This Panda Express stands unique to the rest given its innovation kitchen focus where they test out new creations and styles that your typical Panda Express does not have. At innovation kitchens, you'll find bing (tortilla wraps, not sure if they've downgraded from scallions wraps from years past or if I'm misremembering) as well as new entrees. Mostly recently they tested out a fried orange chicken burger for a few weeks. Its a nice Panda Express that you can sit or lounge comfortably, get milk tea, and devour some fast-casual Chinese food. Service is solid even though there is a lot of foot traffic here. read more

Somehow the innovation kitchen is worse than regular panda expresses. This shrimp batter is falling apart and mushy. read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

It's panda express's tea shop concept within the innovation kitchen location. It's tucked away inside the store and like your standard tea shop they have a variety of drinks like milk teas, smoothes, and other blended drinks. They also have desserts and cakes ready for purchase as well. The panda milk tea is their signature milk tea where you can choose what kind of tea base you want. That's a different twist than some other stores. Drinks are good, not very sweet either so order accordingly. It's a great place to get tea drinks after you get your food. They have a stamp card program, buy 8 get the next one free. Parking: tons of parking in the plaza. read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

I was scarred for life after working at a Panda Express during high school and college. Coming home smelling like Orange Chicken was NOT fun. I didn't eat at Panda Express for yearsssss. Til one day this Innovation Kitchen opened up in my hood! This is a "test" kitchen for the rest of their restaurants so they are always trying out new ideas. Even the containers/plates they use are different whenever I come here. It feels like a brand new restaurant each time! You can order your food in a traditional combo plate, in a salad and even a wrap. Yep - go try that orange chicken burrito! They also have milk tea and other drinks with sofa chairs on one side. Couple new items I tried recently was the quinoa with fried brown rice and the brussel sprouts with carrots. Usually brown rice and quinoa are kinda too hard for my taste but this version was very soft and they even had bits of scrambled egg in it. The brussel sprouts and carrots were also very tender and delicious. I end up having a vegetarian dinner because my other favorite is the eggplant with fried tofu. Yum! These are all the dishes I never had back in the days of working there! I'm glad this location is so close to home. Do the survey on the back on your receipt for a free 3rd item on your next visit. read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Quinoa & brown fried rice - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Not your regular Panda Express - in all the positive ways. Scallion Wraps and dishes not available at any other Panda Express to name a few things that set it apart, but also a tea bar with some great tea. Can get busy but you can always order pick up - they even have healthy options (Super Greens instead of rice/chow mein and some grilled chicken that is delicious). A great option if you're not trying to spend to much money and have Panda Inn (literally down the street). read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

App is the worst. Kicks me out every time I use it and then it's the only app that kicks you out when you try to go back and login. It's insane how slow ordering inside the restaurant is, which is why you have to order Togo on the app. But which is slower? The app quoted me 23 minutes to pickup a small entree, and my wife got in line with about 15 other people. Guess who won? Nobody, we're still waiting!!!!!! read more

Service is great as always, I love me some panda when craving Chinese food, it's sad that the price is the same or a bit higher but the portions actually became smaller, I've seen more then once or twice where the server will put portion back into the pot after they served, and I always have to remind them to serve me some beef with the broccoli- not the other way around, one time I had nothing but broccoli with beef sauce- I'm exaggerating but I did eat att broccoli that one time... read more

The server Savannah needs to relax with her attitude. She has horrible customer service!!

