Latest news with #AmericanChinese
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Panda Express part of new improvements made at HNL
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Brand new restaurants and improvements are coming to the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. The Hawai'i Department of Transportation highlighted new improvements to Terminal 1 as part of a continuing effort to enhance the passenger experience for the traveling public. HNL takes off: Upgrades to modernize Honolulu's aging airport HDOT partnered with Hawaiian Airlines to unveil new restroom facilities and a breakroom for TSA employees. 'This project is more than just a construction milestone, it's a testament to the power of partnership,' said Monica Kobayashi, managing director for airport operations, Hawaiian Airlines. 'By working together, Hawaiian Airlines and the HDOT were able to pool resources, share expertise and deliver a project that benefits everyone who passes through this terminal. It's a model of collaboration that allows us to move faster, work smarter and achieve more than we could alone.' Check out more news from around Hawaii Hawaiian Airlines' total investment in this project was $14 million. Kobayashi also added, 'Everybody here knows that our budget is focused on our runways and taxiways. We wanna make sure those areas are safe first before we start pushing money in different areas. But everybody's been seeing those small improvements that we've been making to the terminals to make sure the visitor experience is highlighted as well.' Additionally, HDOT and its food and beverage concessionaire partner, HMSHost, celebrated the opening of the first of two new Panda Express restaurants at HNL, with the second to be located in the food court in Terminal 2. The second location is set to open in August. HMSHost is also upgrading furniture at its food and beverage outlets in Terminal 1 and expects to open Waialua Café and Bar in the Mauka Terminal by the end of this year. 'We are extremely excited to bring our travelers a well-recognized and sought-after brand in Panda Express, delivering flavors that are a combination of Chinese roots with an American taste, serving dishes that are authentically American Chinese,' said Chris Kadohiro, director of operations for HMSHost. 'The addition of Panda Express in the interisland terminal, as well as the Terminal 2 location coming in August, will allow us to increase passenger satisfaction and provide them great comfort food as they travel.' Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Along with these improvements, additional dining experiences are also on the way. Details for the new restaurants will be provided at a later date. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
That's all, yolks! Asian egg dishes delight around Orlando
I just crushed about a quarter of this vegetable egg foo young, which according to my brief research has more than a few acceptable spellings and a tremendous number of fans. It is my favorite American-Chinese takeout staple. Done perfectly, it's wok-fried in a generous pool of oil, soft and tender inside with a crispy, wispy exterior and heavy with vegetables — all of them. Broccoli and carrot, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, mushrooms, cabbage, rough-chopped hunks of baby corn. Every restaurant does it differently and I'll often pass on the gravy (some are too heavy on thickening agents, too light on the soy or oyster sauce umami), but I love it, with or without. Orlando's first Kyuramen location is ready for its close-up | Review I'd just finished up at the gym. And the salty protein-carbohydrate bomb was just what my body wanted. I could feel it replenishing me, in fact, like it was going directly into my cells. It was fabulous. I might have heard myself say 'mmm' a few times. Folks in foodie online circles can be pretentious about American-Chinese food. I've seen people joyfully post their glistening containers of General Tso's only to have some troll call it inauthentic, which frankly, I don't get. How? It's an iteration of Chinese food, invented by Chinese immigrants, as they forged new lives in a new place. There is Tahitian Chinese food. Caribbean Chinese food. Indian Chinese food. Peruvian Chifa. Same story, different countries. None are 'traditional.' All are examples of Chinese people using the ingredients available to them to create something familiar, but uniquely Chinese-plus. Happily, zero trolls responded when I posted an open question on the Orlando Sentinel's food-centric Facebook page, Let's Eat, Orlando. Best Korean: 2025 Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards 'I love American Chinese food,' wrote group member Alana Conel. 'There's something about the comfort of it that I crave at least once every two weeks. I love authentic Chinese food no doubt, but take-out Chinese food … literally is making my mouth water right now.' Raised in China, Janet Zhang noted that American Chinese cuisine's flavor and presentation feel foreign, but she still likes it. 'I think the American Chinese restaurants have some of the best chicken wings I have ever had, and the twice-cooked pork made with cabbage and charsiu, though (they) bare [sic] little resemblance to the dish I was familiar with, (are) still delicious.' Chefs, too, weighed in. 'If you say you don't like [American Chinese food], you're lying,' said Boku, Soseki and Uncle Dendog's alum Denni Cha, whose favorites include moo shu. 