P.F. Chang's

I tried the new P.F. Chang's in my neighborhood two consecutive nights in a row this week, on Sunday night and then Monday night. I gave them a couple of weeks after opening to get their feet wet and get settled in. I probably should have waited a while longer. My dining experience went from good to worse.



The restaurant was very busy, no packed, on Sunday night. I decided to eat at the bar, as no tables were available and many visitors waiting for tables. Seated at the bar, the bartenders were quick to get my beverage and take my order, offering up their personal favorites. Upon asking for specials, Matt, one of two bartenders, told me the restaurant was so new, they hadn't decided on what specials to offer yet until management found the groove of what customers wanted. Hmmm, with as many restaurants as Chang's has you would think they had figured that by now, but that's an argument for another day.



I ordered two appetizers, pan-fried Shrimp Pot stickers and Seared Ahi Tuna. Both appetizers arrived within five minutes, one behind the other, which was quicker than expected and surprising. The pot stickers were good, very similar to Chinese dim sum, but, cold on the plate. They tasted like they had been sitting in the kitchen too long. For the price, I wanted to see six, instead of four. A tad over-priced for what you get.



The seared Ahi tuna appetizer was great. A salad of fresh greens with a tasty dressing accompanied separately-sauced (tasted like miso) sliced cucumbers with white & black sesame seeds sprinkled on top. The seared tuna was fresh, splayed in a semi-circle, with a ginger sauce drizzled over the top. The ginger sauce was over-powering and a bit overwhelming. The tuna was perfect. I settled on using some hot chili sauce, which I had to ask the bartender for (they forgot to give me the ensemble they give every table) which cranked up some heat and lessened the over-powering ginger sauce.



For an entree, I ordered Lemongrass Prawns with Garlic Noodles. The prawns were perfectly split and grilled with lemongrass and garlic on top. With the prawns came chewy, cold, bland noodles lightly coated in garlic butter. The dish would have been a knock-out had the noodles been hot. The plate came out of the kitchen cold. I question if they use plate warmers or have ever heard of them. My bill was $38.00 for two appetizers, entree and beverage, not bad, which was better than I can say for my next visit on Monday night.



On Monday night, I decided eat at the bar and try the Seared Ahi Tuna again, less the over-powering ginger sauce. It arrived later than the night before and upon inspection, looked like it had been plated on a dirty plate. Really dirty. The plate looked like it had been passed through every hand in the kitchen before it was placed in front of me. I couldn't eat it and pointed it out to the bartender, who promptly apologized and removed it to get a fresh one. The manager brought out the replacement, apologized and plopped it down in front of me. This one didn't look much better than the previous one.



By now, I was famished, disappointed and the wait had been about an hour, so I decided to forgo a second appetizer and went straight to an entree. Chris comp'd the tuna for me and took my order for a Lo Mein combo, thin noodles stir-fried with a choice of beef, pork, chicken and shrimp. It came out in a clean bowl, hot, steaming and tasty. It looked and smelled so good, the gentleman sitting next to me at the bar ordered the same thing. My bill with one entree and beverage was $14.



My biggest gripe? Do they utilize expeditors in the kitchen or use carousel service. I would bet it is "grab n' go" carousel service.