This place is so cold , there's a acoustic tile missing in the ceiling not only that but water leak in the middle of the dining area,

I am writing this review based on the order I placed today (9/9) through Uber Eats. There was no issue with that process and the delivery. My complaint is that both of our orders contained severely burned teriyaki chicken. I have never had anything from this location before and I'm not sure what the Innovation Kitchen is about. What I can say is that the underside of most of our chicken was burned. Check the picture out for yourself. I'm guessing they decided it wouldn't be a big deal to serve it since it was through a delivery service. If I was standing in the store, watching them pack the order I surely would NOT have accepted this. I cannot imagine who thought it was okay to serve this and made a decision to allow it out the door. read more

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What can I say every single time... it's something! Really is it that hard to put soy sauce, chili sauce & teriyaki sauce in my bag every time I request. They forget when I have a small side order to my meal... wondering why they forget to put it in my bag, i wasn't the only one this time but my sisters they forgot to put her small side order she was really upset I don't blame her. They charge you, but the youngish employees always Are not attentive to detail. I wanted one of their drinks from the tea bar and I was told by the young man (cashier) (starting with the letter "J")that would be 15 to 20 minutes because they were too busy at the time really what's the point of having a tea bar if they don't have the time to make a drink. Geez why do I bother to return to this Panda every single time! read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

The beyond Orange Chicken was so good that I am pretty sure I made it sell out. I've been waiting for an interpretation of Orange chicken forever! Please bring this back as I am going crazy trying to fulfill this craving and nothing seems to work. I honestly think more people would get this option if it's rolled out nationwide and available to all people looking for a healthier option. read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Beyond Orange Chicken - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

I'm definitely a fan of Panda Express and have always thought their orange chicken is the best I've had. I was super excited to check this place out just to get an orange chicken burrito. I came here with my boyfriend and we decided to share a burrito because they are pretty large. We decided to order a burrito with chow mein, double orange chicken, and a green ginger sauce. It was very good and super filling. I would definitely recommend if you're ever in the area. read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Orange chicken with chow mein burrito. - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

When I'm in a rush or I know it's going to be a busy day for me, I tend to go for something on the fast side and Panda Express is just that. Easy, fast, and pretty tasty, which I really enjoy. I usually get my Panda Express either from the Westfield mall or the Arcadia location inside VONS, but I heard good things about the Innovation Kitchen. I decided to give this place a try and I can tell you right off the bat that the interior looks nice. I mean, it looks clean, modern, and it just brings life to the dining experience. As far as food goes, I decided to stick with a regular plate; skipping my adventurous side of me for that day by avoiding the wraps. I always go for the half & half, with fried rice and chow mein. For the protein, I picked orange chicken and broccoli beef; nothing special, just the classics. After moving down the line, I noticed that the Innovation Kitchen offers drinks aside from the regular fountain soda, which I thought was cool. I decided to give the Thai Tea a try and I got to say that it was a nice refresher to a hot day. The food quality was overall pretty good, the rice was a little hard but it was tolerable. The orange chicken was delicious as always, and so was the broccoli beef. The boba was a little hard though, not too sure if it's been out for a while or maybe it's a little undercooked. Overall, this Panda Express is definitely towards the nicer side and it's definitely a restaurant that I would go back to when I'm in a hurry. read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Chow mein & fried rice with orange chicken and broccoli beef. - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I am so disappointed with this location. My family and I come here often because it's in our neighborhood. I order a pick order online to be picked up at 6:15 (I ordered about 45 minutes early). My partner showed up at 6:10. They gave a hard time stating there was no order here for that name and to get in line to order. I sent the email confirmation. After all was said and done they finally figured it out and told him "you can not pick up early" it was five minutes early I don't think thats too much of an inconvenience besides he was waiting and just informing them that he was there for it. I don't appreciate the rude customer service. Nor do I appreciate old honey walnut shrimp especially if I'm paying extra. It looked as if it had been rewarmed because of the breading. And the kung pao CHICKEN had no CHICKEN! It very much seemed like my order was completed in a horrible manner because of the misunderstanding. Seeing that the time it was put together was 6:10 after my partner arrive(see receipt attached below) Do better Panda Express @ Innovation Kitchen! read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Order and time stamp! - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Tried Innovation Kitchen again. Ordered online for pickup and that process went smoothly. Decided to have the beef with broccoli (was average), orange chicken (good when eaten first time but gets hard and gummy when leftovers are warmed up), spring rolls (kind of mushy instead of crispy) kung pao chicken (pretty good), noodles - terrific. Everybody always raves about Panda. It's okay, but if you want the really good Panda, order take out from the sit-down restaurant on Foothill. read more

