Photos: Panda Express test kitchen

Jimmy Wang, Panda Express’ director of culinary innovation, tries to find the winning recipe for lion’s head meatballs. “There’s a way to make this dish. I just haven’t found it yet,” Wang, 36, said of the meatballs.

(Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

June 26, 2015 10:10 PM PT

Chefs at the Panda Express test kitchen rack their brains in a culinary quest for the next orange chicken, the chain’s widely imitated bestseller. Could it be lion’s head meatballs?

At the Panda Express Innovation Kitchen in Pasadena, the restaurant chain develops new dishes for its growing empire. Executive Chef Andy Kao, left, product manager Adrian Lok and Jimmy Wang, director of culinary innovation, talk with Chief Marketing Officer Andrea Cherng, right.

(Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

The Panda Express team tastes one of several versions of lion’s head meatballs at the company’s Innovation Kitchen in Pasadena.

(Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

Panda Express chefs try to reinvent the dish, frying and glazing the meatballs to make it look and taste more like something that belongs in one of the Rosemead company’s 1,800 restaurants.

(Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

Panda Express Executive Chef Andy Kao, left, the inventor of orange chicken, tries meatball recipes with product manager Adrian Lok and Jimmy Wang, director of culinary innovation, at the company’s Innovation Kitchen in Pasadena.

(Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

Panda Express Executive Chef Andy Kao, left, and product manager Adrian Lok taste the 17th version of three kinds of meatballs.

(Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

Panda Express Executive Chef Andy Kao and his team try to reinvent the Chinese dish to make it look and taste more like something that belongs in one of the Rosemead company’s 1,800 restaurants.

(Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

At the Panda Express Innovation Kitchen in Pasadena, the restaurant chain develops new dishes for its growing Chinese fast-casual empire.

(Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

Andrea Cherng, Panda Express’ chief marketing officer, watches the chefs try new recipes at the company’s Innovation Kitchen in Pasadena.

(Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

Joy Cabardo, left, Panda Express’ senior food technologist, conducts a meatball tasting in March with students such as Ashley Hernandez, 8, at Janson Elementary School in Rosemead.

(Christina House / For The Times)

Meatballs are cooked in the school cafeteria during a Panda Express meatball tasting with students at Janson Elementary School in Rosemead.

(Christina House / For The Times)

Meatball samples are ready for a Panda Express tasting with students at Janson Elementary School in Rosemead.

(Christina House / For The Times)

Panda Express conducts a meatball tasting with students at Janson Elementary School in Rosemead including Katherine Cardenas, 9, left.

(Christina House / For The Times)

Panda Express conducts a meatball tasting with students at Janson Elementary School in Rosemead including Kevin Chan, 8.

(Christina House / For The Times)