Ordonez 1

Ramses Ordonez
English 115
Professor Lawson
17 October 2014
Ethnography/Fieldwork Report
Word Count: 970
Ethnography of Panda Express
The Panda Express on the intersection of Zelzah Avenue and Chatsworth Street
was observed today. This Panda Express is nearby Granada Hills Charter High School,
which has a population of over 4000 students. There are also over 5 other fast food places
nearby, such as Carls Jr., Starbucks Coffee, Pick Up Stix, and Jersey Mikes. Upon
entering Panda Express, the line was fairly long with about 7 people waiting to say their
order. The seating there was also about forty percent filled. The air was thick with a
sweet smell that penetrated my nose, which could only be described as a necessity for fast
food restaurants such as Panda Express. The walls were colored with yellow, orange and
green and the floor had tiles with a color pattern. I fell into line to order my food and was
finally approached by one of the Panda Express employees. The employee asked me if I
wanted a sample of their new food and I agreed to it. I looked at the piece of meat that
was given to me, which was called Honey Sesame Chicken Breast. It looked like it had
been cooked in pounds of flour and oil. I put the food into my mouth and thought to
myself that this food that I have never tried before actually tasted pretty good. I thought
about it to myself again and came to the conclusion that the food I just ate was probably
cooked in even more sugar quantity than oil quantity. I had the possibility of choosing

Ordonez 2
between chow mein, brown rice, and steamed rice as my main side. I ordered a bowl with
chow mein and the Honey Sesame Chicken Breast. There was an array of different meats
available as well, such as Kung Pao Chicken, Orange Chicken, Beef with Broccoli, and
Sweetfire Chicken Breast. The female working at the cashier asked me if I wanted any
beverages and I replied to just having water. I was then handed a blue cup with which I
assumed had the Chinese character for water and the Panda Express logo on it. I asked
for chopsticks from the cashier because all I could see from the self serve area were
spoons and forks. Once I filled my blue, paper cup with water, I sat down onto a red chair
with a granite table. I split my chopsticks into two, removed the lid from the bowl, and
began eating the food I had just bought. The food tasted good but I could tell that what I
was eating did not sit well with my stomach. The sauce and oil on both the chow mein
and the Honey Sesame Chicken Breast stuck to the roof of my mouth and the back of my
throat as I chewed and swallowed it. I could distinctly smell the sweet sauce in the air.
Im unsure as to whether that was the food I was currently eating or the food that was
being left out for other customers to see. The smell of the food smelled a bit similar to
chemicals to me. The food had an unnatural smell to it. I looked at my food again and
noticed the fortune cookie there as well. My eyes then wandered to the dcor on the walls
and menu, as well as the employees and people walking in. There was one portrait of a
Chinese temple out of five portraits in the entire fast food restaurant. The portrait was
also near the restroom where it was difficult for other customers to see. The other
portraits displayed fast food facts and the deals that were currently being offered. In total,
there were about 12 posters and concrete visible pictures with the Panda Express logo on
it. The employees also wore Panda Express hats. I looked at the ethnicity of the

Ordonez 3
employees. From what I could see there was only one Asian employee and six other
employees that were not Asian. There were also only three females working as
employees with all of them only asking the customers orders and working the cashier. I
could hear a very faint sound of background music but it was obscured by the constant,
loud clanging of the food being cooked as well as the sound of conversations from the
customers. The people that were eating seemed content with what they were eating. Some
people were eating and ordering food leisurely but there were also people who were
ordering quickly, trying to rush out of Panda Express. Its good to keep in mind that
about fifty percent of the customers I saw while I was there were students. Given that
Panda Express is a fast food restaurant, its a casual environment but at the same time,
its very fast paced. Most people seemed like they had been there before. There were two
doors for people to enter inside. One of the doors pointed towards the school and the
other door pointed toward the parking lot. From what I saw, most chose to get to go and
only about twenty five percent of the customers stayed to eat in Panda Express. The smell
of the food was very sweet and I assumed it to be the Orange Chicken. The restaurant
itself was relatively clean with employees cleaning the tables every once in a while when
the customers left. Some of the posters said The Panda Story which described the
founder of Panda Express and another titled World Famous Orange Chicken. Above
the self-serve beverage machine there is a picture of a panda drinking soda. On the
receipt, the logo of Panda Express says Panda Express Gourmet Chinese Food. I stayed
there for about an hour eating and observing the setting. From the hour I sat there, I
counted about eighteen Asians enter the establishment and fifty-five non-Asians enter.