Panda Express

Panda Express is kind of an addiction for me at this point...I love the fact that I can eat there without consuming half a day's worth of calories in one sitting (if I'm feeling like being healthy!).  There aren't usually any steamed vegetables in the pan when I get there, so either they're a popular side or hardly anybody orders them...so I wait a couple of minutes for freshly steamed deliciousness.  I usually get some Mandarin sauce to add a bit of flavor to them; even with the sauce, they're still so much healthier than the noodles or rice, so yay.  Everything I've had from here has been great...the string bean chicken is one of my favorites.  

Beware the soy sauce.  I'm pretty certain it has more salt than others that I've had...make sure not to overdo it or your food will taste like nothing but salt.  The hot mustard sauce is great; these used to be freely available but now the sauces are behind the counter and you've got to ask for them.

I am not sure why I keep giving Panda Express a chance. It may be that I keep thinking that maybe their food will be better than it was on my previous visit. Regardless, my latest visit is my last visit to Panda Express, if I can help it.
I recently went to their newly opened restaurant on 96th St in the Meijer parking lot...I wasted my money, again.

I ordered the spicy chicken pao, and broccoli beef. They both tasted like soap. Honestly, this is the worst chinese food I have ever tasted. I threw most of it away. You only get two entrees and rice for almost $7. I can go to another chinese restaurant and get that along with a side and drink for that price.  In addition, I have determined that Panda Express tastes like plain, make-at-home chinese. In fact, I think I could do better than this. At least I have finally learned my lesson and know for sure that their food will never be improved. I am just really surprised that they get enough business to need to open another location.

Now my best friend ranted & raved about this place, so I let her sucker me into trying it! So they have where you pick three items for around 7 bucks. I chose the mixed veggies, general tso chicken & the lo mein noodles. Now the reason why I choose the lo mein noodles in the first place is because I was led to believe there was no mono sodium glutamate (msg) contained in it. Since I have been preparing my own meals for the longest, I don't do a lot of processed foods or foods that have harmful additives. Long behold less than 10 minutes after eating, my head starts pounding really bad. which leads me to recognize there may be msg in their food.  Not to mention that I absolutely hated the lo mein. So not only did I pay for eating it, It was a double edge sword, because now I have a headache, that I didn't walk in with!

Have you ever eaten some where before and had a variety of food on your plate the was sort of good, but the one thing that you absolutely abhor crowds out the good in the other foods? If so, this happened to be my very experience. If your in a hurry & want to grab some quick Asian cuisine then I guess this may tickle your fancy. But if your looking for something a little more, then I would bypass this place at all cause!

I don't know if I'm willing to go back to try any other entrées there, but who could blame me.