...We have been loyal patrons of Handy Kitchen in the Leesville Town Center for the past eight years. Every Friday, come hell or high water (even the time it snowed), this was our only consideration for dinner.
Recently, we moved to an area that now places Panda Wok a tad closer to our abode – and I mean a stone’s throw, nothing more. For perhaps a month, we continued every Friday to eat Handy Kitchen take-away - familiar, safe and us loyal (“If it ain’t broke,…”).
Then it happened: one Friday, time to order, our oldest son, now able to go off campus for lunch, inquired as to why we never gave the Panda a try. He and his friends oft would go there for lunch as they (and in their defense, Handy also) offered student lunch specials. The clincher was that in the mail that very day, we had received a Panda take-away menu in the mail that offered a free entrée – General Tsao’s or Sesame Chicken – with a purchase of greater than $30.
With some trepidation, I called and placed the order: Large Egg Drop Soups, Rangoons, Spring Rolls, Teriyaki Chicken skewers, Plain Lo Mein, Chicken Broccoli, chili pepper oil on the side…and the gratis General. It was odd because (1) Handy knew our order so once we started, they would finish; and, (2) Panda was friendly, polite and actually repeated it back to me correctly (I think Handy had gotten used to us so we had become perhaps old hat).
Although Panda quoted us 45 minutes, they were knocking on our door in less than a half hour and as the driver left (always tip the driver), I began to salivate like one of Pavlov’s dogs after the bell rang. Unpacking it, the order was correct – nothing missing, nothing added (like the plain Lo Mein was actually just noodles).
So here is the problem: Handy by far has much better Teriyaki Chicken skewers (bigger, tenderer, tastier) but we all agreed that Panda had a better Rangoon (sweeeter). The egg drop soups were comparable as were for the most part, the other dishes. The Tsao’s was to die for and as they offer coupons weekly, Panda is always more economical.
Having been raised Catholic I know that no matter what I do wrong, even murder so I am told, all I have to do is confess my sins and they will be forgiven. Now, every Friday, I make my confession right after I eat my Panda Take-Away.
Forgive me…
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