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    Panda Express Innovation Kitchen

    3.6 (629 reviews)
    ModerateChinese, Fast Food, Salad
    Open 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    PANDA EXPRESS INNOVATION KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Panda Express Innovation Kitchen

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    Elocin T.

    I would say this is a nice location they have flexible seating areas variety Barstool High seating bench seating more intimate seating at the back and they used to have a boba bar but they close down probably it cost too much to run and they need the employee is working in the other areas but that's fine the lines can get super long and portions are inconsistent some people scoop more generously While others follow the corporate scooping which is be very skimpy and pick very small pieces you know what I mean there's Panda Express this tattoo that but I wish they would be more generous with their portions just my personal opinion but all in all a nice place order ahead if you need to go as much faster

    view of the line!
    Brandon L.

    (+) Orange Chicken (+) Quality Panda Innovative Kitchen is different than your local Panda branch because they roll out their newest entrees and goodies here before they go to all the branch locations. I do notice a difference in quality and taste here. The food tastes fresh and the taste is consistent compared to your local branch. This location does get busy during meal hours, so be prepared to wait a little longer than anticipated. Food/Drinks: This location does serve teas and other sweet drinks. I've had their mango tea before and thought it was fresh and well done. As mentioned before, the quality here is top notch. The fried rice is consistent and cooked well. It isn't too hard nor mushy. Who likes mushy rice?? My favorite dish of all time is the orange chicken. Tangy sweet and sour sauce covering the crispy deep fried chicken piece is to die for. I also enjoy their broccoli beef and Beijing beef. Both dishes are tasty and good over rice. Service/Ambiance: Panda's service is always top notch. I favor restaurants that are kind and make ordering efficient and enjoyable. Their attitude is to serve their customers well and it shows on their face and demeanor. Overall, I prefer this location over all other Panda branches. I do eat panda 3-4x a month, so I know this location does it well.

    Grilled chicken with the Super Greens.
    Eric U.

    After a week of Yelping that had my scale working overtime, I needed a quick,convenient and conscious dining option. I made my way to the local Panda Express Innovation Kitchen. ​I ordered a bowl with Grilled Chicken and substituted the rice for Super Greens as my side. The meal was not too bad; it was exactly what is expected from Panda Express--reliable, hot, and satisfying. ​Despite visiting during the dinner time rush, the line moved fast, and the staff was friendly. The dining area was busy, reflecting the location's popularity. The dining area was busy with lots of local families.

    Panda Express Innovation Kitchen
    Hana O.

    It's been 4 years or so since I ate here but it's my favorite Panda by far. They used to have this Panda Wrap - it was made with a tortilla like wrap. It's more similar to the wrap used for Moo Shu Pork. You got it filled with whatever items & they'd wrap it as a big burrito. So good!! Well, I was disappointed they no longer have this on their menu. It was around 8pm so that could be why but the food just didn't taste as good as it used to be. This is Panda Express's Innovative Kitchen so they have menu items that aren't offered at other Panda stores. I didn't see anything unique aside from the Quinoa Fried Rice that night but again, it was past primo dinner time. I ordered my usual Eggplant Tofu, Shrimp with Walnuts & Quinoa Fried Rice. Eggplant Tofu seemed to be a bit bland, I wanted to add more salt(?) or something to the sauce. Shrimp with Walnuts was just okay. I actually didn't finish my meal which is rare because I love Panda Express out of all fast food stores. I'll come back in a couple of months & go closer to 6pm to see if it's any better. Side note: they have a tea store on the side of the main part of the restaurant that serves different kinds of tea & beverages and some desserts which was closed when I went. Will also try them again next time I go!

    Jon R.

    Was served quickly, staff was friendly, food was hot and fresh, but most of the tables in the restaurant were dirty and needed cleaning. Good meal with a birthday discount.

    Jennifer H.

    We enjoyed our meal once again! The food was delicious as always, the atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and the staff were very friendly. We'll definitely be back!

    The Bing.  Bing (bin) in Chinese means pancake or wrap.
    David M.