Ever since I heard about the Panda Express burrito, I've been dying to give Panda Express's Innovation Kitchen a try. Definitely an interesting take on the Chinese fast food experience, especially since poke burritos and Chipotle burritos have been getting so popular. This location of Panda Express is pretty much the biggest one I've ever seen, and is an actual storefront (while most others are usually at a food court). Very modernized and an actual casual fast-dining restaurant experience where there are chairs and booths for you to eat. There's even a dessert/drink area to this location of Panda Express. Located in the same lot as Corner Bakery. Plenty of parking in the super big lot. So you're able to order the regular 2 combo, 1 main dish (except everything's better packaged here!), but they also offer you the option of ordering the items on a salad or in a burrito form. With the lights shining down on the items, everything looks pretty good - especially if you're hungry. They also offer you the option of sampling their items, so take advantage of that if you want to try a new item. 1 main dish item is around $6 while a 2 main dish item starts at $7.40. You can build upon your order by getting different combinations, starting with a base (scallion pancake wrap, salad, noodles, or fried/white/brown rice) then a main dish, before topping it off with various sauces and crunchy items. Of course I tried the burrito - a burrito in a green onion pancake loaded with orange chicken? But as soon as the worker started putting the fried rice onto the pancake, I knew this wouldn't turn out too well. I got orange chicken and the eggplant and tofu as the main dishes, before adding a citrus ginger vinaigrette, and some crispy wontons, pickled cucumbers, and green papaya slaw. I don't know if that sounds good to you, but it didn't look too appetizing when it sat out on the table in front of me. I don't know how you're supposed to eat it as the rice is so loose that it falls out, but I basically cut it in half and dug through the burrito before eating the green onion pancake after the inside portion was completed. My friend ordered a standard 2 item with 1 base along with an additional add on item. That was a much smarter idea. He said that the vegetables had really good taste, much better than the other Panda Express restaurants he's been to. The soda machine here is also super cool and high tech! You pick and choose which drink you want on an iPad looking machine. They also offer a variety of teas, but the prices seemed a bit too much for a place that doesn't specialize in teas. tl;dr - Eh, now that I've given this a try, I don't think I'll ever make a drive out here just for this. The orange chicken actually was too soft and didn't have enough flavor as I expected it to have. Mashing everything together in one burrito just tasted pretty strange - super unappealing. read more

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Krognar would like to start by saying that Krognar lives very far from this location, but best friend said this location serve novel and different take on Chinese American food, which Krognar thought "Wow neat." Krognar and friends decided to walk 18 hours from home to here. Krognar was happy with COVID precautions this location was taking. The lady who took Krognar's order was very nice and friendly, which Krognar appreciated after long walk. Krognar ordered the Bing with Orange Chicken, Honey Walnut Shrimp, and Chow Mein with a side of Creme Brulee Milk Tea because Krognar like to keep a similar flavor profile. Krognar got food very fast, and food was very tasty and convenient to eat for the walk back. Krognar very satisfied with experience and thinks definitely worth 18 hour walk. Krognar like the food and service Krognar received and highly approve. read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Krognar order a Bing with orange chicken and honey walnut shrimp because Krognar wanted to keep the flavor profile consistent. - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

horrible service from the manager abigale!!! she is extremely rude! the guy at the cashier was very nice and trying to make up for his managers rude attitude. never going here again though, rather drive extra 10 minutes to the panda on lake. read more

The associate helping today seemed to take it personal that I had a coupon. I walked out of the store with a bowl that had four pieces of broccoli. (I counted). No thanks. I won't be back. Rip off. read more

I wish I lived closer so I could visit this location more often. Panda with the option to wrap the food in a scallion pancake burrito and great quality boba? Heck yeah! The I got the burrito with chow mein + orange chicken and it was fantastic. The orange chicken was still crispy even though it was wrapped. The boba tasted like it was made with honey and it was the perfect amount of chewyness. Also, free parking is always nice. read more

