Twin Panda — Restaurant in Austin

First off, I want to say that I hate writing bad reviews especially when the owners are milling about the restaurant asking patrons if they like the food. I really wanted to like the food here but I consider myself an honest reviewer and I can't in good conscious rate the food higher then a 2-3. It was THAT bad. So lets start with the Fried Wontons. As you can see from the photo there was almost no stuffing in the wonton itself. A few were so bare even that when my wife opened one all we could see was emptiness. For $6? Unacceptable. Then comes the Thai Ice Tea. It was good but this restaurant like some others decided to charge a lot for a small amount, as if it was something special and expensive. Thai ice tea is black tea with cream and food coloring. $3.50 for a tiny jar? Unacceptable. Then, the Combination Lo Mein. Extra greasy/oily with so much sodium I had a hard time eating it. I've had better in so many other places around Cedar Park and Austin. Next, the Sweet n Sour Chicken. Unbelievably bland with zero seasoning. It was only eatable with the sauce. Next, Sesame Chicken. One of the better dishes we had but still surprisingly bland with very little flavor. Honestly, the only dish I can complement on was the hot and sour soup which was both delicious and definitely a thumbs up. Overall, I'm shocked this place gets so many good reviews. The owners are super friendly and the ambience is nice but the food, compared to other Chinese places around lacks flavor, depth, value and taste. Go...

Stopped by Twin Panda for lunch and absolutely loved the food! The food was fresh, flavorful and served with a smile. The staff is courteous and service is quick. Worth a visit if you are in the neighborhood.

During this visit, I tried the garlic chicken lunch special and Nasi Padang from their Indonesian daily menu (provided upon request). The lunch special comes w/ a choice of soups, egg roll or vegetarian roll, fried rice or steamed rice.

The spring roll and hot and sour soup added an appetizing start to the meal. Tip: Try the soup with their fresh crispy wontons - yummy! The garlic chicken was definitely one of the best versions of this dish I’ve had so far. Tender veggies and chicken with plenty of sauce and rice, all cooked to perfection!

The Nasi Padang came with a generous serving of steamed white rice, tender sautéed greens, spicy hard-boiled egg, Sambal and Gulai chicken. The hard boiled egg and chicken were both coated with different sauces, and needless to say both had amazing spicy flavors. The sambal and spicy sautéed greens complement the meal perfectly. Note: the chicken in this dish is a bone-in, skin-on serving of dark meat chicken.

Overall, this place did not disappoint. And in fact, I am eager to go back and try other things on their menu. Hope...

We have been patronizing Twin Panda for about 7 years now, both when we lived right up the road and even now that we moved to Round Rock, almost 4 years ago. Unfortunately, last night will be the last time we order from there as not only (expectedly) have their prices gone up, but now, their portions have gotten MUCH smaller. I had (what I believe was one of the Chefs) come out and talk to me about the quantity, pointing out that their standard is 14 pieces of Shrimp (in the Honey Walnut Shrimp). When I pointed out that the portions used to be larger, he mumbled something, disappeared, and moments later the front counter lady (who went to get him) reappeared, with no resolution of further discussion. Also, not to be petty, but there were only 13 pieces of Shrimp, some of which were so small, that they barley qualified. NOTE: The picture on their webiste (for ordering, shows more sauce and is more like how the dish used to be prepared. Additionally, other items we have ordered have also been reduced in amount, so much so that we can easily see the bottom of the Styrofoam container they are placed in. Suffice to say, there are many Chinese food restaurants, closer to us, more reasonably priced and that DO NOT reduce their portions, that we will be ordering from in...