Free Orange Chicken Is Coming to Midtown (And Panda Express is Bringing Me Along With Them)

It might have taken years, but Panda Express has finally listened to my plea! This week the New York Times reported that Panda Express is coming to NYC.  They have plans to open up locations on the Upper East Side (69th and 1st) followed by the Bronx, and then potentially Midtown next year (on 8th Ave. and 31st).  My love of Chinese steam tables is well documented, and here in Los Angeles Panda Express is hands down the best there is (see: orange chicken burrito). Some are skeptical (I’m looking at you Chang + Sietsema) and I admit that Panda will probably not replace your favorite egg roll/pork fried rice/general tso’s delivery spot.  But they’ve perfected the Chinese food fast food point-to-what-you-want model, specifically the orange chicken/chow mein combo that so few steam tables manage to get right.

Anyway, when I saw that they’d be bringing a food truck to Midtown to hand out free orange chicken in my favorite neighborhood in the country I begged them to take me with… and they agreed! (What can I say.  I miss you guys… and if shilling for my favorite fast food place in L.A. gets me a trip to hang with you, I’ll take it.)

If for some reason you’ll be in Midtown on Sunday (9/27), the Panda Express Orange Chicken Love Truck will be parked in Columbus Circle on 59th St. handing out free samples of orange chicken from 11am to 4pm.  Plus the first hundred people will get Panda’s latest innovation- orange chicken and waffles.  I won’t be there on Sunday, but on Monday (9/28) the truck will be making two more surprise semi-secret stops… one in the heart of Midtown at Noon, and one just to the south of Midtown in the early afternoon.  And I’ll be there with them at both stops, handing out free orange chicken samples plus gift cards and swag (orange chicken t-shirts FTW) just to Midtown Lunch readers.

Come back here Monday morning for the exact details, and I hope to see you there.  Freeloaders, prepare to engage.

UPDATE: From Noon to 1pm the truck will be on 40th btw. B’way + 6th. And then from 4-5pm they’ll be somewhere around 5th Ave. and 24th St. Tag @midtownlunch on social with the hashtag #orangechickenlove and then come find Zach and he’ll hook you up.

21 Comments

Leave a Reply

You must log in or register to post a comment.