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Panda Express Guidelines

April 23, 2024 02:33PM
Question regarding drinks for PE shops which will be my first for this Chain for this MSC. The other MSC I completed it for, did not have a drink stipulation.

The reminders for the shop are the following:

Important reminders:
Purchase one plate or bowl only.
Do not add on items or drinks.
Do not use discounts, coupons or coupon codes for free items.

So I'm supposed to eat a meal WITHOUT ordering a drink? I'll assume water a fountain (not bottled) water is acceptable?

TIA

Silver Certified, I own my own PV-500, and I do shops in and around the DFW area.
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April 23, 2024 07:49PM
You are not allowed to purchase a drink of any sort, but asking for a free water cup is acceptable.

If you have anything on the receipt other than one plate or bowl, your shop will be rejected. Do not use rewards points or promotions. You can use the receipt to add the points to your Panda rewards account after the fact.

If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown
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April 23, 2024 09:10PM
@rgolen wrote:

Question regarding drinks for PE shops which will be my first for this Chain for this MSC. The other MSC I completed it for, did not have a drink stipulation.

The reminders for the shop are the following:

Important reminders:
Purchase one plate or bowl only.
Do not add on items or drinks.
Do not use discounts, coupons or coupon codes for free items.

So I'm supposed to eat a meal WITHOUT ordering a drink? I'll assume water a fountain (not bottled) water is acceptable?

TIA

water is fine, ultimately, purchase a drink separately, or BYOD

Also...What's wrong with eating a meal without a drink in the first place?
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April 24, 2024 01:24AM
I ask for a water cup after paying and receiving my meal.

Some people have trouble swallowing and consuming a liquid helps sometimes.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/2024 01:26AM by BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz.
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April 24, 2024 01:54AM
Hydro flask. Don't leave home without it.
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April 24, 2024 02:28AM
Nothing wrong, for some people. I just dont ever go out to eat somewhere without drinking something with my meal. At home, sure, but this is a dine in, but to each their own.

Silver Certified, I own my own PV-500, and I do shops in and around the DFW area.
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April 24, 2024 03:15AM
I ask for water after I've paid. Avoids it showing up on the receipt.

Do not read so much, look about you and think of what you see there.
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230
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April 24, 2024 03:56AM
Yup, asking for a water cup after paying (or making a separate purchase if you want a drink) is the way to go. Same if you want any appetizers or also want to get an apple pie roll for dessert. Those are yummy!
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April 24, 2024 05:58AM
Food for thought: my bariatric surgeon does not allow liquids with meals as it washes down food and makes you eat more.
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April 24, 2024 07:04AM
I don't understand why they changed it. It use to be you could order a drink. No other shop I know, does this. I always wait until I get the receipt and than ask for a drink and egg rolls.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/2024 07:06AM by johnb974.
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April 24, 2024 05:58PM
I would rather they increased the reimbursement so that it fully covers a plate than have an increase in $ for a drink I do not need or I can just bring in myself.
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April 24, 2024 09:16PM
@ShopperGirly wrote:

Food for thought: my bariatric surgeon does not allow liquids with meals as it washes down food and makes you eat more.

Some people aren't concerned about how much they eat and just want a flavored drink to accompany their meal.
Personally, if I was so concerned with my weight that I was seeing a bariatric doctor my focus would be on WHAT not how much I was eating. And Panda Express would not make the cut.
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April 24, 2024 10:47PM
Just read this on line:

Water may reduce appetite and calorie intake
Drinking water with meals can also help you pause between bites, giving you a moment to check in with your hunger and fullness signals. This can prevent overeating and may even help you lose weight.
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April 25, 2024 12:19AM
If there are any homeless people close to you, you can give them the meal. I've done that with take out.
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April 25, 2024 12:45AM
@viv0412 wrote:

@ShopperGirly wrote:

Food for thought: my bariatric surgeon does not allow liquids with meals as it washes down food and makes you eat more.

Some people aren't concerned about how much they eat and just want a flavored drink to accompany their meal.
Personally, if I was so concerned with my weight that I was seeing a bariatric doctor my focus would be on WHAT not how much I was eating. And Panda Express would not make the cut.

IMO The grilled teriyaki chicken and super greens as the side is a very healthy meal.
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April 25, 2024 01:07AM
@tstewart3

Not sure if it's "healthy", but I agree it would be the healthiest option you could get from them. This is what I get if I am eating it. If it's going to someone else, it's usually orange chicken and chow mein/fried rice.
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April 25, 2024 01:16AM
Panda definitely makes the cut. Super greens and grilled chicken or steak? Heck yeah!
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April 25, 2024 02:54AM
they super green ain't really that healthy to be honest...used to be better but recently their super grren been super oily for no reason.
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April 25, 2024 03:11AM
if only the pandas here weren't afraid of sautéing vegetables.. Now both of the pandas that I usually go to are not cooking the super greens at all. They don't even get the pan hot, they put some oil in the pan, toss the vegetables in and then toss them out just that fast, they don't even add the garlic. The kale wasn't even partially wilted the last time, and there was no cabbage at all. Just raw broccoli and raw kale.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/2024 03:13AM by Morledzep.
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April 25, 2024 12:56PM
@meanviking wrote:

Panda definitely makes the cut. Super greens and grilled chicken or steak? Heck yeah!