By far the BEST Panda location in all of OC, LA, and SD!! The entrees are always fresh and staff does not skimp on the portion sizes unlike the other locations. The "bing" concept is amazingly delicious. The wrap they use for the bing is between a tortilla and a thin scallion pancake. IMO this should be available at all locations since it's stuffed with the usual entrees. The concept of the innovation kitchen is really similar to Chipotle. You pick either a bowl, salad, and burrito and then pick out whatever entrees/sides they have available at the time. The boba bar is good too with a lot of variety in flavors. Anytime I'm in Pasadena I will be stopping by. read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Panda innovation kitchen Been a customer at panda for a really long time and was glad to eat at their exclusive innovation kitchen. All the other food is like any other Panda Express location except a couple other things. They offer exclusive items only to this location quinoa, dumplings, bings, exclusive sauces and stir fried mix vegetables. I ordered a bing which is a scallion pancake, kind of like a tortilla. The bing was not crispy or that thick like a normal scallion pancake. The good thing about the bing was it was really strong it did not break at all when I was eating it. You can customize your bing just like a plate of food. The stir fried vegetables had Brussel sprouts and other vegetables and they were all tender and crisp. The dumplings are not that great they tasted like frozen store bought dumplings but they were cooked well, they were really crispy. They also offered different sauces like sambal, and a green scallion ginger sauce. I was glad to see the scallion ginger sauce because it's used a lot when eating authentic Chinese bbq it was my favorite sauce. The sambal was not that spicy and kinda tasted like salsa and the scallion ginger sauce taste like the ingredients. This place is unique from all the other Panda Expresses out their with their exclusive dishes and sauces and bings. They also offer boba as well. I like what Panda empress is doing with Chinese food with an American taste. read more

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This location is definitely unque. It serves as a test kitchen for all Pandas. They create new "experimental" dishes, and if it sells well ... it could potentially end up at all Pandas across the country. When we arrived, we were not hungry, but did check out their tea bar towards the back. Every item on the drink menu was created by one of their managers, who has been with the company for many years. Each ingredient is of high quality. They do not use powder flavorings like many other Asian drink places do. Instead, they use the actual fruit. I ordered their signature Panda Milk Tea. The menu board only describes it as oolong tea, which sounds less than impressive. But I learned they actually cook the tea leaves to give it a nutty flavor, and add caramelized sugar and other natural flavorings. The result... one of the best tea drinks I've ever had. The taste of the tea is definitely not missing, and not covered up by sugar. I find myself craving it days after my visit. The tea bar area has cool lounge like seating w/ low tables and couches, which gives it a nice, hip feel. There are 3 flatscreens on the wall airing sports. Its a very relaxed yet trendy atmosphere. Can't wait to go back and grab another Panda Tea. I recommend everyone try it at least once. And don't judge the drinks by the lack of decription on the menu, feel free to ask them questions. read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - The tea bar area. Very cool & trendy - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Meh...came here after hearing people talk about how fresh and creative this new Panda was. Never have been a real fan of Panda Express but though that this would be different since I thought you could order their stir fy which would then be prepared fresh for you, boy was I wrong http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/panda-express-innovation-kitchen-pasadena-4#1XITTsYW4b2lhNR7f_P3sg. Pretty sure most of us have been to a Chipotle atleast once so I proceeded to order their wrap as my base and added chow mein to the wrap. As I saw how little of the noodles they were placing into the scallion wrap, I asked if she could give me more. She obliged and I kid you not she added literally two more stands of noodles http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/panda-express-innovation-kitchen-pasadena-4#NADcMrd5ag2QCTF5uOfVag. Atleast they added an acceptible amount of chicken to my wrap but as you can see it wasn't even 10 % filled even after I added string beans as well. Somehow the wrap came out to $7 since they charged me for two main items???? Oh and the entire wrap was cold though they did try to warm it up on the press. Added the potstickers which were bland but nicely fried http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/panda-express-innovation-kitchen-pasadena-4#OPfQdxSUrOQLJrywPPgkcQ. They also feature some of flour and tea's cakes in their tea bar which is cool but I highly doubt I'll ever go back here again. Not sure how they'll do in Hawaii or Texas as those are their upcoming locations as this was a complete failure. read more

