Uncle Panda - Can Anbody Get a Read?

The Valley of the Sun, and all that is tasty therein
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Skillet Doux
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Uncle Panda - Can Anbody Get a Read?

Post by Skillet Doux »

Man, am I getting some weird mixed signals on this place.

Nikki Buchanan gave them an awfully nice blurb in Phoenix Mag. I have friends in that part of town who've been very happy with delivery from them. Word online is all over the map. So I figured I'd better see for myself.

It's certainly popular! Busybusy close to close on a Saturday evening. I chose dishes that were pretty much down the middle, to compare to what I've read/heard about them.

Panda - Pan Fried Dumplings.jpg
Panda - Pan Fried Dumplings.jpg (331.67 KiB) Viewed 478 times

Straight-up pan-fried dumplings were probably the best of the bunch. I do love when they turn that cornstarch slurry into a crispy shell. The dumplings themselves were... fine. I'd eat them if they were in the 'hood. (They're not in my 'hood.)

Panda - XLB.jpg
Panda - XLB.jpg (396.5 KiB) Viewed 478 times

XLB, though, were super disappointing. Lots of soup, but clunky construction with really weak flavor. Heavy ginger on the filling, but no balance.

Panda - SJB.jpg
Panda - SJB.jpg (377.8 KiB) Viewed 478 times

Yeah, those aren't shengjianbao. The menu lists them in English as "Pan-Fried Pork Buns," which is less specific, but the Chinese characters (生煎包) absolutely identify them as SJB. As basic pork baozi, they're passable. As SJB, they're awful.

Panda - 3 Cup Chicken.jpg
Panda - 3 Cup Chicken.jpg (484.61 KiB) Viewed 478 times

Nikki loved the Three Cup Chicken, but man, I am not feeling this at all. Oddly flat and flavorless, right down to the basil.

Panda - Cold Chicken.jpg
Panda - Cold Chicken.jpg (525.79 KiB) Viewed 478 times

And I'm totally puzzled by the Steamed Chicken in Chili Sauce. Definitely intended to be kou shui ji — both identified by the Chinese characters on the menu (口水鸡) and... I mean... look at it. But like the Three Cup Chicken, just bizarrely devoid of flavor. No salt, almost zero Sichuan pepper, barely any hint of garlic or scallion or ginger or anything. Texture on the chicken was beautiful, but it sat in flavorless red oil.

What's really weird is that I can't figure out who that last dish is for. It's almost like it's toned down, but people accustomed to Canto-American aren't going to order this dish. And anybody who knows the dish is going to find it dull.

But maybe that's it. The menu is kind of a wild mix of styles. Different regions, different dishes, some Americanized, some esoterica. It's just one visit and I'm really curious to hear about others' experience. But my impression is that Uncle Panda needs to decide what it is and be that.

Uncle Panda Dumpling and Noodle House
unclepandadumplings.com
602-675-3838
5626 W. Bell Road
Glendale, AZ 85308
-Dom
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Re: Uncle Panda - Can Anbody Get a Read?

Post by Brownie Queen »

I live in the far west valley, and while I haven't eaten there yet- it's far for takeout- the bulk of the Chinese food out here is truly awful, and Uncle Panda has been recc'ed to us a bunch, with several people telling us it's the only edible Chinese place this side of the valley. Having tried most of the rest, I believe it.
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Skillet Doux
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Re: Uncle Panda - Can Anbody Get a Read?

Post by Skillet Doux »

More a function of the alternatives, in other words?
-Dom
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Re: Uncle Panda - Can Anbody Get a Read?

Post by Brownie Queen »

Yes. I have heard they're better during the weekend, but I take that with a grain of salt.
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