I came here about less than 2 hours before closing and saw they were out of Beijing Beef. Since I came here specifically for that, I decided to ask if they were still making it. I assumed "no" because it was near closing but they said yes if I was willing to wait. They offered free soda for my fiance and I for the wait. And when we thought they forgot about us, they gave us an extra portion as well. I really loved the service here. While my fiance says it's typical if they make you wait, I've never had that experience in any other Panda Express. For people wondering what makes it an innovation kitchen, they have exclusive items not available in your regular Panda Express. For example, this time around they had pastrami pork belly bao. They also sell boba here too! read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Salad,Bing (wrap), and pastrami pork belly bao station - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

I recently got a gift card from work and thought it was the perfect day to visit this location! I ordered the 2 entree with chow mien and I also got a strawberry tea! I like the addition of a tea bar. The store was clean and the line went my fast. read more

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

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Have eaten multiple times at the Panda Express in La Canada. Over the years, I kept on hearing my kid talking about this place where they "invent" new dishes. We happened to be in the Pasadena area, and I saw the place, and I knew I had to check it out. Much larger than the one in La Canada. Cute sitting area near the Tea Bar where you can watch TV. So cool!! The sparking mango yogurt sounded and looked yummy... and it was. A large cost $ 4.25. It was close to closing time so they didn't have any "new" dishes out which was a complete bummer so I ordered our usual go to dishes. Plenty of places to sit. Plenty of free parking in a shared lot. Definitely coming back, but at an earlier time so that I can try a "new" dish!! read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Mango yogurt sparkling - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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As others have said, this is "just" a Panda Express with a few different things on the menu. That being said, yes the Bing wrap really does make the food taste different and yes the decor and ambiance is a step up and yes you can get some new and freshening drinks. So don't go with higher expectations but do go for the experience! read more

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This is the OG Panda that started the whole Panda Express franchise--- how could you pass this up? I had the opportunity to devour several of my favorite Panda dishes, including fried noodles, and walnut glazed shrimp. One fun dish I tried was this snap crackle and pop sounding soup dish. I don't quite remember the name, but thought it was a great start to the full course family style meal. Overall, I think it's just fun to eat at THEE original restaurant that started the beloved fast food Chinese chain. It is quite a large inside restaurant space, and makes you feel like you transported to another place. At this time though, it is patio seating only. Nonetheless----definitely coming again--- Pro tips: - bring more than one friend (aka bring the whole lot!) because family style means family style - walnut glazed shrimp, always - just come read more

Haters will hate the mistakes staff made. Didn't have any problem placing my order in person. Quality and service was good as expected. First time coming to this store, since it is the only one with innovation of new meals. Thanks to its Facebook social post of new flavors, it was worth visiting and trying out this place. Can't wait for its tea bar to reopen, since COVID caused short staff. read more

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

We stopped by to try the new Beyond the Original Orange Chicken and WOW! It did not disappoint. The BTOOC and the other plant-based options offered at this location were all enjoyable and perfectly cooked. I truly hope the Beyond orange chicken sticks around and becomes more widely available because it is so good and would make Panda Express another great option for vegans looking for a quick and filling meal. Something fun about this location is the tea bar! I tried the Pomegranate Pineapple Lemonade with boba and it was super refreshing. I will definitely be back to have this again! The staff here were great, as well. Everyone was friendly. Jeff helped us out and was so welcoming and enjoyable to speak with. Everything was clean, employees wore masks, and there were hand sanitizer stations. We ate outside and the tables there were clean, as well. I definitely recommend stopping by this location for unique menu items you won't find at other locations and for the friendly staff. read more

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Parking is easy. This Panda Express is slightly more than your typical Panda Express restaurant. It has the Bing (Burrito) selection. They offer refreshments that you can find in your regular Panda Express store. Overall, it's fun to try something different. I'll come back again to try something new. read more

