Panda Express' Most Unique Menu Items Are Served At This West Coast Location

When people think of Asian fast food in America, Panda Express is often the first chain to come to mind. Originally a humble family-run restaurant, Panda Express has spawned a fast food empire throughout the years, and for good reason. It's easy to get more food at Panda Express without breaking the bank, plus the Panda Express menu (which we've ranked) is full of American-Chinese classics that people love. While the chain has no shortage of fans, what most people don't know about Panda Express is that there's one location with a unique menu full of items you cannot find anywhere else.

Meet the Panda Express Innovation Kitchen. It's essentially a test kitchen for the chain to play with brand new ideas and dishes. Located in Pasadena, California, it's the only location to have featured a dim sum menu, alongside an array of other unique items ranging anywhere from dumplings to dessert. The Innovation Kitchen's special menu has already proven to be a point of interest, with many flocking to online forums to discuss the unique items. Many who have visited this special Panda Express location have documented the experience, with some saying they went out of their way to go there to sample the unique menu. Overall, the Innovation Kitchen has been praised for its approach, with customers saying the food stands out from the typical fare that the chain is known for.

The biggest draw by far of Panda Express' Innovation Kitchen is the menu. Not only are many of the dishes only available at this location, but the menu is constantly rotating as the chain experiments with brand new ideas. Essentially, this means every visit to the Innovation Kitchen could be different from the last. As for the dishes, customers can find anything from spicy wagyu beef dumplings to a bubble tea bar. There's also scallion pancake burritos (also known as "The Bing") and a salad ordering area where customers can assemble a custom salad using a variety of vegetables and sauces.

This specific location also seems to have a bigger focus on creating dishes more heavily inspired by traditional Chinese foods, rather than the chain's typical fusion fare. For example, the menu features a beef brisket stew inspired directly by the same stew that Jimmy Wang, the director culinary innovation at Innovation Kitchen, ate as a child. For those with a sweet tooth, there are also sparkling mango and sparkling strawberry sorbets inspired by the flavors of yogurt soda drinks common in Asia. Overall, this special Panda Express location serves up unique eats while also breathing new life into the chain's long-running empire.