Panda Express

Panda Express
585 North Germantown Parkway
901-751-1370

Panda Express is a chain that the monkeys (Satchel, 11, and Jiro, 9) visited on their month long roadtrip out west over the summer. They raved about it and have been dying to go to the one here and get the "Family Feast."

On Saturday, Satchel and I found ourselves waaaaaay out east at the Super Target finishing up a little school shopping, and decided to pop in to Panda Express for a late lunch. (Jiro was off having a super fun last weekend of summer with his best friends so we didn't feel guilty.)



I asked Satchel if it was like Subway where we just picked what we wanted on our rice or noodles, but he said no (and probably rolled his eyes).

Inside it's decorated pretty cute, if you think "sparse" is cute. (I do.) There were a number of seating options--tables, booths, tall counters, and even patio action.

It's an order at the counter type place, so I thought it might be more like Pei Wei. I took a minute to look at the menus hanging on the wall. Nope. Well, maybe a little, but the food is already cooked.




Satchel, who thought I was being slow, made it easy. "We are getting the bowls," he said. As we approached the counter, he said I could pick a base and then one dish to put on top, then he told the woman, "We'll have two bowl meals."

Yes, my baby ordered for me! I loved it.



I decided on fried brown rice with the Samarai surf and turf they were advertising on top. Satchel got chow mein noodles with Beijing beef on top, because that is what Warren ordered the first time they went and he loved it.

After completing our transaction, I decided that Panda Express is like a Chinese buffet with very strict rules.



Yes, Satchel carried the tray and even got my drink for me. (We both got waters since we had a soda at my mom's house earlier in the day.)

Here's my surf and turf. Hard to see the rice under there, but it definitely took up 3/4 of the bowl.



And here's Satchel's Beijing beef.



Overall it was pretty tasty. We even switched bowls for awhile.



Each bowl cost $5.59. There was a $1.00 upcharge for mine, I guess because of the shrimp. Our total was $13.31. (I saw no tip jar or tip line on the receipt.) Not bad, right? However, I do realize we probably could have gone to a real Chinese buffet for the same amount. But then we would have really stuffed ourselves.

We were both super full and neither of us could finish. My immediate thought was, "They must have put a lot of MSG in the food." But maybe the soda and Pancho's cheese dip snack we had an hour or so before at my mom's just ruined our appetites?

We went to wash our hands and I noted that there was not a changing table in the restroom. I did see highchairs in the dining area.

I can't see making a special trip to Cordova to eat here again, but it was TOTALLY worth going just to have Satchel show me the ropes.