'Egg drop soup is my everything.' Vegetable egg foo young is mine. I'm not apologizing. And as we say goodbye to both Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month and National Egg Month, I can't think of a better dish to go out on. That's all, yolks! Well, that and this round-up of some other Asian egg dishes you might want to try. Though not technically an omelet, this eggy-battered pancake of Japanese origin, in particular the chonky kind where the goodies are studded within instead of layered on top, has definite egg foo young feels. In Japan, you might find grill-top tables where you can cook your own, but at chef Lewis Lin's Orlando-local izakayas, Susuru and Juju, you can sip fine whiskey or whimsical cocktails while the pros in the kitchen do the work. Here, they churn out thick, Osaka-style okonomiyaki that's studded with cabbage and slathered in kewpie and where you can add on pork chashu or bacon. It's quite popular with the regulars, says Lin. Go. Be one. Susuru: 8548 Palm Parkway in Orlando, 407-778-4813; Juju: 700 Maguire Blvd. in Orlando, 407-412-6678; I couldn't post the wild video I have of my server, deftly slicing open this trendy, Yoshoku-style omelet, at Kyuramen's location just outside the UCF campus on University Boulevard, but Google Kyoto's famed Kichi Kichi restaurant (or check out Phil Rosenthal meeting chef Motokichi Yukimura on the Kyoto episode of 'Somebody Feed Phil' on Netflix) and you'll know what to expect when you show up for your own taste of this gorgeous dish, wherein a delicate, thin-skinned purse of eggs is layered over chicken fried rice, flayed open theatrically, then doused with sauce. At Kyuramen, the choice is curry or demiglace. You can add on pork tonkatsu, as well. Kyuramen: 3402 Technological Ave. in Orlando, 407-668-4088; This steamed egg custard is one of the most popular dishes on the menu at Pocha 93, where Korean street food takes center stage and the eggs are a light, silky and fluffy bar snack, topped with scallion and ideal for enjoying alongside something saltier and, of course, happy hour sips. Pocha 93: 7379 W. Colonial Drive in Orlando, 407-420-0157; A recent add to Domu Chibi Ramen's fast-casual menu in Waterford Lakes, and a protein-packed steal at $3.50. These thin, delicately rolled omelets, says chef/owner and 2025 James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef: South, Sean 'Sonny' Nguyen, are something every chef specializing in Japanese cuisine aspires to do well. 'The more you make it over time, the better you get,' he says. 'I make a very amateur tamagoyaki at home for my kids for breakfast and they love it.' It was a natural add to Chibi's menu, he says 'because we were focusing a little more on Japanese street foods for our fast-casual outpost. One of the most memorable bites I had at the Tsujiki Market was tamagoyaki on a skewer, made fresh at a corner storefront. It was cheap, simple and delicious.' It takes those who try it on a trip to Japan without booking a ticket, he says. 'If you're into eggs, it's worth a try.' Domu Chibi Ramen: 869 N. Alafaya Trail in Orlando, Find me on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @ Email: amthompson@ For more foodie fun, join the Let's Eat, Orlando Facebook group. Our 2025 Foodie Award winners list revealed — see who won
Washington Post
11-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Solution to Evan Birnholz's May 11 crossword, ‘Plot Holes'
Here's a brief note about a clue discrepancy between the print and online versions of the crossword. The clue for 30A in today's print newspaper reads [Descriptor for some soups in Chinese American cuisine]. After I submitted the draft, I had it changed to [Descriptor for some soups in American Chinese cuisine], flipping 'Chinese' and 'American' in the order, and this is how it appears online. Unfortunately the newspaper had already gone to press before the print version could be updated. My guess is that the print clue isn't wrong, per se, but 'American Chinese cuisine' seems to be the more common construction of the term. In any case, sorry to any print solvers if that clue had been confusing.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Charleston chef Shuai Wang competes on ‘Top Chef' in Canada
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The owner of two local restaurants is competing against other chefs around the country on season 22 of 'Top Chef: Destination Canada.' The cooking pro is prepared to bring the heat in the reality competition television series. 'My favorite dish. That's a hard one. There's so many … honestly one of my favorite, favorite things in the whole entire world to eat, and I can eat endless amount of this, is just my mom's cooking, shared Chef Shuai Wang. North Charleston chef takes culinary talent to national stage by appearing on Bravo's 'Top Chef' He went on to explain, 'She does this stuffed scallion pancake. It has garlic chives and ground pork in there. I can just eat that 'til I'm sick, basically.' Chef Wang was born in Beijing, China and immigrated to the United States to Queens, New York. He later moved to Charleston, thinking he would be there for a short time to help a friend. He ended up falling in love with the Holy City's charm. 'I love North Charleston particularly. It feels very much my own vibe. It's all the working class and people like my age who are just trying to, you know, make a living and start a family,' said Chef Wang, who is the owner of Jackrabbit Filly and King BBQ. 'At Jackrabbit Filly, we call it Chinese American. It's not so much the American Chinese food that most people are used to, which is your typical takeout right, your General Tso's chicken, your beef and broccoli,' he said. Instead, the menu is inspired by recipes made with love by his mother and grandmother. 