Loyalty Goes a Long Way with New Deal at Panda Cuisine

August 5, 2012 By Christina O Connor Photos By Nathalie Walker

Many Chinese food enthusiasts probably have been to Panda Cuisine on Keeaumoku Street over the years, but what they might not know is that as of earlier this year, the restaurant is under new ownership. Longtime chef and restaurateur John Liang took over Panda Cuisine several months ago, and with Liang’s leadership, Panda Cuisine has revamped itself.

Panda offers fine Chinese dining in an upscale atmosphere, and now is dedicated to providing its customers with fresh, live seafood. While Panda no longer serves dim sum, it more than makes up for it with its quality seafood and affordable prices.

“When people come to Panda, they can eat all kinds of different seafood in different styles,” Liang says.

For some of Panda Cuisine’s fresh seafood, try Dungeness Crab with Black Bean Sauce ($28) or Lobster with Ginger and Green Onion (Market Price).

Other popular savory seafood dishes include Live Maine Lobster (Market Price) and Walnut Shrimp with mayonnaise sauce ($14.99). Right now, Panda Cuisine also has other lobster specials starting at just $10.99.

Although Panda Cuisine is quickly becoming well known for its seafood items, its extensive menu extends far beyond that. Other dishes include Chinese Broccoli with Beef ($11.95) and Roast Duck ($14.50 for half a duck).

One thing that hasn’t changed with the new ownership is Panda’s late-night hours. The restaurant is still open until 1 a.m. every day. And Panda has the perfect fuel for those afterhours: It recently launched its “under 10 after 10” menu. Starting at 10 p.m. every night, a wide selection of menu items will be available for under $10. Prices range from $6.99 to $9.99. Also during these hours, beer will be on sale for $2.50 per bottle.

Panda also offers lunch specials for $7.99. The lunch menu includes about 80 selections — and all are served with rice and soup.

On the Side

Prior to taking over Panda Cuisine earlier this year, owner and chef John Liang ran a seafood restaurant in Los Angeles. And as a seafood wholesaler, Liang brings his restaurant experience and his seafood expertise to Panda Cuisine.

I am trying to bring Panda Cuisine to the next level,” Liang says. “I want to make sure that Panda Cuisine is one of the best.” At the new Panda Cuisine, customers will enjoy an elegant dining experience with a vast array of menu options. And one of the restaurant’s highlights is its wide selection of quality seafood at reasonable prices.

Liang works to ensure that his restaurant has the freshest seafood available. The restaurant’s seafood menu includes a wide selection of prawns, abalone, clams, crab, lobsters, oysters and more.

“I just want to provide the highest quality seafood as possible,” Liang says.

“I have a passion for cooking,” he adds. “And I want to make sure that every meal we serve here is the best that it can be.”

Beginning this week, Panda Cuisine will be offering a Loyalty Card, which will give customers a 10 percent discount every time they dine at the restaurant. The card also will provide 10 percent off for two other restaurants — JJ Bistro & French Pastry and Crab City. The card will be available for purchase for $35, but as a special gift to customers to kick-off the promotion, it will be given out for free to those who dine at Panda within the next couple of weeks. And if all of that is not enough, Panda also will provide its dinner customers with 10 percent off their meal for the next two weeks. (Note that the Loyalty Card discount cannot be combined with other specials.)