Here’s some good news for the orange chicken-obsessed. United States chain Panda Express will finally be coming to the Philippines, all thanks to a partnership with another fast-food icon — Jollibee.
The news broke earlier today when The Philippine Daily Inquirer tweeted a photo of a Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) document detailing that Jollibee Foods Corporation’s (JFC) and Panda Express Restaurant Group have announced a 50/50 joint venture to bring the chain to the country.
The document can also be seen on the PSE website.
LOOK: Panda Express is coming to the Philippines. | @miguelrcamusINQ pic.twitter.com/omVBq8MPtR
— Inquirer Business (@InquirerBiz) September 27, 2018
Despite the industry jargon and its lack of mouth-watering visuals, the tweet instantly went viral with Filipino foodies.
All Twitter user @krcjimenez could say was “homaygad.”
panda express in the philippines homaygad!!!!!!
— Karen (@krcjimenez) September 27, 2018
@byebyegab said he’s been waiting for this moment for forever.
“[T]he day I’ve been waiting for has finally come…PANDA EXPRESS IN THE PHILIPPINES!!!!”
the day I’ve been waiting for has finally come… PANDA EXPRESS IN THE PHILIPPINES!!!! 🐼🤤
— gub (@byebyegab) September 27, 2018
@itsSugarDc even cried a little bit. Just look at her emojis.
https://twitter.com/itsSugarDc/status/1045150594002907136
This netizen apparently couldn’t thank Jollibee enough. “Jollibee doing gods work,” @majijoyBTS said.
Panda Express is finally coming to Philippines . Jollibee doing gods work
— RPWP ⁷ (@kookminj00n) September 27, 2018
READ: Yet another US chain restaurant coming to PH: Red Lobster
Panda Express is a California-based fast-casual chain that serves American-style Chinese food. It is just the latest in a number of U.S. restaurants that have announced openings in the Philippines, following Shake Shack and Red Lobster.
U.S. chains are usually very popular in the Philippines. Apart from Filipinos’ love for American culture, many probably also tried them while visiting family in the states.
READ: IT’S OFFICIAL: Shake Shack coming to Philippines
Aside from the U.S., Panda Express is also found in Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates.
This isn’t Jollibee’s first venture into Chinese food either; JFC also owns the local Chinese fast-food chain Chowking.
According to ABS-CBN News, an initial 5 outlets will be opened in Manila, but no word yet on when it will launch.
So what exactly can people look forward to? While an official Philippine menu has not been released, it’s a safe bet that its crowd-favorites will be offered.
This includes sweet and savory dishes like the Orange Chicken, Honey Walnut Shrimp, and Beijing Beef:
Serious stomach-fillers like fried rice and chow mein:
And appetizers like chicken pot stickers (AKA gyoza) and their Cream Cheese Rangoon, wonton wrappers filled with cream cheese:
Which dish are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @CoconutsManila.
