Panda Categorical’ Cantonese BBQ Brisket options bite-sized, slow-cooked brisket flame-seared in a brand new char siu-style sauce. The sauce is made with soy sauce, sugar, onion, garlic, spicy fermented soybean paste, mirin, paprika, and sesame oil for a “wealthy, umami-packed taste” that includes “candy, tangy notes of BBQ” and “fragrant Chinese language spices.”
It prices $1.95 further over the chain’s common entrees in my space (Los Angeles). For reference, the chain’s common “premium” entrees (shrimp or steak) value $1.50 further.
The brisket was decently thick and bite-sized. It was tender and moist with a light smokiness. It had a pleasant bark visually however not a lot texturally. For a quick-food chain, it was fairly good. The novelty within the providing is the sauce, although.
The sauce was much less a char siu-style glaze and extra like a Southern BBQ sauce. Between a char-siu sauce and a Southern BBQ sauce, it leaned extra in the direction of the Southern BBQ finish. It mainly tasted like a standard BBQ sauce, however with a savory, barely funky, fermented soybean base moderately than a tangy tomato base. It was candy, savory, and tangy with a little bit of kick to it.
The flavour was good, nevertheless it did not go that effectively with the remainder of my plate (chow mein and veggies). I additionally tried it with plain steamed rice, and the recommended pairing was simply okay for me.
Total, Panda Categorical Cantonese BBQ Brisket was fairly good, however I used to be anticipating one thing extra like char siu to the purpose that I ended up getting char siu the subsequent day. It was extra BBQ Brisket than Cantonese BBQ Brisket.
