Dishes of Panda Gourmet
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Table of Contents
I assert that the best Szechuan restaurant in the Baltimore/DC area is DC’s Panda Gourmet, a restaurant in the bottom of a hotel.
I was there recently, and decided that I would break down the dishes I ordered.
Dry Braised Chicken
The flavor relied heavily on the oil, which was infused with cinnamon and ginger. There was a distinct sweetness, and I could tell a good amount of sugar was used, but it wasn’t sweet; it was simply balanced, alongside the MSG.
What was most surprising was what was missing. There was no garlic. No sesame seeds or peanuts. No scallions. I can’t remember if previous versions contained these, but this was still delicious.
Cucumber with Garlic
One of my favorite dishes because of how light and refreshing it is, especially as a side with the chicken.
It was simply cucumber, crushed garlic, sesame oil, and salt. That’s it. It was bright, crunchy, and refreshing, and had a strong garlic kick.
I tend to make mine pepper-based, but I can certainly learn something from theirs.
Tofu Celery
This dish was all about texture. They used pressed tea-brined tofu, and the firm pressed tofu contrasted the celery.
Interestingly, they used American celery rather than Chinese celery. American celery has thicker stalks and a higher water content, which provided a distinct crunch that lightened the dish. The sauce was a blend of soy sauce and sesame oil, but the secret weapon was the red Szechuan peppercorn oil.
Dan Dan noodles
This is still my all-time favorite, and yet, I’m not sure what goes into it. There was a pork topping, ya cai, some hot dried red pepper, and possibly some Szechuan Peppercorn oil.
I’ll need to get more to figure it out fully.
Note: The first time I got this there, it was the most amazing thing I’ve ever had, and the whole dish was perfectly balanced.