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I just got a 2 item combo from this location at 8:30pm and it literally gave me diarrhea! I ordered chicken string bean and orange chicken with half fried rice and chow mein. Everything tasted off, a bit too oily and stale. I rarely write bad review but management needs to know this because unacceptable. read more

Terrible customer service! All The customers including ourselves were rushed and made to cram in line. They kept getting my order wrong and wouldn't fix it. I ended up not getting what i orders. Then i orders 3x lemonades, they made drangonfuit drink? Not what i ordered..... they were literally a disaster! Never going back! read more

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

Four stars deducted due to following reasons. 1. Very...very slow service, with four employees taking and passing orders, it took me 12 minutes to get my food with only two customers ahead of me. 2. Extremely small portion size, see photo below. The employees didn't know when to tell chef to cook, there was barely any noodle left and I was offered half/half with pathetic portion. 3. Missing napkins, utensils and teriyaki chicken sauce in the Togo bag. 4. Poor customer service, I told cashier about my concerns, instead of fixing it she ignored me and walked away. read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Half box full with one piece of Tofu and two pieces of eggplant only - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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This is THE BEST Panda Express you'll ever eat at! I've been coming to this location for a few years now and it's hard to order from any other location anymore. The quality and freshness of the food here outdoes any of their Panda Express I've been to. I know that this location in an Innovation Kitchen, so I'm sure that's why their quality is above all other locations. They always have a full selection of their items, it never looks like the food has been sitting for very long and the staff is always friendly and accommodating! They really know what they're doing here! read more

As mentioned by others, this is not really an innovation kitchen. Menu is ~95% standard items...exception that I saw on initial glance that was different include burritos ("bing") and pot stickers. The "bing" was not available when I visited, and I drove 20+ mins primarily for that. Save yourself the hassle and don't visit expecting anything different from your standard Panda Express experience. On the plus side, food was good/consistent and I consider myself to be Panda Express fan. This really should not be labeled as an innovation kitchen. Hope this reviews helps others on considering whether this specific location is special because of the 'innovation' branding. read more

I drove an hour to this specific location, exclusively for the bing / burrito option. I brought 2 friends and we all ordered bings and we all LOVED THEM. These burritos are worth an hour drive. (Two hours if you count the drive back.) Service was fast & friendly & they appreciated our enthusiasm for bings! read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Bing (Wrap) (w/ chow mein and Honey Sesame Chicken) - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

The food here is pretty tasty and my family and I come here at least once a week. Recently, we started to try ordering in advance on Panda's app. The first time was great, food serving as usual and very delicious; but today, OMG, our orders were quite horrid. Panda's 2 entree meals were usually abundant and full in the to go box when opening; today the experience was completely different. Bought two 2-entree plates to go. When opening both, one is less than half full; the other, barely half full; both with very little entrees. For example, one entree we ordered was broccoli beef. That side came with mainly broccoli and very little beef ... maybe two small pieces which is not acceptable. The 2nd entree teriyaki chicken for that to go box contained only a few pieces of chicken strips. My order of orange chicken and teriyaki beef was even more sorry. I could literally count how many orange chicken pieces I got which was 2 median sized and 3 tiny ones; and I had only 4 strips of teriyaki chicken with two of them hard to even bite into. The only acceptable item was the noodles which were fresh and delicious but once again, it was visibly less than what we would usually get before from this place. When we go there to order, the workers were all very pleasant and generous. I wonder what happened today? Did we just unfortunately encounter a very stingy and grumpy worker who hated to serve? I intend to give the app order another try, but for the price if we keep getting so much less food when ordering from the app, I would rather go somewhere else or go there when I can stand in line. Today's experience was not acceptable! read more

I haven't been to Panda Express for ages due to some disappointing experience. However this location impressed me and gained my trust back to Panda. This location is super clean and bright! There's patio that you may sit outside. The staff was really friendly, they greeted you and asked if you want to try any simples. I ordered a bowl with chow mein (fried egg noodles) and orange chicken. Everything was with right temperature and flavor. The hot and sour soup was too plain for me, not flavorful. read more

