The Dish You're Better Off Ordering At Panda Express Over P.F. Chang's - Tasting Table

"Orange chicken should balance sweet, tangy, and savory in every bite, but P.F. Chang's version struggles to hit that mark. In fact, in our ranking of P.F. Chang's menu items, this dish landed on the weaker end despite its bold presentation. At first glance, the plate looks promising - the chicken glistens under a bright, almost neon-orange glaze - but that vibrant sauce raises eyebrows, more reminiscent of food coloring than a carefully simmered reduction."

"The bigger issue comes with the flavor, though. Instead of subtle citrus layered with heat and umami, the sauce delivers an overwhelmingly sweet, soda-like punch. Our taste tester even compared it to Minute Maid, orange concentrate, or Tic Tacs - unmistakably orange, but not in a good way. The chicken itself was well-cooked, but lost under the syrupy coating. What should have been a balanced dish ended up cloying, without the complexity you'd expect from a restaurant that prides itself on upscale Chinese-American dining."

"Across town, Panda Express shows why its orange chicken has become a cult classic, and why we ranked it as the best menu item at the restaurant. It's the chain's absolute best and most popular item for a reason: The balance works. Bite-sized chicken pieces stay crisp under a sauce that's sticky without being overpowering, tangy without veering into candy territory. There's a light heat tucked behind the sweetness, giving it depth rather than just one loud note of orange."

P.F. Chang's orange chicken features a bright, neon-like glaze and a thick, heavily battered coating that reads more like fried dough than crisp chicken. The sauce skews overwhelmingly sweet and soda-like, with citrus notes overwhelmed by a syrupy coating that diminishes the well-cooked meat. Panda Express achieves a more successful balance with bite-sized, crisp pieces and a sauce that clings without drowning the chicken. The Panda Express sauce combines sticky sweetness with tang and a light heat, providing layered flavor, restraint, and consistent comfort-food appeal rather than a single, overpowering note.

Read at Tasting Table