The official line explaining why the Panda Express chain is giving out free food this coming Monday for Chinese New Year reads thusly:
“The Chinese New Year's Eve feast features ingredients that carry
special symbolic meaning. Firecracker Chicken Breast(TM) is created with chicken because it
represents prosperity and happiness, while firecrackers are a
traditional part of New Year's celebrations — according to Chinese
folklore, Nian, a man-eating beast came into towns in search of
people to feast upon. People used bright red decorations and
firecrackers to scare Nian away to have a safe new year.”
]
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Did we mention it's free?
Yep. Print out this coupon, go there next Monday, January 23rd, and say “Xīn Nián Kuài Lè, now gimme my free chicken!”
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Before becoming an award-winning restaurant critic for OC Weekly in 2007, Edwin Goei went by the alias “elmomonster” on his blog Monster Munching, in which he once wrote a whole review in haiku.