Panda Express’ viral Cantonese BBQ Brisket is back. But is it good?

EntertainmentI (finally) tried Panda Express’ elusive Cantonese BBQ Brisket so you don’t have toPanda Express describes its Cantonese BBQ Brisket as "tender beef brisket flame-seared in our signature Cantonese Char-Siu style BBQ sauce."Panda ExpressCLEVELAND, Ohio -- I’m a sucker for limited-time offerings at fast-food restaurants. But the Cantonese BBQ Brisket at Panda Express has become my white whale of LTOs. Every time I tried to order the dish, alas, it was sold out. Still, if I learned anything from the Popeyes chicken sandwich frenzy of 2019, it’s patience.Sure enough, Panda Express has brought back the viral entrée after the initial run ended a few weeks ago. Best believe I was there on Day One.Panda Express describes the Cantonese BBQ Brisket as its “the most ‘American Chinese’ dish” ever. “We’ve taken the spirit of American BBQ and fused it with Cantonese flavor, slow-cooked to achieve that signature tenderness before flame-searing it in a char siu-inspired sauce,” Jimmy Wang, a Panda Express chef and executive, said in a statement.The company said the dish returned due to overwhelming demand, having sold more than 5 million scoops of the wok-fired, glaze-covered beef during the first go-round. But after months of FOMO and settling for the Orange Chicken instead, did the Cantonese BBQ Brisket live up to the hype?Mostly.I opted for a single-protein bowl, pairing the brisket with steamed white rice as Wang recommends. The meal, priced at $10.75, contained 930 calories, 5 grams of saturated fat and 54 grams of protein. Related: I tried Chick-fil-A’s new Chicken & Waffles Sandwich so you don’t have toDigging in, the first thing I noticed was how tender the brisket was. It may not have been “like butter,” but for a product that arrives at the store frozen (I know this because of the time I tried to order it and was told to come back “in a few hours” after it defrosted), it was impressive. I also appreciated the smoky and briny flavor of the meat, delivered in part via the crispy bark and fatty bits. The sauce added sweetness and a little kick at the end. The white rice countered the richness of the beef nicely.Still, I found the meat itself a little dry, which might explain why Panda Express drenches it in sauce. There’s just too much of it, and it overwhelms the brisket. The best char siu barbecue I’ve had in New York City’s Chinatown lets the meat shine, with a glaze that’s seared on and sauce served on the side. This is not that, but that’s OK too!The verdict? The Cantonese BBQ Brisket was indeed worth the wait. Savory and smoky, it’s a unique and more interesting alternative to the usual fare. Our beloved Orange Chicken will always be there. This won’t.Joey Morona walked into the offices of the OG cleveland.com in the fall of 1998 with a rudimentary knowledge of HTML and a dream. In the time since, he has interviewed the likes of Alicia Keys, James Gunn,...