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

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The best Panda Express ever!!! The food is always fresh. The service is amazing. There was one girl with very nice eyelashes that helped me and she was the best!! The food at this location is better than any other location in my opinion!! read more

I don't understand the poor reviews here. If you like Panda Express, you will LOVE this location. By far the cleanest, most efficient and freshest food of all the Panda Express locations I've been to. The negative reviews here are expecting a completely different restaurant experience which boggles my mind. It's still Panda Express, not some Michelin star restaurant, people. read more

customer, service is very poor, in this economy it's important to be good to your customers. The Panda express in Hastings Ranch had me waiting for my food because it was being cooked. No problem, but any other Panda express that I've been to. They always offer me a drink while I'm waiting. Ming night manager at 8:30 Thursday night November 16, 2023 said no we don't do that ...as I explained that I have usually gotten a drink waiting. . Really!! what does it take to do customer service be kind , when a customer hast to wait for the food to cook . read more

This rating is based on the concept of fast food. And for fast food it's really fresh, delicious, and great. The store is always clean. Staff friendly. Great spot. Good easy parking. read more

I started off with a 3-star review, but as I recounted my visit I have to drop it to just 2.5 stars. What a joke - I read about the Innovation Kitchen founded at the original location of Panda Express. I think this is it. But no one behind the counter knew. When I asked "what's special here?" Again, very limited and unconvincing reply. But I didn't leave empty handed, but was certainly disappointed. I'm Chinese so everyone wondered WTH are you doing at Panda Express? After this visit I felt the same way. I ordered the green onion pancake wrap Chinese "burrito." If you've ever had a real green onion wrap you'd never finish this dish. It was bland, heavy and ultimately 2-dimensional. A poor substitute for proper fusion (which the Taiwanese have mastered.) There is a boba drinks bar here and some cafe style seating, but it's unloved by the patrons. I doubt the drinks can compete with the Taiwanese experts anyways. read more

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Even though times are crazy, people still need their Panda! They have a very limited menu currently. No innovation going on right now. They still have lines and it moves super slow at lunch rush. One person entry to order at a time. Yelp check in gets half off drinks. Service was fine, typical order and go. Pick up is set up at the back entrance door. 3 Item Combo - $10 - If you ever ate panda before, it tastes the same. Strawberry Lemonade, Large - $3.70 - Reminded me of Denny's or Red Robin. Super sweet. CHECK YOUR BOX prior to leaving. They did not give us our 3rd item in my 3 item plate. Lucky I checked on the street, we had to u-turn and get the missing item. read more

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They have some unique things from time to time, but the last few times I've been there its been no different from any other panda Express. The first time I ever went I was able to get a wrap which I thought was fantastic. And the several times I've been back since then, they didn't have the option to get a wrap. I'm not sure if they just stopped offering the wrap option ir if there is some sort of shortage on the wraps themselves. Total bummer after I told everyone about it and now can't get it anymore. It's like any other panda Express I guess. read more

The servings are so small its very hard to complain in person when knowing it really doesn't make a difference.

Rip off gift cards. Had $6 left on my gift card. Online app order, despite my visibly checking off the gift card payment option and choosing to pay only the remaining balance with my credit card, still charges the entire amount to my card and doesn't use my gift card at all. Had to waste the $6 buying stupid egg rolls (since the plate I wanted was more than $6). Super sketchy method Panda Express uses to rip off gift card recipients. Addendum: Wasn't going to say anything about the people but since the manager laughed at me...what the heck is wrong with this restaurant? She said that since the restaurant doesn't sell gift cards and I purchased it from the link at pandaexpress com, the restaurant has no responsibility for then, only "corporate" I assume this is a franchise but franchises agree to things like taking official gift cards. I didn't even ask to talk to the manager. I just told the clerk to pass on the message so I could leave and go on with my day. They insisted on keeping me there just to blame it me for buying a gift card, repeatedly hinting my official gift card purchased directly from pandaexpress.com was sketchy. Argh! read more

