The term chinese food is dumb to begin with. Each region has its own type of food.. its about like sayign "american food".. China is a big country...
My favorite Chinese food in Houston is at Yao's restaraunt. Yea, THAT Yao. Mr. Ming has put together a great restaurant. But does it really get any better than a buffet w/ unlimited egg rolls and those cream cheese stuffed wontons? Holy crap, I think I know what's for dinner today.
Chang's is a good middle of the road Chinese restaurant. I actively search out good Hunan and Szechwan places here in the Bay Area. As a salesman on the road, many of my customers have introduced me to places that I would never have known about or found. My favorite dishes are hot and sour soup, boiled spicy won tons, mu shu pork, velvet chicken soup, General's chicken, pot stickers (MUST be made on site), and spicy shrimp dishes. My wife says one day I'll turn Chinese because of my love of Chinese food. :hihi: If you go to PF, I would suggest that you order the hot sauce (they have a name for it but I can't recall it) from the kitchen. They'll make it fresh for you and it KICKS @SS!!!!! If you don't like hot food, then their standard fare isn't that spicy. IMO, their best is the wraps and the Chang's chicken, with plenty of their sauce.
Some of the best Chinese food I have ever eaten was at a restaurant in Toronto called The Pink Pearl. Chinese food in BR is generally pretty bad. Hunan's is OK if you order off the menu. PF Chang's does a pretty good job. I also regularly visit Bamboo Garden, but again, you have to order off the menu.
I've been to a couple of different PF Changs and, frankly, I was pleasantly surprised. They are very moderately priced and the food is quite good. But, I'm no restaurant critic. I have, however, eaten in hundreds of restaurants in scores of cities, so I have a basis for comparison.
Just remembered - it's called "The Ring of Fire"... ...probably because of the after effects.... :hihi:
My wife went to China. Authentic Chinese food is Buffalo Tongue Soup and fried chicken feet. If you want edible food that when it is placed on a human's tongue it tastes good, PF Chang's is not bad. If you're waiting for what food will taste like in heaven, then you'll be disappointed. Wife and I have eaten at Emeril's several times and after watching the show, I was expecting to be lifted from my chair and swirled around in the air by the very taste on the food. Didn't happen, I was disappointed for about 2 seconds until I realized it was FOOD....nothing more. Great food and lucky to be eating it but still just FOOD!
I think that the best Dim Sum I have had outside of New York or San Fran is in Metairie at Royal China on Vet's - don't let the location fool you, it's the real thing, and you can get Dim Sum everyday of the week (even take out). I think the two best Chineese restaurants I have ever eaten at were Great Eastern (I dream about the spicy prawns) in San Fran's China Town, and the Exellent Dumpling House in NYC.
