Mar 6, 2026 - Culture
Test Drive: Panda's Buldak Dynamite chicken
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Buldak Dinamite sweet and sour chicken from Panda Express. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
This week I stopped by the grand opening of a new Panda Express on Addison, which joins a growing parade of national chains lining Wrigleyville streets.
The scene: Superfans lined up in the fog to score opening day merch like a furry Panda hoodie (for the first arriver) and t-shirts for 87 others.
- But I was there to try their new Buldak-spiced Dynamite Sweet & Sour Chicken ($9.20), available through May.
The verdict: I've long dismissed Panda fare as bland mall chow but these sweet, sour, crunchy and fiery chunks sing with flavor and a heat that falls pleasingly between Hattie B's new "hot" and Hot Chi's "hott" chicken nearby.
- I might even go back for another swing.