Restaurante Panda — Restaurant in Catedral

A Hidden Gem for Sichuan Cuisine in Barrio Chino

Panda’s restaurant, located in Barrio Chino, Costa Rica, is hands down one of the best, if not the best, Sichuan-style Chinese restaurants in the area. From the moment we first visited, the food has consistently been exceptional.

While the service can occasionally be a bit slow or feel slightly chaotic during busy times, the staff generally manages to deliver dishes on time and exactly as requested. The quality and flavors more than make up for any minor delays, making every visit a satisfying experience.

Recently, Panda’s introduced Hot Pot to their menu, and it has quickly become one of my favorite spots to enjoy this communal dining experience. That said, I still have a soft spot for "Espacio Picante," but Panda’s is certainly giving it a run for its money.

If you’re visiting, I highly recommend ordering:

Dish #50: Crispy Garlic Fried Shrimps – perfectly seasoned and cooked to a delightful crispness.

Dish #38: 7-Spice Pork – an explosion of flavors that pairs wonderfully with a bowl of steamed rice.

Garlic-Fried Vegetables or Lotus Root Vegetables – the perfect side dishes to round out your meal.

This restaurant is best enjoyed with friends or family. The portions are generous, and the dishes are designed to be shared — this isn’t the kind of place where everyone should order...

Después de haber vivido en China por 8 años y haber visitado Chengdu, en la provincia de Sichuan, creo poder decir con autoridad que la comida de este restaurante es realmente auténtica. Cada bocado es una explosión de sabores audaces y especias exquisitamente equilibradas, que dan vida a platos tradicionales con una autenticidad que es difícil de encontrar fuera de la región de Sichuan. Lo que realmente distingue a este restaurante es su compromiso con la autenticidad. Desde la cuidadosa selección de ingredientes hasta la preparación meticulosa de cada plato, se puede percibir el esmero y la pasión por mantener la verdadera esencia de la cocina picante de Sichuan. Los sabores son intensos pero armoniosos, con esa característica combinación de picante y entumecimiento característico del peppercorn. Además de la excepcional calidad de la comida, la atmósfera del restaurante también contribuye a una experiencia memorable. Con una decoración que evoca la nitidez y el ambiente de la región, uno se siente transportado a un rincón de China mientras disfruta de cada plato. Definitivamente volveremos para que no me...

Terrible service, we waited 45min for our food and the order came up wrong. Plus no silverware or chopsticks to eat it, we needed to wait another 10 min for it, and they still wanted to charge us for the food we didn't eat. We ate only our appetizer. I do not recommend it at all. Seems they need to train their...