    It's been awhile since I ate at this Innovation Kitchen location and since I was shopping in the area, I decided to pop in and try 'the Bing' (no, not the search engine that 5% of Americans use) and the impossible orange chicken. My take, skip 'the Bing' and just stick to the usual plate since it's the normal plate contents wrapped in a burrito. It's just a tortilla (and not a good one). Perhaps if they used thin green onion pancakes, it would taste better but that's not going to happen. The impossible orange chicken was alright. May be better as you get less of those larger pieces of orange chicken only to find it's all batter... Check out my pics.

    String bean chicken, Kung pao chicken, vegetables
    Amber R.

    I placed my order online and went to pick it up. The portion size was not a lot at all considering I ordered two portions of vegetables. For the entrees they were slimy tasting and not cooked that well. The Kung Pao chicken was cold. I would not recommend. The quality used to be so much better. I am not sure what happened. The service was okay. The inside was nice and full of seating and very clean.

    2/10/2026 9:24pm burnt teriyaki chickens. No bueno no bueno no bueno no bueno no bueno

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    2 years ago

    Clean place, friendly service and all the food tasted fresher than some other locations.

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    The service was bad. Employees were rude when taking orders and there was a line that was building up. Not a good Experience.

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    1 year ago

    Amazing food and service was fast!! Food was delicious thanks to the cooks !!!!!! I would come again

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    Page 2 of 16

    Panda Express Innovation Kitchen Reviews in Other Languages

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    Mama Lu’s Dumpling House

    Mama Lu’s Dumpling House

    3.8
    (435 reviews)
    4.8 mi
    $$

    Mama Lu Dumpling House is my favorite Chinese spot in the area. The dumplings are amazing, which is…read moreexactly what you hope for when going to a place known for them. You really cannot go wrong with the xiao long bao, steamed buns, or any of their other dumpling offerings. Beyond the dumplings, they have a lot of other dishes I really enjoy. Some of my favorites are the beef rolls, spicy wontons, green onion pancake, chow fun, orange chicken, and chow mein noodles. The noodles are especially good and, importantly, not overly greasy or oily, which can sometimes be an issue at other places. The prices are also competitive, especially considering the portions and quality of the food. It is the kind of place where you can order a good spread, share a bunch of dishes, and feel like you got a solid meal for the money. I also love that they bring out sugared peanuts when you sit down. It is a small touch, but a really nice one. The restaurant has plenty of seating, though service can be a bit slow at times, so good luck flagging down a waiter when it gets busy. You can also tell they are a high-volume dumpling restaurant because there is often steam in the dining room, which can make the restaurant feel a little warm at times. A couple of practical heads-ups: the tables are on the smaller side and can get crowded quickly if you order a lot of dishes, so just be mindful if you are planning to feast. You will also likely need to park in one of the structures around the area, but there is a large parking structure right across the street and plenty of parking options around Old Town. Overall, Mama Lu is a great spot with excellent dumplings, solid noodles, competitive prices, and a menu that keeps me coming back. Definitely one of my go-to places in Pasadena.

    My family group of 6 adults ate at the Pasadena location of Mama Lu's (61 S. Fair Oaks). This was…read moremy 1st time. They sat us at a small table for 6 people right by their front door & in front of a blowing fan. The table looked too small to hold all of the 8 dishes that we would be ordering. I asked for a larger table, but they said the table for 10 would be too large. There were several larger empty tables. The restaurant was not busy. As it turned out, our table was too small to hold our 8 entrees. The server wasn't even sure herself on how or where to put our orders on the table due to a lack of space. We had to combine several of our entree dishes onto 1 plate to make room on the table. The service was terrible because no one would check up on how we were doing, & no one would take our mountain of extra dirty serving plates away. Staff were standing around instead of being attentive. We got up & brought the many empty dirty serving dishes to their main counter ourselves. We had to ask for water refills because no one came to see if we needed anything. They then had the audacity to automatically charge us an 18% service fee ($19.83) for their bad service. The bill totaled $139. Tipping is NOT optional, even for bad service! The food tasted OK, not great. The facility & restroom was clean. Available street parking was very hard to find on a Saturday at noon. The Pasadena location was a big disappointment & a bad experience. I will not return, & I do NOT recommend eating there. It was not enjoyable. NOTE: The Chinatown location of Mama Lu's has excellent & very friendly service, larger tables, better tasting food, & an adjacent free parking lot. I highly recommend that facility. I've always had a good experience at that location.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    French beef stir fry
    French beef stir fry
    Green Onion Pancake

