Noodles and Rice

P. F. Chang’s China Bistro in West Chester, OH

by Stef on March 4th, 2006

P. F. Chang’s is one of those places that has paid so much attention to their facade, you can’t help but expect that they would give as much attention to their food. Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed, and hopefully neither will you. Their restaurants’ exteriors are at once inviting as they are imposing. Walk in and you are greeted by the “modernity meets antiquity” theme: dark sculpted pillars and walls, pendant lighting, and a cavernous kitchen framed by Chinese paintings reaching up to the ceilings.

But we’re here for the food, aren’t we? I was rather pleased to find out that the late Barbara Tropp, chef-owner of San Francisco’s famous China Moon Cafe and author of The China Moon Cookbook (one of my favorites), was consulted in the development of P.F. Chang’s menu. The range is lengthy, offering the Chinese-restaurant-weary diner choices that may not be available at your regular strip-mall places.

We tried several dishes, including my kids’ must haves General Tso’s, Beef Ho Fun, and Sweet and Sour Pork. The first two were coated with a lighter-than-usual batter and served with similarly lightened sauces, though both were sweeter than I’d prefer. And Eileen Yin Fei Lo’s versions are closer to my ideal (I’ll be posting about those soon). The Ho Fun noodles, on the other hand, were perfect, and cooked to just the right degree of crisp-chewiness. Hot and sour soup hit the mark on a 26-degree F day, but I missed the meaty richness that traditional pork contributes to the dish — P.F. Chang’s uses chicken in theirs.

To try something a little healthier I opted for the Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps, but the combination of lime and five-spice just didn’t appeal much to me — what was I thinking? My hubby’s duck salad was excellent, though — and really, with duck, fresh spinach and citrusy dressing, how can anyone miss?

The surprise was dessert — not Chinese at all, except for the fancy name of “Great Wall of Chocolate”. The chocolate layers dense but not overly so, and the raspberry sauce provided the necessary tangy counterpoint. It disappeared the minute it was served (attentive and thorough waitresses by the way!) — and we immediately regretted not having ordered more, but we had to go. There were several other items I’d like to try but they’ll have to wait until our next visit. I saw the Oolong-marinated sea bass too late to include it in our order:(.

All in all a very nice change of pace from the usual bistros around town, though if I were hankering for authenticity I still wouldn’t trade the holes-in-the-wall found in Chinatown. Still, I think P.F. Chang’s is doing a marvelous job of raising US consciousness of how Chinese food could and should be. One suggestion I’d love to make is for them to have a guide in their menu, like a combination of dishes to order. Too many people had the same-old-same-old trio of noodles-rice-eggrolls on their tables, and time at P.F. Chang’s really could be spent better trying out some things you haven’t.

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro
9435 Civic Center Blvd.
West Chester, OH 45069
(513) 779-5555

Related Stories

Chopsticks Vietnamese Restaurant
Confession Time: I have a China Fetish.
Asian Food Festivals and Exhibits Coming Up
Drunken Pork Chops
Asian Restaurants Make the Top 100 in Bay Area

POSTED IN: Restaurant Reviews