Panda Express v. Sarku Japan

I'm picky when it comes to take-out Chinese food. In fact, I'm more than just picky--I'm unbearably harsh on its presentation, appearance, and, of course, flavor. So naturally I was amused by the dueling restaurants at the Coral Ridge Mall: Could fast-food Japanese really compete with the better-known Panda Express, a Chinese fixture in most American malls?

I was about to find out.

Each restaurant has its own signature dish. Panda Express is known for its orange chicken combination while Sarku Japan touts its own titan: Teriyaki chicken. I'm a fan of both, but since I've eaten at Panda Express a time or two (hey, I worked at the mall for a while), I decided on Sarku Japan. I don't know if I'll ever visit Panda Express again.

Sarku Japan isn't really Japanese food. The chicken Teriyaki combination (99 cents more for double meat, I might add), is essentially chicken on rice. Sure, you have your options of fried and white rice, and they'll put vegetables on top, too, but it's about as authentic to Japan as Taco Bell is to Mexico. Either way, though, it's delicious.

I enjoy any Teriyaki dish, but I can never get the flavor combination right when I make it at home. Sarku Japan has, in my opinion, the best sauce of that variety I've ever tried, and they'll splash an additional spoonful over the rice if you ask. For $8, you can order their finest special with double meat, rice, and a fountain drink large enough to hold most of the water flowing through the Mississippi River. Yeah, it's that big.

Sarku Japan serves its food on a Styrofoam plate (no love for the environment here), but will box it for to-go orders if requested. And for those Panda Express loyalists who might be nervous switching teams, I've seen their manager working at the register at each restaurant--for all I know, he may own both. What a clever guy.

Sarku Japan, for fast food, is the most satisfying Japanese food I've ever had--well, at least the most satisfying to be served with a plastic fork. It just goes to show that, even in a mall's food court, you can find a gem among the burgers and fries.