'It's like old-school Beijing-style food, which you don't typically see in the States, but then we also utilize as much local ingredients as possible. In fact, we're part of the fresh menu program, so more than 25% of our menu is local and I don't think you see that a lot with Chinese food either and it's not just Chinese, it's Chinese food inspired, but it's food that's kind of inspired me throughout my whole entire career,' said Chef Wang. A melting pot of flavors, his other restaurant, King BBQ, is inspired by Chinatown-style BBQ married with a southern technique. 'More Carolina-style barbeque than anything else. You know, a lot of tons of great barbeque here in Charleston,' he said. Not competitive in nature, Chef Wang saw 'Top Chef' as an opportunity to showcase his skills and promote his restaurants even though he was hesitant to apply for the show. Chef Wang shared, 'I was dreading it before going on because, again, I'm not competitive I thought everyone's going to be butting heads and be mean to each other and that's not just my vibe you know, but as soon as we started and after the first episode, it was just like everyone's so nice. We just bonded immediately.' Before going on 'Top Chef,' Chef Wang didn't watch the show until he was chosen to be a contestant. He explained, 'I don't watch cooking competitions shows typically just because, you know, I worked cart service every day and the last thing I want to do is kind of give myself more anxiety by watching other chef's struggle.' Before competing on the show this season, Chef Wang not only tested recipes he hadn't made in awhile, he also completed 30 minute challenges at home with his wife. 'Just kind of timing myself, we spent a lot of time at Whole Foods trying to memorize the aisles which was very silly because you know, didn't realize, didn't even think about Canadian Whole Foods might be different than the United States Whole foods,' said Chef Wang. Grateful for the opportunity, as Chef Wang competes, he cooks each dish with passion. He went on to say, 'For me, to be a chef is less about the food and is more about taking care of people. I love having to take care of someone, and the best way to do that, for me, is through food. Something about food just brings everyone together and watching people eat your food and having that reaction, that's like, you know, like happiness, biggest reason why I wanted to be a chef.' The winner of 'Top Chef' will take home the grand prize of $250,000. You can support Chef Wang by watching him on Bravo every Thursday at 9 p.m. or streaming it the next day on Peacock. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Los Angeles Times
20-02-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Review: The originator of Panda Express is back. Is the new orange chicken better?
Servers at the newly reopened Panda Inn restaurant in Pasadena glide around the dining room with massive trays hoisted over their shoulders, each one overflowing with platters of orange chicken, bowls of hot and sour soup and orders of mu shu pork. If food running were an Olympic sport, I'd bet on team Panda Inn. For someone who grew up going to the much darker, lower-ceilinged original restaurant, the new Panda Inn digs are unrecognizable. And a newfound, brighter energy is palpable, with a dining room that swells with diners even in the middle of the afternoon. Reservations for both prime-time evening and daytime tables have been difficult to procure, and the first question you'll be greeted with at the host counter is if you have one. Andrew Cherng and his father, chef Ming-Tsai Cherng, opened Panda Inn on a sleepy stretch of Foothill Boulevard in 1973. Andrew and his wife, Peggy, would later go on to introduce the first Panda Express at the Glendale Galleria food court a decade later. Now, the Panda Restaurant Group includes more than 2,600 Panda Express locations worldwide and four Panda Inns in Southern California. The company also is both a franchise operator and an investor in restaurants such as Hibachi-San, Uncle Tetsu, Yakiya, Raising Cane's and Whataburger. In its previous incarnation, the Pasadena Panda Inn was where you went before a school dance, met the extended family for birthday parties or found yourself on a Wednesday night because it was the only place everyone could agree on. Last November, the restaurant reopened after a complete overhaul and renovations that took nearly two years to complete. Now it's a bustling Chinese American brasserie in an area of town known more for its chain-heavy strip malls than destination dining. The entrance, which once faced the San Gabriel Mountains, now looks west, accessible past the sort of half-moon driveway you might find at some of the finer McMansions in town. There's a plush red carpet leading up to the front door, flanked on either side by two outdoor seating areas. The dining room is vastly hipper and more upscale, with high ceilings, warm wood walls and a sleek floor that shines like marble. The space is broken into five main sections, with private rooms, semi-private booths hidden in elaborate alcoves, a full bar slinging yuzu lemon drops and even a sushi bar. It may look different, but its warmth is oddly familiar, bringing to mind the sweeping dining rooms of chains like Din Tai Fung. While lunching with deputy food editor Betty Hallock, she remarked that though she'd never been to the original, it somehow felt nostalgic. Even if you've never dined at a Panda Inn, you're likely familiar with the specific brand of American Chinese food it helped popularize. Dishes like orange chicken and General Tso's