Legends tell or an ancient and forbidden burrito, tales of which spread worldwide through the everywhere realm known as "Instagram." Anyways, that where I first heard of the oh-so-delicious Orange Chicken Wrap... but c'mon, we all know it's an Orange Chicken burrito. And let me tell you, it is GLORIOUS. It's essentially the contents of a Panda Express regular sized plate in a large tortilla. I got double orange chicken with double chow mein, but you can get it with brown rice instead, and I believe Beijing Beef as well. So how does it taste? Amazing. It was so worth the trip to Pasadena to try it. Would I have it again? Sometime in the future, yes. It's one of those things you only have once in awhile, something that feels like a special occasion to consume. So why 4 stars? Because other than the wrap, this Panda Express looks practically copy-pasted from every other Panda. My girlfriend got their dragonfruit tea from the tea bar, and it was good, but not amazing. C'mon, it's the innovation kitchen! Put some more spice into the design... well, I suppose that's a nit pick. TL;DR : Come for the burrito, not the aesthetic, and you'll have a good time. Definitely worth it if you're as in love with the flavor of Panda's orange chicken as I am. read more

Pass the soy sauce and chopsticks!! I have lived in the area for over 7 years now and had NO IDEA this wasn't the same old Panda Express I've seen everywhere else! I literally live smack dab in the middle between this location and the location in Monrovia and for some reason always went to the Monrovia location--NEVER AGAIN!! This place is awesome! They have all the same menu items as any other Panda Express, PLUS a ton of other creative and healthy options to choose from! They had a brown rice and quinoa option on top of the noodles and regular rice, a carrot and Brussels sprouts veggie side that was new and a few other meat options that I hadn't seen before. Of course, I had to try a few new food items and they were all really good. They also have a tea bar with several tea options to choose from. I wasn't in the mood for tea this evening, but I would totally try them the next time I go. The staff was super friendly and talked to me about all the new and different menu options they had there. I was really impressed. The decor and ambiance is very bright and modern and the place was very clean. There's a lot of space to sit inside and a few tables outside to eat, as well. They're a little tucked away in the shopping mall by the Marshalls, but there is a plenty of parking. I will never go to the regular Panda Express again--Innovative Kitchen for now on! Woot woot! read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Lots of new items to try! - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Yelp and google show closing time is at 10:30pm. The employees say they close at 10pm. Frustrating when you drive all the way over to the store to see that the online info is incorrect! read more

I'm disappointed that this location doesn't offer the "Orange Chicken Burrito" anymore. I specially came to this location for that item. Also noticed the Tea Bar wasn't staffed. Other than that, it's a normal Panda Express. The food was pretty fresh and tasty. The only difference is that they have the Beyond Orange Chicken, quinoa fried rice and a chef's special, which was an Angus steak and broccolini I had at a Panda Express before. The chef's special and quinoa fried rice were good. Other than that, just your normal Panda Express without the bings. read more

I'm sorry, but drinks here are probably one of the worst drinks I've ever had. Picked up a family meal for a lazy Sunday dinner. Got in around 9 ish. Packing was fine. Service was fine overall. Food is what you'd expect from panda. Authentic chine... chain take out fast food. Went to the tea bar and picked up 4 drinks while waiting. Got 2 strawberry green teas, 1 Thai milk tea, and 1 milk tea. Honestly, it's probably one of the worst drinks I've ever bought from anywhere. And I'm sorry if that sounds mean. Each drink is a no ice order but somehow turns out to be the most watered down tea in existence. Even cheap 99cent store tea will compare better. The strawberry green tea was bland, couldn't even taste a hint of strawberry, and it was full of tea leaves. So every sip was accompanied by a mouthful of tea leaves! Yay! Yes, this is a harsh review but how can you pretend to pass this off as drinkable or acceptable? Especially when you call yourself an "Innovation Kitchen" even if thats in name only. Ultimately, don't buy drinks from here or expect a bad experience. Food is fine. read more