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    Green Onion Pancake
    Yang Chow

    Yang Chow

    3.8
    (717 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Upon recommendation, I decided to visit this restaurant with a friend. We really enjoyed the…read moreslippery shrimp ($24.50) and Szechuan (orange) chicken ($22.50). Bowls of steamed rice cost $2.50, and we each got one. Portions are generously large and worth the cost; we took leftovers home. The tea offered to us tasted good. The slippery shrimp had a nice crisp with a pleasant blend of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors. There's a slight spice from the red chili that felt mild on my tongue. This was our first time trying out the dish, and we liked it the most. The orange chicken tasted solid, and it had a slightly crispy texture. For some reason, the rice had an aftertaste I wasn't familiar with, but it was still fresh. There was a fortune cookie at the end of our meal. I'd come back for the slippery shrimp and order something other than the orange chicken. The restaurant opened at 11:30 am, and we were one of the first customers to dine in. The ambience was quiet and relaxed, but they got busier as many more people arrived. Service was good as the staff packed our leftovers in containers for us. Our server asked us where we were from as he was used to seeing regulars during the time we visited. Before we exited, we took some time to see framed photos of celebrities who visited Yang Chow before, including Conan O'Brien and Magic Johnson.

    We've been loyal customers of Yang Chow for over 20 years, but we will never give the Pasadena…read morelocation another dime. We placed a large order including slippery shrimp, Szechuan beef, and wonton soup, but the chicken lo mein arrived with charred pieces and tasted terribly burnt. ​When we called, the manager, Phil, was incredibly rude. He demanded we drive 30 minutes back just to return the noodles for a refund, defensively asking, "What else do you expect me to give you?" When we tried to reason with him and reminded him of our 20-year loyalty, Phil literally said, "That's not my problem," and "I don't care." ​Everyone knows that businesses are struggling in this economy, and a manager with this kind of attitude is definitely not making things any better for the restaurant. It makes zero sense to treat a 20-year regular like a scammer over a side of noodles. Phil's horrific attitude and total lack of accountability just cost them a lifelong customer. Avoid this location.

    Photos
    Entrance
    Entrance
    Shrimp with lobster sauce
    Shrimp with lobster sauce
    Slippery Shrimp

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    Slippery Shrimp
    Lunasia Dim Sum House

    Lunasia Dim Sum House

    3.8
    (2.5k reviews)
    4.4 mi
    $$

    Overview: convenient kiosk ordering, tough parking, delicious dim sum…read more ---- We decided to order some dim sum to-go and got the classic offerings of siu mai, har gow, cheung fun, chicken feet, pan fried turnip cake, ginger beef tripe, black bean pork short ribs, and egg tarts. Everything, and I mean everything, was so delicious. One of the best dim sum places I've been to. The pricing of the items ranged from $8-$10 per item we ordered which is expensive but as a treat every once in a while and for the amount of time and effort that goes into making dim sum, it was worth it. I've tried making dim sum at home and it is so hard! Pricing breakdown: $8 items: - har gow (4 pcs) - siu mai (4 pcs) - black bean spare rib - pan fried turnip cake - egg custard $9 items: - chicken feet $10 items: - shrimp rice noodle roll I think they no longer have the tripe on their menu anymore bc I couldn't find it on their online ordering. Also their chili oil was priced at $0.98, which was kind of small, I would do without it next time. ---- The parking was really tough, luckily I had another person with me drop me off then I ordered and then we double parked waiting for it to be finished. The inside of the restaurant felt like an elevated dim sum place, things were neat and a darker ambiance which felt more intimate if you decided to eat in. We took ours to-go and it was still so good! ---- Overall: if I'm ever back in Pasadena I'll be sure to stop by for dim sum, classic dishes with an elevated taste, pricey but worth it

