2008 Woodie Awards
P.F. Changs is not what it is cracked up to be
Lily Fahel
Issue date: 2/7/07 Section: Features
- Page 1 of 1
After hearing so many people rave about the newly opened P.F. Chang's, I decided to go and have lunch there myself and see what all the fuss was about.
I arrived late afternoon, just after lunch rush and just before dinner rush, so I wouldn't have to wait to be seated. Unfortunately, as slow as business was, I still had to wait about ten minutes for a booth to be cleaned.
For the most part, the restaurant appeared quite clean and the atmosphere was sophisticated with elegant décor, which includes an elaborate mural that takes up a whole wall. However, the booth I was required to wait for wasn't so clean. There were sticky patches on the table and no silverware or napkins were anywhere to be found.
The server came to my table promptly after I was seated, carrying a small tray containing a colorful array of dipping sauces from spicy to sweet to tangy flavors of which could be mixed in order to customize a sauce that meets the approval of each individual's taste buds.
P.F. Chang's offers "family-style dining," otherwise known as "a la carte," which means if you're dining alone, enjoy variety on a mediocre budget; however, P.F. Chang's may not be the best choice of restaurants as they do not offer any combination options. All entrees include your choice of either brown rice or white steamed rice. I ordered the Mongolian beef, which was recommended to me by a few friends and even my server, along with the sweet and sour chicken and white steamed rice.
The food arrived approximately 15 minutes later and while their promptness impressed me, their food did not. The sweet and sour chicken, which is battered, deep fried and mixed with onions, peppers, and pineapple chunks in a sweet and sour sauce, was soggy and lukewarm. The Mongolian beef, which is sautéed with green onions and also a rather sweet flavored sauce, did have a good flavor to it; however, I would not recommend anyone with hypertension to order this dish because it is very salty.
I just wasn't as thrilled as my friends are about this restaurant. According to my server, most of P.F. Chang's customers are high-end diners and "it's not uncommon for the bill to exceed $100 for a party of just two or three."
On average, the cost per person may range anywhere from $20 to $26 not including gratuity or alcoholic beverages. Overall, while the service and ambiance was excellent, the food wasn't as satisfactory for the price that I paid. It's just not worth it.
I arrived late afternoon, just after lunch rush and just before dinner rush, so I wouldn't have to wait to be seated. Unfortunately, as slow as business was, I still had to wait about ten minutes for a booth to be cleaned.
For the most part, the restaurant appeared quite clean and the atmosphere was sophisticated with elegant décor, which includes an elaborate mural that takes up a whole wall. However, the booth I was required to wait for wasn't so clean. There were sticky patches on the table and no silverware or napkins were anywhere to be found.
The server came to my table promptly after I was seated, carrying a small tray containing a colorful array of dipping sauces from spicy to sweet to tangy flavors of which could be mixed in order to customize a sauce that meets the approval of each individual's taste buds.
P.F. Chang's offers "family-style dining," otherwise known as "a la carte," which means if you're dining alone, enjoy variety on a mediocre budget; however, P.F. Chang's may not be the best choice of restaurants as they do not offer any combination options. All entrees include your choice of either brown rice or white steamed rice. I ordered the Mongolian beef, which was recommended to me by a few friends and even my server, along with the sweet and sour chicken and white steamed rice.
The food arrived approximately 15 minutes later and while their promptness impressed me, their food did not. The sweet and sour chicken, which is battered, deep fried and mixed with onions, peppers, and pineapple chunks in a sweet and sour sauce, was soggy and lukewarm. The Mongolian beef, which is sautéed with green onions and also a rather sweet flavored sauce, did have a good flavor to it; however, I would not recommend anyone with hypertension to order this dish because it is very salty.
I just wasn't as thrilled as my friends are about this restaurant. According to my server, most of P.F. Chang's customers are high-end diners and "it's not uncommon for the bill to exceed $100 for a party of just two or three."
On average, the cost per person may range anywhere from $20 to $26 not including gratuity or alcoholic beverages. Overall, while the service and ambiance was excellent, the food wasn't as satisfactory for the price that I paid. It's just not worth it.
Be the first to comment on this story