My first time coming to this Panda Express Innovation Kitchen and it was quite an experience. I ordered their orange chicken sandwhich and it has a quite interesting flavor. Orange chicken friend breast in between 2 hawaiian tasting rolls with pickles and slaw in the middle. I liked how it was made fresh to order. I also got their pomegranate lemon pineapple tea and with a Yelp check in the tea was 50% off. Woot Woot! Overall good experience here at this location. Manager was really nice and thanked me for checking in on yelp and taking photos of his store. From what I saw, all staff were diligently working and communicating well. Even though there was a long line at lunch you can tell with their efficient employees, all customers didn't have to wait long to select their plate combos and drinks. One less star because I had to wait over 10 minutes to get my tea as there was no one at the tea making station. Since I didn't want to wait to eat my chicken sandwich in fear of it getting cold, I ate it alone without a drink. Oh well. Will be back next time to try their other innovative meals. read more

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I visit many different Panda Express frequently, I love the fast service and great food. Today I visited Panda Express in Pasadena and was helped by Jasmine and I was so impressed with the exceptional customer service that was provided. Jasmine recommended the bing burrito, which was amazingly delicious, she provided excellent service. As she was building my burrito she recommended other options for the following visit. The food tasted really fresh and even though the place was busy the line moved very quickly. This Panda Express stands out to be the best of all your locations. I will driving passing two locations just to come here. Location was very clean and very inviting. Thank you Jasmine, your excellent service makes a difference where customers choose to eat. read more

I am so happy Panda Express is adding more plant based items but kind of irritated that it's always out of stock! We had originally had ordered a family meal for the weekend and during the week went to try the new beyond items but they told us the beyond orange chicken will be out for weeks because of these new beyond items. I know they're testing the market out but it seems like there's quite a high demand for the item, I just wish there was a more consistent supply! read more

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

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My name is Katina and at approximately 9:16p Tuesday, June 27th I visited Panda Innovation at 3867 E Foothill, Pasadena to buy food for me and my son. I was assaulted by employee Felipe. I had not been to this Panda location in years due to rude treatment from the employees. I am traumatized and before this have never been accosted by a man before. I said hi to Kathy and she then began to ask me what would I like to order. I ordered 2 plates of food one for my son, Orange chicken, chow mein/fried rice. For myself, teriyaki chicken, chow mein/fried rice. Kathy the manager was not very nice from the beginning of my ordering process. She was not welcoming, rather cold and dismissive. There was no greeting, she just asked me what I wanted to order. I told her, and she grabbed a bowl and started placing the chow mein in the bowl. I said oh I would prefer the food in a plate, (I chuckled) my son is finicky and will not eat it if the food is piled on top of one another. She never addressed me, she then dumped the chow mein from the bowl in a plate. Kathy had an attitude I could tell, when I asked for a plate instead of a bowl she said something under her breath in Spanish. I felt like she wanted me to hurry up. She asked me where there other plates needed, I said yes, I'll have half/half with teriyaki chicken. I noticed that the teriyaki chicken looked subpar, so I told Kathy I would like to switch my order from teriyaki to green bean chicken. Kathy then said in a snappy tone, "you wanted teriyaki chicken." I said yes but I switched and instead would like green bean chicken. She said something under her breath and Next thing I know Felipe another employee came next to her and she said something to him that sounded like Spanish. He stared at me with disgust and then he had a smirk. As I headed down to the register he just looked at me with a crazy stare and told me what the total was, I then said to Felipe it seems that every time I have come in this restaurant people are so rude. He raised his voice and said "NO YOU PEOPLE ARE RUDE." He said you people are the rude ones. I said what did you say? I was in utter shock. He repeated himself. I said we are the people, I am a black woman, your are a Latino man we are the people. What are you talking about. He then said Fuck you, and then started to yell at me from behind the register, and began cursing me out. He was completely unhinged. Felipe then told me he threaten he would fuck me up and two or three employee men held him back because he was charging out from behind the register aggressively, lunging towards me. I was completely terrified of him and his behavior was so disrespectful, rude and scary. I told Felipe if my son was not hungry I would leave the food there. A man in the restaurant who was eating with his wife saw the whole thing and came to my aid and said to Kathy he could not sit one more minute and allow Felipe to disrespect me. He said he and his wife heard everything. He and his wife felt Felipe was very aggressive, they said it was horrible and demeaning to watch and hear Felipe. Felipe then was taken to the back and another employee began to apologize to me. She said I'm going to give you 20%, our employee discount. During this exchange I was still in utter shock. I stood in front of the register shaking. She said this should never have happen. She continued to apologize and ask me if I wanted anything else. Then Kathy came to me and I said can I speak to the manager and she said she was the manager. I said you're the manager and you allowed Felipe to act out like this and threaten me. She said I'm so sorry. I can't believe he acted that way. I said to her that I was disappointed in her. I told her I knew she said something to cause him to react irate. I said I saw you and heard you. His outburst and violent nature was unwarranted. Kathy began to again apologize and say she was so sorry and again she had no idea he would act like that. Although Kathy was not nice initially, we did not have any negative exchange to warrant Felipe going berserk. When she said something to him I believe that's what set him off. When Felipe referred to me as "YOU PEOPLE" meaning "black people" it was absolutely offensive, discriminatory. The man and wife that came to my aid said that right before the incident they felt that Kathy was rude and short with them too. The culture at this Panda Express is not good. From the leadership on down they are cultivating bad behavior towards black guest. I have other friends who have experienced the same thing. I have read the reviews and they are not great either. Kathy said she was going to write him up and I said write him up? Felipe is in my opinion unqualified and mentally unstable to work in this environment. There should be extreme repercussions for Felipe's behavior. He should be fired. He should not be around customers at all. I have also involved the Pasadena Police Department. read more

