P.F. Chang’s
A: Tonight was our first time eating at PF Chang’s, a popular chinese/american “bistro”. I have to admit, i was really not too impressed… People have talked and talked about how great it is and let me just say, yeah.. it’s okay. but is it special? nah.. not really.
T: It’s definately over hyped. I mean, yeah. It was good. I enjoyed it thoroughly. But I also enjoyed the Chinese Inn on Airline Highway in Baton Rouge, you know? And that little place on Lee that closed down.
Orange Peel ShrimpA: Exactly… it really wasn’t anything special. The menu items were nearly the exact same as any other chinese restaurant and the dishes themselves were not necessarily better. I went online yesterday and read their menu, after hearing all the hype and thought I would find a delightfully real chinese menu w/ all kinds of things I would find wonderfully weird and new to my palate.. but WRONG. it was just the same old shit.
T: Yeah. Although I had never had a lettuce wrap before, which was a fun concept.
A: we made very similar cabbage wraps with a curry ground pork mixture @ Harvest… (which was quite a bit better, imho)
T: Well, I’ve never seen a lettuce wrap like this. Regardless, I think we both agree that it wasn’t anything to write home about. However, if you’re in a strange town and you want chinese but you’re afraid of landing at some nasty place that might make you sick, you can count on P.F. Chang’s to deliver good food. Just don’t go there expecting an earth-shattering culinary experience.
A: For sure.. that just about covers my feelings on the restaurant. So, I give PF Chang’s a 3.0/5. It was pretty good… like we’ve been saying… nothing special. Next time a chain restaurant is over hyped to me i will be sure to read the menu first before i fall for some over-zealous person’s opinion.
T: Right on. However, I’ll give it a higher score than that. I do think the food was good. I’ll give it a 4/5. I mean, it was pretty high up there on the scale of Chinese food, I thought. Just not astounding. You know, I don’t know if I’ve really ever had an earth-shattering Chinese food experience. I like it, but I’ve never been to a truly high end restaurant.
A: Me either, i guess my rating was my enjoyment overall, which was pretty average. I could think of other ways I would have liked to ingest all those calories…burgers…. pizza…. fries… bread…. pasta….;-)
T: Ay, those things sound so unappealing right now. Still full from the Chang’s, not to mention the Hagen Daz I had for dessert. Now *that* was damn good. I give the Hagen Daz a 4.8/5. Too bad it’s not being reviewed tonight.
A: i couldn’t review it… i didn’t eat any. 🙂 I think that’s the difference between me and you – I can have eaten a full meal earlier in the evening then five hours later think pizza and shit sounds good!
T: Yeah and all I want is sweets after hours.
A: hehehe not me. anyway, i imagine tomorrow will be a home cooked meal with all this excessive eating out we’ve been doing. so.. stay tuned till next time.
T: Ahhh yeah. Can’t wait. 😀
Kwaherini mabibi na mabwana
Well now ya know. Thanks for the heads up on that one.
I agree that it’s a chain franchise and as thus will never equal a Chinese version of The Four Seasons, but if one lowers one’s expectations to harsh realism, it really is a delicious and wondrous restaurant.
Of course, different chains in franchises differ unto quality and I may be in the lucky end of the living area when it comes to the local P.F.’s.
I first noticed this at Blimpie’s. Some Blimpie’s you get a full delicious hero and some Blimpie’s, you order the same thing and it’s skimpy and blah, so maybe even though we’re talking about the same eatery, we’re not talking about the same eatery, but I love my P.F. Changs. Sometimes more then life itself!
Perhaps I’m biased.