We must have different opinions on healthy, or our Pandas are cooking things very differently....
I don't consider greens drenched in soybean oil to be healthy.
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April 25, 2024 05:15PM
@viv0412 wrote:


We must have different opinions on healthy, or our Pandas are cooking things very differently....
I don't consider greens drenched in soybean oil to be eehealthy.

Different Panda cooks must make the selections differently. Here (NY) I've never had greens drenched in oil, and only once have I had super greens that were so lightly cooked that the veggies were raw.
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April 25, 2024 06:20PM
Yep. Different PE cooks prepare food differently. Most of the super greens here (SF Bay Area) are not drenched in oil, but some are. Same with undercooking/overcooking them. Same with how servers serve the super greens. I despise broccoli and like kale. I rarely order super greens for online or drive-thru shops because I never know if I'll get greasy greens or lots of broccoli. If I am doing a dine-in shop, it's easy to tell whether I'll like the greens just by looking at them.
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April 25, 2024 07:19PM
in some of the PE store around me Super Green mean oily chilly lightly cooked Lettuce. Just saying
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April 25, 2024 08:57PM
nothing covered in soybean oil is healthy. I won't argue with that. My joints swell when I have too much stuff with soy in it (why I won't eat tofu, I actually liked tofu before I discovered it was making me sick). It doesn't have to be oily, but it does have to have garlic, and it does have to be at least partially cooked, and the kale should be wilted. Super greens are supposed to be broccoli, kale, and cabbage.

When I make sautéed greens at home I don't use copious amounts of oil, I spray the pan with avocado or olive oil, drop in a big dollop of grated garlic, when I can smell the garlic I drop in the greens, salt and pepper them, stir them around until the leafy stuff starts to wilt a little, then I add a 1/4 cup of water, put on the lid, and steam them for 2 minutes. The crunchy stuff is still crunchy, the leaves are wilted, and everything is seasoned correctly. Once all the veggies are prepped, as they would be at a panda express, it takes 3 or 4 minutes total. And it can sit in a steam tray for half an hour (or maybe even longer) if it's kept stirred regularly before it gets overcooked or too dried out to be appetizing.
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April 25, 2024 10:31PM
Reading this made me turn super green.
@kisekinecro wrote:

in some of the PE store around me Super Green mean oily chilly lightly cooked Lettuce. Just saying
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April 25, 2024 10:47PM
Unlike McDonald's, where the burgers and fries are factory made and taste the same no matter where you are in the world, Panda starts with fresh raw food for the super greens, so each batch will taste different no matter how oily or raw they're cooked.
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April 26, 2024 01:24AM
ok
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April 26, 2024 01:27AM
@Morledzep wrote:

nothing covered in soybean oil is healthy. I won't argue with that. My joints swell when I have too much stuff with soy in it (why I won't eat tofu, I actually liked tofu before I discovered it was making me sick). It doesn't have to be oily, but it does have to have garlic, and it does have to be at least partially cooked, and the kale should be wilted. Super greens are supposed to be broccoli, kale, and cabbage.

When I make sautéed greens at home I don't use copious amounts of oil, I spray the pan with avocado or olive oil, drop in a big dollop of grated garlic, when I can smell the garlic I drop in the greens, salt and pepper them, stir them around until the leafy stuff starts to wilt a little, then I add a 1/4 cup of water, put on the lid, and steam them for 2 minutes. The crunchy stuff is still crunchy, the leaves are wilted, and everything is seasoned correctly. Once all the veggies are prepped, as they would be at a panda express, it takes 3 or 4 minutes total. And it can sit in a steam tray for half an hour (or maybe even longer) if it's kept stirred regularly before it gets overcooked or too dried out to be appetizing.

I have Hashimoto's....
I can't eat gluten, rice, dairy, soy, potato or eggs without feeling like crap.
That's not to say I don't ever eat those things but I very much limit them. I always ask restaurants to use olive oil when cooking anything for me (obviously not fast food type places)
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April 26, 2024 04:59AM
I've gone back to eating a little bread here and there, but I still can't bring myself to eat pasta. I take most of the buns and bread off of sandwiches, unless it's sourdough bread (because I'm a sucker for sourdough). I eat lightly breaded fried chicken, but those grocery store fried chicken pieces that are more breading than chicken just gross me out. I haven't eaten soy as a matter of practice since long before my hysterectomy, because a nurse friend pointed me at soy based supplements that caused severe joint pain and inflammation. I do NOT eat mayonnaise, unless I make it myself and know the ingredients, and know that there is no soybean oil in it. No sugar, mostly, no sweeteners or sugar substitutes. I try to keep carbs to a minimum. I keep almond flour and nut flours, and I have some cassava flour and king Arthur measure for measure flour that has grains in it, just not wheat.

Finding super greens and black pepper chicken at panda was a great way to stick with my diet, and then when they took black pepper chicken off the menu, the only real substitute was kung pao chicken. But the 2 pandas that I regularly get to shop at can't cook super greens to save their lives.
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