Would not let me in at 10:23. They close at 10:30. If you're looking for a late night menu this is not IT. read more

Did an online order. Arrived at Panda when it should be ready. The line for online orders was out the door and it was utter chaos. I ended up getting my food 20 minutes late. Avoid this place. read more

Glad to see the innovation is back. The sandwich is delicious. However, the bun is dry and needs to be toasted or something, but the sauce and pickles are great. The hot and sour soup is peppery and savory. The bing is back! This burrito needs to expand to other locations. I got mine with half super greens and quinoa brown rice; I'm glad to see the rice has more quinoa than our last visit . The Beyond orange chicken was good. If I hadn't know it was Beyond, I probably wouldn't have noticed that it wasn't chicken. read more

Online ordering is terrible. Placed order at 3:02pm today was given pick up time at 3:13pm. Arrived at 3:18pm. Upon arriving there were two small parties in the line and my order had not been started. They said it would be a couple minutes which is fine. About 3 minutes later 3 large parties came In and the line got very long. Instead of getting my entire order ready they decided to get some of it done, put it to the side, and assist everyone else in line. The entire long line was assisted which took 20 mins. And finally they decided to finish my order at 3:37pm once everyone else was helped. My husband asked to speak to a manager and the cash register girl said the manager was on break and walked away without offering anyone else. As if she was annoyed at us when we had not done anything or said anything about having to wait. My husband had to ask someone else for anyone in charge. My husband spoke to (possibly) a shift leader, and he just apologized and said thank you. At that point what is there to do? I'm not one to complain often but being ignore and treated less just because we ordered online doesn't seem right. read more

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

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This place has changed a lot after covid. The workers aren't great and beware they don't fill up the Al carte boxes well. Only half way in the large box. Also the steak was sour this time and has a different sauce. Very disappointed with this location. read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Don't fill up the boxes - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

The food was scrumpdidly-umpcious and kayla served me with the brightest smile and warmest greeting I've received since my gram gram died. She really made my day. Chef woody was kind of annoying though. He wouldn't stop challenging me, saying he could solve my rubix's faster than my little cousin. My little cousin has autism..... read more