    Perfect family dim sum experience for us…read more We took out my parents and in-laws for dim sum: my parents' very first time ever. We did wait about an hour, but honestly I didn't mind at all because it gave us a chance to relax, talk, and catch up as a family. Once we were seated, my parents were immediately impressed with the decor: elegant and cultural without feeling overly modern or cold. And can we talk about the tea kettles? They looked like literal pieces of art being poured at the table. Ordering was super easy with the QR code system, so my husband handled the whole spread: shumai dumplings, chicken feet, sesame balls, and more. Everything came out hot, fresh, and beautifully plated. The ENTIRE table agreed on one thing: the chili oil condiment deserves to be sold in bottles to take home. It was that good. Smoky, just the right amount of spicy, and addictive. Now for the real test: my in-laws. They've been to *many* dim sum places and are not easily impressed. They declared this place to have the best chicken feet that they've ever had: meat easily sucked off the bone, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and perfectly seasoned. High praise coming from dim sum veterans. Most importantly, my parents' first dim sum experience couldn't have been better. They loved everything from the ambiance to the food to the overall experience. My husband and I want to come back to explore more of the menu because there's clearly so much more to try

    Photos
    The outside of the restaurant.
    The outside of the restaurant.
    Back of the restaurant with plenty of parking.
    Back of the restaurant with plenty of parking.
    Nice, modern look and feel

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    Nice, modern look and feel
    Sichuan Street Food

    Sichuan Street Food

    4.5
    (108 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$

    I've been coming here at least once a week for the past five months, and this place continues to…read moreimpress every single time. The service is consistently great... attentive, efficient, and genuinely welcoming. Fair warning for anyone new to Sichuan cuisine, the dominant flavor is "spicy". That said, the dishes are not just about heat... they're layered, aromatic, and incredibly well-balanced. Every dish I've tried has been outstanding, both in flavor and presentation. If you're a fan of bold, authentic flavors and reliable service, this spot is definitely worth visiting. Tip - If you're new to the cuisine, I strongly recommend getting everything MILD spicy. I've been told by some of my colleagues that MILD spicy is still pretty spicy, so be warned. With that said, strongly recommend the dishes below. Lamb with Cumin 11/10 - My favorite dish here by far. Aromatic, flavorful, and the spices are just on point. Dan Dan Noodles 9/10 - Solid and consistently good. The sauce is properly seasoned and truly compliments the perfectly cooked noodles. Shredded Cabbage with Pork 9/10 - Not to be confused with twice cooked pork. This dish is so simple and bland looking, but it's packed with flavor... so good! Garlic Pork Belly 8/10 - This is a cold dish. The meat was perfectly cooked and properly coated in chili oil. Solid and consistently good. Kung Pao Chicken 8/10 - In my opinion, it's an elevated Kung Pao Chicken. Solid and consistently good.

    This place is crazy good. When you think of Szechuan food you're probably thinking SPICE, but you…read morecan adjust the heat of most of the dishes here so you're not frying your tongue off. It can get really busy, though, so expect to wait or just call in your order and take your food to go. I recommend the soy sauce tofu with beef dish. It's fire. Massive W. Gen Z words. Good.

    Photos
    Sichuan Street Food
    Orange Chicken
    Orange Chicken
    Rice- comes with the dish

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    Rice- comes with the dish
    Colette

    Colette

    3.8
    (1k reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    Overall we enjoyed our meal and experience and would totally come back to try other dishes…read more Food - everything was fresh tasting. Lobster: we enjoyed the Colette special sauce, it was aromatic with the basil, good level of spice, and lobster meat was cooked perfect. Salt and pepper calamari: great crunch, wish it had a little more salt & pepper & garlic seasoning most pieces weren't coated, but the calamari texture had the perfect chew. Crispy vermicelli with beef: loved the crispy noodles and soft beef stir fry textures together, definitely ask for chili oil with this dish, it needs that extra umph of flavor for the noodles. Salted egg yolk pumpkin: I normally love this dish, only wished the outside was crispier, got soggy fast and with how thick these are cut you want the crispy exterior, but flavor was good. Only thing that made me feel a bit "eh" was the chipped plateware they have and continue to use. Service - wonderful! Everyone was so friendly and had nice customer service. They even helped recommend dishes and also share opinions on what we shouldn't order which I loved. Parking - free parking lot! There are a few spaces right in front of the restaurant. But around the side there's more parking as well.

    Very good food and service I like the food there…read more They have a very good chef I send all my friends there too and they love it

    Photos
    Patio seating
    Patio seating
    Assorted mushrooms with tofu
    Assorted mushrooms with tofu
    Salted egg yolk pumpkin

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    Salted egg yolk pumpkin

    Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - chinese - Updated August 2026

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