Seasonal Fare with Asian Flair? How about P.F. Chang’s?

About 1 – 1 1/2 years ago P.F. Chang’s began to branch out from their original P.F. Chang’s Chinese Bistro which was strictly Chinese fare. This experiment resulted in P.F. Chang’s, now offering more of an Asian fusion of flavors and tastes. A newly created seasonal menu realizes people’s interest in the benefits of home-grown ingredients and their new menu items are sure to please. The chef’s current seasonal menu approach to garden-fresh garnishes, especially Asian-inspired ingredients, includes fragrant Thai basil, lemongrass and mint along with many more to satisfy all palates.

The Bites

Each P.F. Chang’s has a scratch kitchen so everything from the wonton chips to their ginger beer is made in-house. How about starting off with Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Spring Rolls, a mix of Lemongrass chicken, julienne carrots, celery root, cilantro, peanuts, Thai basil and mint wrapped in rice paper with a chili pepper dipping sauce. Or perhaps Heirloom Tomato Salad with market-fresh heirloom tomatoes, avocado, Thai basil and a ponzu dressing. Moving into the entree’s you can choose from Chiang Mia Curry Noodles with Chicken with wok-tossed chicken, Fresno peppers, cilantro and a coconut-curry infused broth garnished with brussel sprouts and topped with crispy wontons, Korean BBQ Chicken Stir-Fry: chicken stir-fried with red pepper, onions and green beans in a sweet & spicy red chili sauce, topped with cool, refreshing kimchi slaw.  And if that doesn’t grab you go for the Chino-Latino Pineapple Pork: wok-fired tender pork in tamarind-chili sauce with red bell peppers, corn, tomatoes and pineapple relish or Seared Ahi with Wasabi Guacamole : Yellowfin tuna, seared and served rare, topped with baby arugula and green beans in a chili-lime ponzu sauce served with wasabi guacamole.

I’ve been known to be a bit of a wimp when it comes to spicy, “hot” ingredients so I was a bit skeptical of these offerings; however, the mix of spices with the fresh, brightness of the seasonal veggies and the chicken or pork provided a phenomenal burst of “wow” with each bite.

While that should have done it for me, I was also able to sample items from their main menu, a few of them being re-created to lighter fare. The green bean sauce on the Ahi Tartare with Avocado provided a late “kick” tempered by the avocado and tuna. If you haven’t given edemame two glances you may want to rethink this as their edemame has zesty citrus salt, orange peels and chili flakes creating a robust taste. Traditional edemame is available as well. Cantonese-Style Lemon Chicken is one entrée that was updated with a lighter breading and broccolini  with lemon slices on top, plus additional lemon sauce for dipping makes this a popular dish. The Orange Peel comes in either chicken or shrimp and both are delectable.

The Booze

Cocktails with the seasonal menu include Pink Cherry Cosmo, Absolut Citron Vodka and Cointreau Liquer with fresh lime and cranberry juice garnished with a Pink Blush cherry. For those who aren’t bashful try the Spicy Paloma, Tanteo Jalapeno Tequila and fresh jalapeno slices, balanced with freshly-squeezed white grapefruit juice. You’ll have to tell me what you think of this one!

For a very refreshing drink go for the Moscow Mule, a mix of Russian Vodka and their homemade beer. It may be a strange combination but it was velvety with a zing from the ginger. A take off from their Organic Agave Margarita is their Cucumber Agave Fresco, a joining of Avion silver Tequila, Del Maquey Mezcal, cucumbers and lime juice.

The Bucks

Seasonal menu appetizers go for $7.95 while the entrees run from $13.95 to $17.95. The main menu, having a large variety of starters, salads, soups, specialties, wok classics, etc. vary in price but no entrée or specialty is over $20.00. There is a kid’s menu as well as a gluten-free menu. Go to any one of the eight  P.F. Chang’s locations to enjoy their flavorful offerings.  You won’t be sorry you did.

 

 

*This meal was provided to us complimentary as a part of a media invitation. However, this has no effect on our opinions and comments regarding our experience. View our Disclosure Policy for further explanation.