Panda Express in Mansfield

“I used to go to Panda Express often when I lived in Arlington. I stopped going because there were other ethnic food restaurants to explore nearby.
Now I’m in Mansfield. There aren’t as many ethnic food restaurants nearby. But the local Panda Express is much closer. So, I thought I should check them out.
I worked as a contractor at Frito Lays for a few months. I did the same at Pizza Hut. So, I’m familiar with how fast-food franchises operate.
Panda Express is a rare bird in the sense that it's independent. Its owners and co-founders are husband Andrew Cheng, wife Peggy Cheng, and Andrew’s father, Chef Ming Tsai Cheng. Peggy was a software engineer, working for defense contractors. She brought a systems analysis perspective to logistics and standardization necessary to scale up operations.
Back to the review. My career before retirement was in software.
I was born in Southeast Asia. The first thing I noticed was the tables were all occupied by customers who were not Asian. In a true Asian restaurant, this would be a red flag for me. But Panda Express is Americanized Asian. The recipes have been adjusted to American tastes. Real Chinese food is full of thick sauces. Panda Express food is lighter. Most likely healthier too.
I also noticed that the kitchen staff were not Asian. It doesn’t matter. The recipes are simplified. Remember that Peggy Cheng turned it into a systems approach.
I ordered their most popular dish: Orange Chicken. Since I had a coupon, the other dish I ordered was their new Spicy Orange Chicken.
Both dishes had a lot of fresh chopped vegetables. Unlike real Chinese food, Panda Express always had fresh vegetables that were not overcooked. Yeah!
Both Orange Chicken versions were delicious. And the service was fast.
I think I’ll be ordering from Panda Express more often. I recommend them.“

“Drive thru AI ordering sucks. Mixed my order up. I was super pisses when I pulled up to the window.
Panda express is lucky, employee at the window Jovita was great. Great attitude. Took time to explain & fix the issue fixed it instantly.
Super happy with Jovitas service.“