I've ordered some dishes that other places use peanut oil for frying, and when I had that dish at Panda, I didn't get sick, so they are telling the truth. Patti is a Panda fan, more so than me. I like the fried rice at Kowloon, but the noodles at Panda are much better. The ride rice at Panda lacks the flavor of the pork fried rice at Kowloon, probably because they don't add pork to their fried rice. Their rice has more veggies than Kowloon's, but it is dried, which I don't like.
The Other Night
The other night, I wanted noodles, and to Patti's surprise, I wanted Panda. She was happy since she loves their walnut shrimp with noodles, while I enjoyed their orange chicken and sweet fire chicken breast with noodles. Patti's walnut shrimp was perfect, according to her. She likes her shrimp cooked so they are not slimy to the taste, and these were perfect: crunchy, juicy, and tender to the bite.
As stated above, I went with the orange chicken and the sweet fire chicken breast over the noodles. Again, it was cooked to perfection. The orange chicken was crunchy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. At the same time, the sweet fire chicken breast gave the right amount of heat to the dish. The perfect meal overall.
Conclusion
If you're looking for the freshest of fresh Chinese food at a Panda, I would suggest the one on Folwer and Ashlan, in my opinion. You may have tried other locations that are just as good or better, and I'd like to hear what you think. Thanks, and
Buon Appetito!
Mark & Patti