WTF is Up with P.F. Chang’s, Because It Isn’t the Food
Apr 17th, 2008 by Alex
I was not impressed with the carry out from P.F. Chang’s China Bistro.
An order of Peking Dumplings ($5.50) consists of four steamed (or pan-fried) dumplings filled with ground pork and vegatables. The dumpling wrappers themselves are thinner than most neighborhood take out, reminding me of the dumplings you can get in bulk from the market. They were good, as was the carton of brown rice that came with the entree.
An order of Ginger Chicken with Broccoli ($12.50) is “served Cantonese-style on a bed of fresh steamed broccoli.” By Cantonese-style they must mean sans ginger, because I didn’t taste much at all. To be fair, I’m a tough critic when it comes to ginger; I drink a lot of ginger ale and enjoy fresh ginger whether its grated or in raw chunks. Maybe I have a high tolerance. My preferences aside, there wasn’t a single bit of ginger on the chicken or visible in the sauce. The chicken was a better quality and more lean than the usual take-out, but without drenching it in sauce it was slightly dry. The broccoli was perfectly crispy. That being the best part of the dish, I was disappointed.
Over the past couple months I’ve had numerous people tell me that I just had to check out P.F. Chang’s. Though it would appear that the restaurant itself is very stylish, everyone I talked to only had great things to say about the food. Though the food was alright, it’s not great and definitely not worth the premium price. I’m wondering what all the fuss is about.
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Mandy and I went to P.F. Chang’s sometime this past winter. We both thought that the food was good, but nothing to rave about. We did like the fact that with the entree you didn’t have to get white rice, you had the choice of white or brown which was nice. I agree with you though, the food is not worth the premium, it was good, but not worth the extra cost.
I’m absolutely with you on this one…I’ve eaten at P.F. Changs, and the food - while good - is not as good as what I’ve gotten at my favorite local no-name Chinese restaurant, for half the price.
PF Chang’s sauces tend to be lighter and less syrupy than mom and pop Chinese. Also the lettuce wraps are very good.
Bilbo: Take-out rocks. Period.
yellojkt: Despite my friend’s recommendation I didn’t get the lettuce wraps and now I’m thinking I should have. Maybe I’ll venture in the next time to try them.