The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

From China
to the US to Cairo, Panda House Express’s aim has been to introduce fresh,
gourmet Chinese cuisine to the world’s fast food industry. Though their branch
in Citystars isn’t much of a tough competitor to the nearby Asian Corner, it’s
always good to have options when you crave Chinese food at the mall.

The staff does
manage to deliver when it comes to fast service: the process of ordering and
picking up your food is impressively quick. It rarely gets too crowded that you’d
have to wait for long. The cashier is also very helpful when asked about any
details concerning the menu, which is always appreciated especially when it
comes to unfamiliar and confusing Chinese titles.

The menu
varies between chicken, beef and fish dishes with a choice of rice or noodles
for sides. The combo meal combines a meat portion and a side, though it doesn’t
include a drink. For starters, we sampled the wan tan chicken appetiser (8LE),
which was described as chicken wrapped in fried dough. What it actually turned
to be was rectangular pieces of super crunchy dough with a microscopic-sized piece
of chicken inside. It didn’t taste bad, though; just a bit too hard on the
teeth with a funny aftertaste.

The dish of
haka chicken noodles (17LE) was definitely the best course in this reviewer’s meal.
The noodle was something close to a feast of colours with chopped carrots,
green peppers and onions, and the chicken was perfectly sweet and served hot.
So was the soy chicken in the chicken combo meal (22LE), though the rice
with peas was disappointingly dry and not as fresh as we’d have liked it to be. For
the most part, the food probably would have tasted better if it was prepared on
the spot, instead of lying in the display ovens waiting to be picked.

It also
depends on what you order; some of the dishes are perfectly prepared while
others aren’t so encouraging after the second bite. Hardcore Chinese food
lovers may not love Panda House Express, but it’s a decent choice if you want quick
service and filling food. Their noodles are worth a try too.