Popular downtown Chinese eatery Panda Restaurant to close Comments on Stories, posted by Editor, Pleasanton Weekly Online, on Dec 7, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Panda Restaurant, a popular Chinese restaurant on West Angela Street, will be closing its doors later this month after the owners decided to sell the restaurant.
Read the full story here Web Link posted Monday, December 7, 2009, 3:50 PM
Posted by Cholo, a resident of Livermore, on Dec 7, 2009 at 5:39 pm
I've enjoyed more than a few good dinners at Panda! I've always thought that the meat portions and the flavors were delicious. A person recently whined about the size of the meat portions but I just have to remind myself to consider the source. Likewise with another poster who went into a tizzy about crummy food and no flavor, I repeated, consider the source. Not all the food in China could please some pitty pat types! In polite society, it's really not cool to complain about flavor and meat...tee hee hee, tee hee hee...
Posted by stumped, a resident of the Downtown neighborhood, on Dec 7, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Does anybody get the pronunciation of the new retuaraunt? Jiou Yuan? I was born and riased in California with many cultures, but that's a new one for me. What are the origins of that, anyone?
Posted by Pat, a resident of the West of Foothill neighborhood, on Dec 7, 2009 at 9:49 pm
I ate at Panda once and was not impressed. If they were that good, why are they closing?! I'm 100% for local business and mom and pop stores, but when a big chain comes to town e.g. PJChang's, it spurs competition (please, I'm not for big franchises opening up shop at every corner in our back yard either). Personally, the food is very good a PJ compared to what I once had at Panda. Sorry, Panda. Perhaps you'll open up as something else and wish you luck in the process.
Posted by Tara, a resident of the Parkside neighborhood, on Dec 7, 2009 at 10:38 pm
So sad to see Panda closing. Cindy and gang are the best, and their food is absolutely delicious. I used to think that Chinese food was all the same, but once you had a meal at Panda you knew they were better than the rest. I'll really miss the dry saute string beans and the honey glazed shrimp with walnuts!
Posted by Cindy, a resident of the Pleasanton Heights neighborhood, on Dec 8, 2009 at 1:08 pm
The Panda has been in business in downtown Pleasanton for many years. I can't remember when they first opened for business, but I do know that it predates the renovation of Main Street. So, this restaurant did very well for a very long time. Deservedly so, in my opinion. Those string beans will be missed by many. No one does them better.
Posted by Claudette McDermott, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Dec 10, 2009 at 11:09 am
My family and I loved Panda in downtown Pleasanton. We've eaten at many places and their flavors were one of the best. They will be dearly missed as a local alternative meal, giving back to our downtown merchants. We are saddened to see another Longtime Local Business bite the dust due to a drop in business, but understand eating out is a luxery that many are cutting back on. Best wishes to the new owners, but I've tried them and my taste buds feel they are no where as good as Panda, but perhaps it's because I'm not used to the flavors of Mandarin foods.... I'll give them another try later when they've been up and running for awile. We all deserve second chances :)
PF Changs is good, I've tried them, but want to put my money into the hands of my local businesses more often than not, and hope others do the same. Happy Holidays.
Posted by Annette, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Dec 12, 2009 at 1:06 pm
I had my first Mongolian Beef dinner at Panda and it was even better than the one I had in Mongolia! Sad to see them go. Best wishes for a healthy, happy, and better 2010.
Posted by Stacey, a resident of the Amberwood/Wood Meadows neighborhood, on Dec 12, 2009 at 2:00 pm Stacey is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com
Your Mongolian Beef dinner at a Chinese restaurant is probably better than the one you had in Mongolia because the Chinese dish called Mongolian Beef is a Chinese invention.
Posted by Stacey, a resident of the Amberwood/Wood Meadows neighborhood, on Dec 12, 2009 at 2:04 pm Stacey is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com
"The name of this dish is somewhat misleading, because neither the ingredients used (besides the meat) nor the preparation methods applied have anything in common with traditional Mongolian cuisine. The term "Mongolian" is rather meant to imply a vaguely "exotic" type of food."
Posted by Stacey, a resident of the Amberwood/Wood Meadows neighborhood, on Dec 12, 2009 at 2:06 pm Stacey is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com
If you want some Mongolian food, try some buuz or khuushuur. Saihan hoollooroi!
Posted by Barbara, a resident of the Downtown neighborhood, on Dec 14, 2009 at 10:16 am
I shall miss dining at Panda and have enjoyed their cuisine since 1987 when we first moved here. IMO it's the best Chinese food locally: the produce is fresh, the meats and fish good quality, the preparation consistently well done, the atmosphere pleasant, quiet and comfortable. Their prices are low, too low for their own good I believe. (I think PF Changs is good also, as well as Uncle Yu's in San Ramon.)
Cindy is a thoughtful hostess and the wait staff is capable and professional, especially David who's been there as far back as I can remember. They have always been accommodating when I've made special requests not on the menu.
My favorites are their lemon chicken, sauteed green beans with chicken, mixed deluxe vegetables, honey walnut prawns and the new spicey fish dish they added to their dinner specials.
Good-bye Panda. Good-bye Cindy, be well. Good-bye David, you're the best. Wishing you all the best in your new endeavors.
Posted by Downtowner, a resident of the Downtown neighborhood, on Dec 17, 2009 at 12:39 pm
I understand that many people were friends with the owners & staff at Panda, and they always seemed friendly and pleasant, but unfortunately the food just was not particularly interesting. It was bland, Americanized Chinese food which is readily available pretty much anywhere. This was always a disappointment since the Panda is the closest restaurant to my house.
I have high hopes for the new place, which at least has a Chinese name (although I'm a little puzzled by it as well, as "jiou yuan" does not map to anything I know in pinyin, would have to see the characters to figure it out. "Yuan" is undoubtedly "garden" in this context. ji'ou is "parity" or "odd/even".)
In any case I'd be thrilled to have an authentic Chinese restaurant downtown. (First Hunan Chef Wong is the closest, if you ask them to make traditional dishes.)
Posted by Larry, a member of the Amador Valley High School community, on Jan 5, 2010 at 9:12 pm
We stop by the restaurant and there is a sign saying Jiou Yuan will open Jan. 22, 2010. We really like the string bean dishes, lets see if the new restaurant will meet my expectation.
Posted by LittleMissPanda, a resident of the Ruby Hill neighborhood, on Jan 9, 2010 at 7:46 pm
I was so sorry to hear that Panda is closed. The service was always fast, fantastic, and delivered with a smile....Panda and it's employee's will be greatly missed. It's to my understanding that Cindy has taken ill, and as a result the family decided to sell the restaurant. I'm hopeful she recovers quickly and knows that her customers will miss her friendly service and great food.
Posted by Karen, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Feb 27, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Personally, there are no really good authentic Chinese restaurants in Pleasanton that I'm aware of. Jiou Yuan, please make authentic chinese food, not Americanized chinese food. If you make it authentic, the word will get around in the Asian community, and all of us Chinese people will come eat good food!
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