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Taste nit as good as I tried first visit, esp Quinoa rice. Portion kinda little. For sure, Orange Chicken still taste good. read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Quinoa rice, String Bean Chicken, Orange Chicken, Brussel Sprouts Carrot - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

This was a really interesting experience... My normal Panda Express order is 1/2 chow mein, 1/2 fried rice, orange chicken, and broccoli & beef. But since I was at their Innovation Kitchen... I decided to try their bian version (burrito). 1. I think they should do a better job of advertising this option (I had 2 different people who were all in line behind me ask me what did I order). I think this is because they advertise it as a "bian" which is Chinese for like tortilla. For people that don't speak Mandarin, it can be difficult to see that they have a burrito option. 2. The bian (burrito) option, while is really interesting... sort of shrinks your portion size significantly. The taste was sort of what you would expect if you wrapped chow mein with orange chicken inside of a Chinese tortilla. But yeah, it was a fun experience... but I'm not sure I would deviate from my normal Panda order in the future.... read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Orange Chicken Bing (Wrap), 1 Entree + Chow Mein - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I used to be a big Panda Express fan. For at least ten years, I had to have the delicious Orange Chicken at least every two weeks. For the last couple of years though, I've found myself not craving it at all, but Panda Innovation Kitchen is slowly drawing me back in. I think the concept is pretty cool, and I wish there were Panda Innovation Kitchens. Yes, it has the typical offerings that you can get from any Panda Express, but instead of the typical two item combo with Chow Mein and/or Fried Rice, you can make yourself a salad, a scallion pancake wrap, or a noodle bowl. Love the orange chicken as well as the honey walnut shrimp in a scallion wrap. It's like Chipotle invaded Panda Express, and it's a cool concept! Staff is super friendly, and there's always someone at the front door introducing the concept to customers as they come in. How come the other Panda Express locations are not this friendly. Will definitely be back and will have to try the teas and juices next time. read more

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I've been procrastinating on coming here thinking that it was the same fast food chain that I often visited during my college days. Boy....I was in for a rude awakening when I stepped inside. Definitely, not your typical fast food chain. First of all, their dining room is beautiful and spacious. All the modern amenities and charm amplified throughout - cool light fixtures, eclectic decor and high tech soda dispenser. An assortment of seating options, including a cozy lounge area equipped with several flat screen TVs. There's even a tea and boba bar section that serves desserts. Yes, they still have your classic orange chicken and Beijing beef, but now you can get that as a burrito wrap (scallion pancake) or on a salad. I ordered the orange chicken and daily special chef creation (spicy stir fried shrimp /w vegetable) with brown rice and salad. Everything looked beautifully presented, fresh and tasted fantastic. Loved the free gourmet sauces and toppings that were provided. Their wonton chips, papaya slaw and picked cucumber were a nice compliment to my meal. I can get use to coming here regularly. Prices affordable, good value and perfect for lunch. Friendly and helpful service too. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area. read more

