I have not eaten my weight in Panda Express’ Orange Chicken, and moments of my life were used to calculating whether I did. But I’ve eaten so much of it that I can instantly tell Panda Express’ faux fowl Beyond Orange Chicken doesn’t taste EXACTLY like the real deal.
But I felt that was going to be the case before trying the new entree because I’ve eaten enough plant-based chick’n/chik’n/chic’n/ch’ken/ch’k’n products to know what to expect, which is something that doesn’t taste exactly like chicken.
It’s hard for me to explain the flavor of the plant-based meat in this entree. It’s not poultry-like, but I don’t find it unappealing. The Orange Chicken sauce is the same sweet stuff with a slight kick that made Panda Express what it is today. I’ve always thought that it’s so tasty that it would go great with any fried animal or plant-based protein, and that’s the case with Beyond Orange Chicken.
However, while I like this and would eat it again, its overall flavor doesn’t convince me it’s as craveable as the original, which is what the Panda Express website claims. But if you’re into plant-based meats, it’s definitely worth a try.
While I don’t find the entree’s flavor odd, its appearance is a little weird. Unlike the various piece sizes of the O.G.O.C., Beyond Orange Chicken are uniform and look like Beyond Meat’s attempt to recreate BTS’ finger hearts in faux-meat form.
The interior looks tofu adjacent, and the off-white spots in the “meat” look peculiar. Although my issues with the spots might be the result of looking at way too much sci-fi anime and manga. The protein’s texture reminds me of slightly dried up tofu (UPDATE: I’m eating leftovers and they now remind me more of a chicken nugget), and while the exterior has some crispiness, it’s more like a Chicken McNugget than the original Orange Chicken’s breading.
Much like Panda Express’ steak and shrimp entrees, Beyond Orange Chicken has a premium upcharge. Because of that higher price, not being as delicious as the original, and being a limited time offering, I don’t think I’ll ever come close to eating my weight in it.
Purchased Price: $15.90
Size: Large a la carte container
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (4.75 oz) 440 calories, 22 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 810 milligrams of sodium, 47 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 15 grams of sugar, and 13 grams of protein.
The grammar used in this review is… Shockingly bad.
You should not have capitalized the word “shockingly” in your sentence, because the phrase “the grammar used in this review is” does not work as an independent clause. Since the two pieces of the sentence rely on eachother to make sense, the correct form would be:
“The grammar used in this review is… shockingly bad.”
If you want to exaggerate the very minor flaws of a fast food review that costs nothing for you to read, you might want to make sure that your comment’s grammar isn’t “shockingly bad” itself. 🙂
Hehe 🙂
Someone’s mad.
This is why we can’t have nice things.
Love. This. Comment. lol
Yeah I agree, that the person who left this comment –
“The grammar used in this review is… Shockingly bad.”
– on a fast food blog’s review of plant-based orange chicken, *does* seem pretty mad. 🙂
JOE — What particularly did you find ungrammatical about the review? Some of its syntax seems arguably non-idiomatic if not simply semi-formal, but nothing in it stands out as ungrammatical to me. (Maybe review’s been edited since your comment?)
ooh i have high hopes for this one over the kfc. sauce can do a lot for iffy fake meats.
I laughs alot at reed these comment!
Oops, typo! I meant “Me laughs.”
Have you been smoking the wacky tobacky? You’re usually a lot more coherent. 😛
Just being my always goofy self and having some fun with this thread. 🙂 I also may or may not have left those comments in an exhausted state of sleep deprivation…so yeah…incoherent mutterings, lol.
Yeah, I hear you on the sleep deprivation. It’s hard to proofread when you’re tired. Also, a raging pain in the ass.
I tried the beyond orange chicken yesterday. . .I liked it and would go back for more!
I purchased the vegan orange chicken and I thought it was very yummy and tasted like the original. Maybe not as much as chicken flavor, but very very close in taste. I was saddened by the higher price of this. Because of that price I am definitely not purchasing again when I can just get the original that is just as good and cheaper.
I totally disagree with the review. I’ve had the Beyond Orange Chicken and went crazy over it. I love the spicy kick at the end. That’s something to be said for me since I’ve never been a Panda fan until the B.O.C. came to play– and as long as they keep it on the menu I’ll continue to be a regular customer. I realize I’m just one opinion, but so is this reviewer, and the only way you’ll know whether you like something is if you try it for yourself. Peace.
Really enjoyed the beyond orange chicken. Great flavor. Will definitely get again. They are currently offering buy one get one bowl if ordered online making it even better.
Chickens experience hell on earth, things you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy, let alone a dog or cat, just so you and others can have a quick bite to eat. It’s not all about you, it’s about showing a little bit of kindness and mercy to an innocent animal. Heaven’s forbid considering their quality of life over your own taste buds.
It’s wonderful I totally love it ! Just went vegan and don’t miss meat at all