The China Panda Restaurant is preparing to open in Milbank in July. The restaurant is in the Whetstone Mall on East Highway 12 in the former Video Place location.
Owner Angel Li of Morris, Minnesota says it will feature Mandarin, Szechuan, and Hunan cuisines. Mandarin-style Chinese food is all about presentation- a delight to the eye and the palate. Szechuan and Hunan are traditionally spicy. “Food can be ordered dine-in or carry-out,” Li says. “We do not serve off a buffet, but the more popular and healthier option of hot and fresh. We have over 100 items on our menu.”
The restaurant will seat 60 people and will be open seven days a week to start. Li says they will adjust the days and hours after analyzing the area’s interest in Chinese cuisine.
Li and her husband, Frank, and her parents and other family members will be the cooks and kitchen staff. She plans to hire locals to serve, bus tables, and hostess.
Li came to the United States in 2000 and began her career in the Chinese restaurant business. She and her family opened their first restaurant in 2012 in Glenwood, Minnesota. They opened a second store in Morris in 2015. For the new restaurant Li said, “We looked around the area within a one to one and a half hour radius of Morris and saw Milbank. We really liked it.”
Li’s mother and father moved from China to the United States in 2014. They have been a big help with her three children – Daniel, Daisy, and Danica (ages 12, 11 and 3) and will also assist her in the opening of the Milbank location, she says. “We are very excited about opening this restaurant and hope everyone will come and enjoy our Chinese food.”
Staff Writer
