On Addison Street, right across from Wrigley Field, the new Panda Express opened its doors by throwing some serious heat at Cubs country. The chain rolled out its Buldak-spiced Dynamite Sweet & Sour Chicken for the grand opening, and the fiery collab turned out to be harder to ignore than the usual fast-food limited-time offer. Crunchy and sweet-tangy on the first bite, the chicken quickly shifts into a steady, lip-tingling burn that reportedly had at least one initially skeptical taster reconsidering a return trip. Merch-hunting superfans showed up for the swag, but the Dynamite dish clearly stole the show.
Reporter Monica Eng, who checked out the Addison launch, called the dish “sweet, sour, crunchy and fiery” and said its heat lands somewhere between local hot-chicken standouts Hattie B’s and Hot Chi. She also noted that the Wrigleyville location priced the entree at $9.20 and listed it as available through May, according to Axios.
What It Is and How It Was Made
Panda describes the Dynamite Sweet & Sour Chicken as puffed-rice-battered pieces of marinated chicken tossed with red bell peppers and onions, all wok-cooked in a custom Buldak sauce developed in partnership with Samyang. The collaboration was first rolled out as a limited test in August 2025, and in a press release, Panda Restaurant Group billed it as “the spiciest dish we've ever launched, bringing a new level of heat to our menu like never before.”
From Test Run to Nationwide Sauce Craze
After testing the item in select markets last year, Panda widened access this spring, betting on the growing appetite for Buldak-style heat. Coverage of the broader rollout and the buzz around the flavor and spice level has been chronicled by national outlets such as Parade.
How to Approach the Heat
Diners sizing up the Dynamite Sweet & Sour Chicken should expect a sweet opening bite that builds into a lingering, warming burn. Pairing it with rice or a milder side can help take the edge off. Prices and availability vary by location; at the Wrigleyville shop, the entree rang in at $9.20. Early online tasters have been split between fans who praise the balance of flavor and spice and others who say they would prefer a lighter hand on the breading, according to Parade.