chicken became part of the greater American culinary vernacular in the woks of the Panda restaurants. On a recent visit, I heard a server tell his table that this is indeed the original Chinese American restaurant. And that yes, everyone orders the orange chicken. The Panda restaurants may have made the greatest contribution to Chinese American cuisine in the last century. The most widely accepted origin story for orange chicken comes from Andy Kao, who is credited with inventing the dish at a Panda Express in Hawaii in 1987. Loosely based on a chicken dish spiked with citrus peel from the Hunan province in China, he first prepared it with skin-on, bone-in chicken. Panda Inn is where beef and broccoli, mountains of fat, chewy chow fun slick with soy and sizzling soup are all the apotheosis of the Chinese American stalwarts. But the new Panda Inn is a restaurant ambitiously reaching for a wider audience, and the chance to turn more regional Chinese dishes into new classics. Echoed in the artwork behind the bar and on the menu's new pages is an attempt to bring the Cherng family's journey to America to life. Panda Inn executive chef Aiguo Yang expanded the original menu with dishes that have roots in Yangzhou, China; Taipei, Taiwan; and Yokohama, Japan, all areas significant to the Cherng family. The braised lion's head meatballs are a regional specialty of the Yangzhou province, where both Ming-Tsai and Yang are from. They come as four orbs the size of tennis balls (they're meant to evoke the shape of the head of a Chinese guardian lion) immersed in a rich, thick brown gravy over a bed of wilted cabbage. They're soft, supple and barely formed, like giant balls of juicy dumpling filling. There's an attempt at flair with a few of the tableside preparations. Mapo tofu is transferred from a bowl to a sizzling pot just before service. The presentation is a bit of a flop, but the mapo tofu is an exemplary version of the Sichuan dish, with soft, silky tofu in a deeply savory red sauce. The heat is accumulative but not terribly aggressive in spice, and the bits of water chestnut offer freshness and crunch. Yang said that nearly 40% of the menu's dishes are new, with items like Taiwanese popcorn chicken, representative of the years Ming-Tsai and Andrew lived in Taiwan. The geographic history of the Cherng family provides a loose throughline for the menu, but not all of the new additions fit neatly into place. The mango tea smoked duck salad involves a bed of romaine lettuce with shreds of smoked duck, crispy wontons, fresh mango, honey walnuts and banana chips in a sweet champagne dressing. It's a conundrum of a salad I ordered multiple times, trying to draw out the logic of this particular combination of components. If I combine the banana chip with duck, will it make sense? What if I add a walnut to the party? I'm still undecided. One of my dining companions simply called the salad 'unfathomable,' but we continued to clean our plates. A desire to honor Ming-Tsai's time as a chef in Yokohama means that there is a team of five people who prepare nigiri, sashimi and maki rolls at a dedicated sushi bar. Tucked into the back of the restaurant, it's mostly populated with couples and singles who walked in without a reservation. But if you'd like to have an omakase experience, the chefs will oblige. The sushi bar is where the Chinese American brand (which the Panda restaurants have so painstakingly worked to establish) gets muddled in an overzealous play at fusion. Hong Kong-style shrimp with mayonnaise is reimagined as a shrimp tempura roll, but the best components of the dish — the crunch of the shrimp, the balance of the sauce and the sweetness of the nuts — get lost in the rice. Squares of eel are splayed over a torched, cut California roll with a mascarpone foam and the restaurant's chile eel sauce. The creamy Italian cheese and eel do not make great friends in a maki roll. If you're intent on having sushi, the sashimi tends to be more focused. Slivers of olive flounder are dusted with nutty dry miso and fanned out onto an eye-widening sauce made from yuzu and ponzu. As for the famous orange chicken, the Panda Inn version is the one you know and love from the food court steam tray, only served at a temperature that implies it took mere seconds to get to your table, with a lighter, much crisper coating and a glaze that clings rather than goops. The intense orange flavor is more sun-ripened citrus than artificial and there's a whisper of chile heat that slices through the sweetness. Every other orange chicken, whether in your neighborhood Chinese restaurant, freezer aisle or even the Panda Express near you, will pale in comparison. If this orange chicken tastes better than what you're remembering, that's because it is. According to chef Jimmy Wang, executive director of product innovation and development at Panda Express, the Pasadena Panda Inn bumped up the citrus with both orange zest and peel in the new recipe. Wang said they also made some adjustments to the signature Panda beef, a dish of crispy, fried sliced beef tossed in a light, sweet and sour sauce. The specific frying process leaves the beef tender and the coating brittle. The sauce is adjacent to the orange chicken but with a less specific citrus flavor. Most of the people sitting at the sushi bar are actually hunched over plates of orange chicken or Panda beef. The new Panda Inn is a sushi bar, a budding Yangzhou specialist and the Chinese American neighborhood restaurant you love. If you try to experience them all at once, it can feel a little disjointed. Pick one (or even two), and it's exactly the place you want to be.
