Buldak sauce spices up Panda Express chicken for dynamite flavor

Samyang Foods, the manufacturer of Korea's popular Buldak "fire noodles,” has teamed up with the U.S.-based Asian restaurant franchise to jointly launch a new menu based on the popular instant noodle flavor.

Dynamite Sweet & Sour Chicken, center, developed by Samyang Foods and Panda Express [SAMYANG FOODS]

Gen Z's favorite Buldak ramyeon is coming to Panda Express.

Samyang Foods, the manufacturer of Korea's popular Buldak "fire noodles,” has teamed up with the U.S.-based Asian restaurant franchise to jointly launch a new menu based on the popular instant noodle flavor, Samyang said on Monday.

“It combines the intense heat of Buldak sauce with the tangy-sweet flavor of Cantonese-style sweet and sour sauce for a spicy yet refreshing taste,” Samyang Foods said in a press release on Monday.

The chicken dish will be available for a limited time through Oct. 7 at select Panda Express locations in 10 U.S. cities.

“Buldak's legendary heat is the perfect spark to reinvent an American Chinese favorite,” a Panda Express spokesperson said. “As the first U.S. restaurant brand to partner with Buldak, Panda is proud to introduce Dynamite Sweet & Sour Chicken — a bold, explosive, and shareable experience that our guests, especially Gen Z, crave. It's the spiciest dish we've ever launched, bringing a new level of heat to our menu like never before.”

“Buldak sauce and Panda Express share the belief that food is a universal language that connects the world,” said a Samyang Foods spokesperson. “Through this collaboration, which brings together innovative recipes, creativity, cultural respect and a special kind of heat, we hope to get even closer to consumers worldwide.”

Founded in California in 1983, Panda Express operates more than 2,500 restaurants in the United States. Its signature menu items include The Original Orange Chicken and Honey Walnut Shrimp, offering an American take on Chinese cuisine.

The spicy Buldak ramyeon has been seeing global popularity since the mid-2010s as the product built a reputation for its flaming hot flavor.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]