Long John Silver's Crispy Panko Shrimp Review

Oh Long John Silver's, how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways:

• When attaining the rank of "fry cook", your employees can prepare anything on the menu.

• You call your chicken strips "planks".  Rather than conjuring up images of walking the plank, I think of stinky construction workers nailing in boards. (maybe that says more about me than the chicken)

• I can order hush puppies by the dozens.

• If I don't feel like fish....I can always turn my head 10 degress to the east and order from the KFC menu.

• My basket of "fried stuff" literally includes little chunks of "fried stuff" in the bottom.  Am I literally dipping crusty solid oil into cocktail sauce for ingestion?  You betcha.

• I can eat my fill of greasy fish and bread for less than 8 bucks.  Spend any more, and you've just purchased a family pack.

Long John Silver's (LJS for those of us who have the tattoo) has come up with a new item to keep my taste buds and gastrointestinal system aflame.  It is revolutionary...so exciting....Fried Shrimp!!!
Oh...they already serve fried shrimp?  No...this is the new crispy Panko shrimp.

I was sad this was not part of the meal as well

I'm sure you're asking why the Price is Right is sponsoring a new food item at LJS?  Alas, that is Plinko...not Panko.
In addition, Panko is not a Japanese villain from an old 80's video game as you might guess. (The snake on Qbert is coily)  Panko is the name for a type of bread crumbs on fried food from Japan.  Supposedly, the crumbs do not use the bread crust, and do not soak up as much oil--leading to a more crispy crust when frying. (I'm thinking Panko hostess snowballs would be delicious)

I ordered the Panko shrimp as part of a combo meal.  For $4.99, I got 5 shrimp, 2 hush puppies, fries, and a small drink.  More than enough food for a growing (waistline) boy like myself.
The shrimp are not as big as advertised, but not popcorn-shrimp small.  LJS states that each shrimp is a 3-biter.  I think this advertising campaign was written by 14 year old Japanese Olympic gymnasts.  I had no problem deep-throating a single shrimp, but felt much more comfortable finishing each one in 2 bites. (I have a tender gag reflex)
I was pleasantly surprised at the texture of these shrimp.  The crispiness content was higher than the normal soggy saggy shrimp you're used to getting at LJS.  The shrimp are larger than expected, and I was pleasantly full after the meal.
The taste of the shrimp is good, but not outstanding.  They serve a spicy chili sauce for dipping, and it complemented the shrimp well.

I would recommend the Panko shrimp to anyone who likes fried shrimp, or visits LJS frequently.  It is a notch above their normal fried shrimp, and for $4.99 is much cheaper.
I give the Panko Crispy shrimp 4 oily stars.  By adding a small Plinko game in a kids meal, they would have sealed the deal to a 5-star rating.

As an aside -- The hush puppies are a modern miracle of physics.  They are so heavy.  Not quite a noble gas, the hush puppies have to rival Astatine in atomic weight.  If you were involved in a hostage situation in the LJS, you could use these things as weapons.  2 well placed puppies to the forehead of an assailant would cleanly knock them out.