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Panda Express as a burrito in a scallion pancake wrap?! GIMM'ME!! Being Chinese, I think the scallion pancake as a wrap is genius. It gives or should give an extra taste to the "tortilla" but Panda is Panda and it is always packed with flavors. Speaking of which, you can add their selection of sauces and crispies to add even more flavor and texture to your customized burrito. Besides the burrito, you have the healthier option of eating Panda as a salad (why would you do that?) which I think might be tasty too depending on how you build it. You can also order in a tray as you normally would get at any other Panda Express locations. (Again, why would you do that?) In my first recent visit, I had the scallion wrap with chow mein and two main dishes: the Chef's selection which contained a spicy shrimp and string beans, and the veggie option of string beans. Don't mind doubling up on string beans! Then I added the green onion sauce, which should have been ordered on the side not in the burrito as it is mixed in oil, that added the onion and ginger flavors to my burrito. I also added their dry toppings like dried shallots and crispy wonton skin just to add a little crunch. I did not get their red chili sambal sauce but I tried it in my bf's burrito and it was pretty spicy! My burrito was very tasty and I'm glad is has more Asian flavor to it than at the regular Panda Express restaurants. Just a side note though, I had saved part of my burrito in a take out brown bag they gave me and within a few hours later, there was a huge blotch of oil on the bottom of the bag. I'm sure it was from the green onion sauce that leaked through the foil. Panda is known to be oily which is one of the reasons why I only give in to dine every once in a blue moon but this Innovation Kitchen might be an exception.... Plus, I want to come back to try more of their Tea Bar that serves a good variety of teas, milk teas (with boba), and cakes. See you again soon Panda! read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Chow mien burrito with Chef's creation (spicy shrimp with green beans) - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Came here to try the new orange chicken sandwich! The store itself was great, and the line moved efficiently and quickly, despite the lunch rush. The food behind the counter also looked super fresh. Now for the sandwich itself - they are made to order, so the chicken was very crispy. They ingredients seemed pretty high quality for a fast food chain. I personally was not a fan of the spicy mayo sauce with the orange chicken sauce. The two flavors werent very harmonious and the spicy mayo was overpowering. Props to panda for trying it out though! read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

3.5 Stars I'm kind of on the border between a 3 or 4. I usually love Panda Express in the first place, but depending on which one, their food may not be as "fresh" as it should be or they don't give you the right proportion. In fear of how many calories and carbs I'm consuming, my usual order is a Panda Bowl with all mixed veggies (NO rice or chow mein) and one meat option. Anyway, "Innovation Kitchen" still carries some of your recognizable Panda Express items like Orange Chicken and Beijing Beef, but they give you more freedom as to how you want it. You can order a wrap, salad, bowl, etc. Then you can pick how many items you want in it and that will determine how much they charge you (Small or Large). Some of the meat options include plain chicken and steak as well (no sauce) They also have "Chefs Creation" dishes which are unique. I ordered a Scallion Wrap with a little bit of Chow Mein, Orange Chicken, Chefs Creation mixed veggies, green papaya slaw, pickled cucumbers, and spicy sauce. It came out to $7.00 plus an iced tea at $1.65. I thought my wrap tasted fine, but 2 of my friends at work stated that their scallion wrap was really "tough" and hard to eat. They had to bite into it and then "rip" it with their mouth. I understand this is only a "test kitchen" so they are still working on recipes etc, They have not been open very long, but this concepts seems very promising, especially for the more healthy conscious folks. 137/100 Reviews for 2014 read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - $7.00 Large Scallion Wrap with chow mein, orange chicken, Chefs Creation mixed veggies, pickled cucumbers, slaw & spicy sauce - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

46 minutes before closing and not much food to choose from. What available looked as if it had been sitting a while. Perhaps the kitchen was closed read more

Came here since my husband has been bugging me to go here since we moved down to SoCal. I think because I had very high expectations...I was kind of disappointed after actually coming here to try out their food. Since it was an innovation kitchen..I expected to be wowed by their menu options as well as the different items I could order. But after coming...it only had a few slight differences so it wasn't as impressive as I thought it would be. My orange chicken burrito was just ok. The food here was more bland then ordering it from panda in Downey. Also I had ordered two drinks, milk tea with boba and one creme brulee. The creme brulee came out super sweet (the worker recommended it and I told her I didn't like it to overly sweet which it was). My milk tea didn't have boba in it so when I went up to ask she told me I didn't order it. I told her I did and she plainly said you didn't pay for it so you didn't order it. WTF?! Thanks again for the awesome attitude missy! Really expected better since it was an innovation kitchen. As for the service...I expected a lot more then I recieved. I wouldn't have had a problem paying for the boba but I pay for a bunch of attitude either. Although the facility was clean and looked really cool...the service sucked and the food was just ok. It really wasn't worth it to come out here to try this place out expecting the same (or better) type of experience and service then a regular panda express. Yelp Review 2018 Challenge 48/100 read more

