Spoon University Logo
News

The Panda Express X Buldak Collab Is Panda’s Spiciest Entree Ever

It seems like Buldak’s main mission is to burn our tongues off one tastebud at a time. And now it’s not just those insanely spicy instant ramen cups your tongue has to worry about, because they’ve decided to bring their heat to Panda Express for a brand new, tongue-searing collab. The brands have come together to take the iconic Sweet and Sour Chicken dish and crank the heat up to maximum on the scoville scale, creating the Dynamite Sweet and Sour Chicken. This is Buldak’s first collaboration with an American chain brand, and they are not playing games with the spice, as Panda Express is proudly claiming this entree is their hottest ever. Reviewers aren’t proving them wrong, either. If you crave Buldak’s spicy sauce and love sweet and sour chicken, then this is the collaboration for you.

What’s in the Dynamite Sweet and Sour Chicken?

The new entree features breaded chicken, red bell peppers and onions that come covered in, as Panda Express puts it, “a mouthwatering blend of bold Buldak hot sauce heat and tangy-sweet perfection.” The Dynamite Sweet and Sour Chicken’s Buldak sauce has been specially-created just for this collab, adding Buldak’s signature spice to the classic sweet and sour flavor. It’s truly a special and super spicy explosion of flavor just for the spice enthusiasts. 

Where can you try it?

If you’re looking to feel the burn and try the Dynamite Sweet and Sour Chicken for yourself, you might have to go farther than your local Panda Express. This collaboration is only available in or near these select cities: New York City, Washington DC, Chicago, Atlanta, Orlando, Houston, Denver, San Diego, Phoenix, and Seattle. A last minute, spicy summer road trip, anyone?

When is it available?

Buldak spice might linger in your mouth for a long time, but their spicy collaboration with Panda Express won’t. The Dynamite Sweet and Sour Chicken is available now until October 7, while supplies last.

What are people saying about it?

Panda Express promised to bring the heat, and they seem to have delivered as taste testers are reporting extreme levels of spice. A reviewer from The Takeout reported that the heat gets progressively worse, describing the flavor as “a bold, addictive heat [that] burned with that signature Buldak flavor.” Though they thought that the severe heat overpowers the “sour” in sweet and sour. 

Of those who tested the dish out on TikTok, many agreed that Dynamite chicken was as spicy as promised. When user @heyitzvicc tested out the new entree, she admitted, “it has a kick at the end” and visibly reacted to the spice. User @shaythecure agreed, saying, “it’s very spicy.” The general verdict is that the meal is as spicy as it is delicious.

So if you’re looking for another way to set your mouth ablaze aside from Buldak ramen, then the Dynamite Sweet and Sour Chicken is for you. But if heat is not your thing, it might be best to chicken out this time around.

Sarah Leberknight is a writer for the Spoon University National Writers Program. She covers food on all fronts, hoping to write articles that make you hungry for a snack, and loves to tackle divisive opinions on your favorite foods.

Sarah is a rising senior at Virginia Tech, where she juggles 3 majors—English Literature, Creative Writing, and Professional and Technical Writing. She writes for VT’s Collegiate Times newspaper as an opinions columnist, spouting her thoughts on women’s soccer, college, and anything else she has a say on. Her work has also appeared in VT News and Trill Mag, where she interned for 6 months as an entertainment writer and is now interning as an editor. If that wasn't enough on her plate, she's also currently interning for Sneak Peek Books as a book reviewer.

When Sarah’s not writing professionally or for school, she’s still writing. Short stories, a novel trilogy, and novellas—she does it all. Except poems. And if she actually isn’t writing, she’s playing video games or watching other people play video games. She can’t get enough of the Legend of Zelda.