Simply put: P.F. Chang's uses quality ingredients...which makes it better than 99.9% of all buffets. The recipes are traditional Chinese recipes. There may be a few wrinkles here and there, but Hot and Sour soup is Hot and Sour soup. What everyone likes, though, is a wait staff that can educate you about Chinese food. Also, there's no MSG and a full service bar. My favorites are: Crab Wontons, Salt and Pepper Calamari, Peanut Lime Chicken Salad, Pin Rice Noodle Soup, Chang's Spicy Chicken (like General's Chicken), Lemon Pepper Shrimp, Singapore Street Noodles, and the Chang's Spicy Shrimp (which isn't on the menu ). The most important thing is to understand family style dinning. So many people want to order their own entree! The food is designed to be served as a balanced between proteins, carbohydrates, and veggies! How good would Thanksgiving dinner be if everyone brought green bean casserole?
There is a new spinoff of PF Changs in Dallas called "Pei Wei." It's awesome. It's cheaper than PF Changs and just as good, IMO. They are popping up all over Dallas. In fact, they are about to build one in uptown down the street from me.... I don't know if Pei Wei has made it to anywhere else, but if it has, go...It's great...
Not necessarily true. H & S soup is a dish that I use to judge how good a Chinese restaurant is, along with Lemon Chicken, General's Chicken, and Chow Mein. I learned the above from the owner of this restaurant: http://www.hochow.com/menu.htm I know Carol (the owner) and have eaten there for 18 years (since they opened) and the above dishes are how she judges a Chinese place. BTW, Ho Chow is a GREAT Chinese restaurant. You are very correct though, in your comment about ingredients. It's sad how many places don't get that, though.... :dis:
There's a reason why!!! Pei Wei is owned by the same people who own P.F.Chang's. Food quality is the same, only the portions are lessened. The product and cooking procedures are virtually the same with a few kinks and semantic changes. The prices reflect the portion you get and the atmosphere (Pei Wei's are more or less deli style, located in strip malls, whereas PFChangs are mainly free standing buildings). I think in the next few years we'll see one in the Metairie/NO area.
Touché! How right you are, though. I should have said "Hot and Sour soup is Hot and Sour soup, only PFC's Hot and Sour soup uses better bamboo shoots, tofu, black fungus, oyster sauce, etc. than do buffets". I know the places you've talked about understand the integrity of something like Hot and Sour soup. I used to love H/S soup at any $6 all-I-could-gorge-myself-with buffet. But after eating quality H/S soup (like at PFC's), I simply can't eat the cheap-o stuff. If you've never made it out to PFC's, you should. Please don't judge it by the Lemon Chicken, though . (Chang's Spicy Chicken is PFC's version of General's Chck).
yeah was thinking the same thing. that's a little too specific. i expect some half off coupons for the board there, PF.
PeiWei is coming to Baton Rouge with the new perkins rowe development. i'm looking forward to it www.perkinsrowe.com