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I dropped by to grab a bite before work, and it was a pretty busy Saturday afternoon. Despite the crowd, the line moved pretty fast and I was out the door with good time. I like this location because they have unique dishes that typical Panda Express doesn't carry. An example of this would be the panda burrito, which is basically a typical plate but burrito form. It's actually really good! For lunch today, I got a plate with my usual side of half white rice and half chow mein. For my entrees, I wanted to try their new honey almond chicken (I think it was called?) and I got their Beijing beef. The Beijing beef was good, but I really regret getting the almond chicken. I could taste some soy sauce and a bit of sweetness, but it was not a flavor I cared for that much. The breading was also pretty thick and the pieces were also large. For me, I wouldn't get it again. The Beijing beef was good though! It's always my go to. read more

Waited at cashier for 10min just to order tea. I asked various folks to help but it didn't appear they knew what they were doing. It's unfortunate, you know.. the staff was nice but disorganized and in need of training. The Boba was not all that. read more

Panda Express, Chipotle-fied? I'm there! I came here with my homegirl to see what all the hype was about and it definitely lived up to my expectations. I got the large portion with half salad/half chow mein, orange chicken, and the chef special of basil eggplant as my 2 mains. In addition, you get to add toppings such as papaya slaw and pickled cucumbers, which I added, along with sauces for free. May I add you get all of this for 7 dollars?!! My entree was delicious! I loved the green onion sauce that I chose on the side, which complimented the crunchy yet tender orange chicken perfectly. I definitely recommend that flavor combo(; I also enjoyed the extra toppings of the papaya slaw and pickled cucumbers in additions to the mangos that came with the salad(; The eggplant also tasted pretty authentic, with ample basil. Service was also top notch! The manager came around the tables making sure that all the customers were enjoying their food. A worker also stopped by to take our trays and trash. That was definitely unexpected for me from a fast food place, so kudos there(: I am loving this concept, and loving how the Panda Innovation Kitchen is accentuating their food with new options and experimenting with new flavors! Definitely coming back to see what else is in store. read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Orange Chicken / Basil Eggplant / Salad / Chowmein - bombbbb - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

If you are a Panda Express fan and live in Los Angeles county, I suggest stopping by their innovation kitchen. They offer a few extra choices more than their regular chains. For instance, you have the option of getting your meal wrapped up in a scallion pancake. You can top your meal off with some of their crispy toppings or sauces as well. On my recent visit, they had fried quinoa and brown rice, which was so delicious. It's kind of neat being able to see what items they're testing out before rolling them out. They also have a tea bar inside, which I have yet to try. But, it sounds intriguing! read more

Holy hell my recent discovery of this panda "wrap/burrito" (or the bing, as they officially call it) damn near blew my mind. Mop up the linoleum floor why don't ya because my brains are all over it. Panda mgmt, why aren't you serving the bing at your other locations? Revoke my Asian card if you will, but Panda Express is the gosh darn yits. I don't care how many of my Chinese brethren shout or straight up chuck clothes hangers at me for loving this 'inauthentic' food so much. I am what I am and that's what I am. Classically crafted Chinese American fare in fast-casual form done right. PF Chang's get outta town with that hot garbage. Jk PFC's cool but way too overpriced for my broke arse. read more

If you like Panda Express, you would like Innovation Kitchen. It's basically a unique Panda run by Corporate that tries out various new or experimental recipes, has special items, and operates a boba tea bar. The special items include quinoa and bin "chinese pancake" as sides. For entrees they are usually the same as a regular panda with maybe one or two new items. The boba tea bar has your typical milk tea options, which always goes down well with Panda's flavors. The restaurant venue is spacious and well-maintained. Asides from the traditional cafeteria food-serving line, the rest of the floor space is welcoming and well-kept. There are neat decorations around as eye-candy. read more