I'll freely admit that I occasionally partake from the trough at Panda Express, but I appreciate it for what it is - Panda Express. No claims of authenticity are made, and I have no expectation of eating, say, real Sichuan or Cantonese dishes there. It's funny, though, that the OP brought up Thai food, because that is definitely one cuisine where I do throw down the gauntlet. For example, basil chicken (gai gra pow) should be made with minced chicken, not big chunks of tasteless breast meat, nor should it have carrots, mushrooms, and onion slivers. Appalling. BTW, not to hijack the thread, but which Thai restaurants are you referring to in the East Bay, if I may ask?