![]() ![]() Hong Shao eggplant.Īnother dish I could not stop eating was the Hong Shao eggplant with bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, green beans and a fabulous sauce full of chili peppers (not too hot). First marinated in buttermilk and then dipped in sweet-potato breading, it is served with lemongrass-flavored popcorn and spicy homemade mayonnaise. The popcorn chicken (this is definitely not KFC) is another big winner, so satisfyingly crispy on the outside and tender inside. ![]() The sautéed rice noodles (we had the veggie version, but they also come with beef) with bok choy, egg, chives and sprouts are so good that they are addictive. I have now been to Panda Panda twice and loved it both times. Like many new restaurants in Paris serving non-French food, Panda Panda has French owners who have done a great job of researching and reproducing or reinterpreting cuisines from other countries (other excellent examples of this phenomenon: Double Dragon and Be Bobun for Asian food and Melt for American-style barbecue) and making it with top-quality ingredients, often locally sourced, as is the case with Panda Panda. The prices are amazingly low, and the food is wonderful. The customers are young and trendy, and the servers are young, hip and adorable. On its visiting card, Panda Panda claims to serve “cool Chinese food” (inspired by the street food of Hong Kong and Taiwan), and I would say that’s just right. Thankfully, this new generation no longer tries to cater to French tastes (by pretty much omitting any hot stuff) but aims for quality and authenticity, without neglecting a touch of originality in the use of local ingredients and fusion with various national cuisines. Panda Panda is part of the recent explosion in “Asian” restaurants in Paris. ![]()
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