Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.
Now that the holiday season is upon us, let the shopping begin. Woodfield Mall is considered by many to be the place to check off items from your naughty and nice list. To peruse the mall’s great expanse thoroughly you must keep up your strength, and we have just the place for you, P. F. Chang’s Bistro.
From the Dining Duo encyclopedia of useless facts: P. F. Chang’s was started in Scottsdale Arizona in 1993 by Paul Flemming and Philip Chiang (Chang). Those majestic 11 foot horse statues by the entrance are replicas from the original Forbidden City in China. See how Google has improved our minds?
This is not your typical Chinese takeout restaurant. Instead it is a very modern, trendy, upscale bistro with a Chinese mural above the bar. You’ll feel at home when you look up at the light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. They bear a striking resemblance to the street lights on Del Webb Boulevard.
P.F. Chang’s Bistro
5 Woodfield Mall
Schaumburg 60173
(847)610-8000
www.pfchangs.com
Directions: 90 East to 53 South to Woodfield Drive to mall.
Estimated Travel Time: 24 minutes
The waitress came over with three bowls on a plate. These contained hot mustard, chili paste, and pot sticker sauce, which you can mix and match to suit your taste. Since it was mid-afternoon and we were starving, we ordered an appetizer of their signature Chicken Lettuce Wraps ($8.95). This is wok-seared chicken, mushrooms, green onions and water chestnuts over crispy rice sticks (those Styrofoam noodles) with crisp lettuce cups.
Jim ordered the Kung-Pao Chicken ($9.95). It is a spicy dish of Sichuan chicken cooked in chili sauce with peanuts, celery, scallion, and red chili peppers. He ordered this from the luncheon menu which is a smaller portion but includes either soup or salad. He opted for the hot-and-sour soup and requested fried rice for a $1 upcharge. This portion size gives him the excuse to “sample” half of my dinner.
Nancy had Beef a La Sichuan ($14.95). This consisted of fiery pepper sauce wok-tossed with crispy strips of marinated flank steak, julienne carrots, celery, and green onion. She also ordered two of our favorite side dishes to share. One was (surprise) garlic noodles ($7.95), which were egg noodles tossed with garlic and chili pepper flakes. The other was spicy green beans ($4.95 large order), which are stir-fried green beans with fiery red chili sauce, fresh garlic, and Sichuan preserves.
If nothing else, have the Chicken Lettuce Wraps; they are unforgettable. We loved everything that was served to us. This is not your average Chinese restaurant.
FYI: Handicap accessible and during the holiday’s call ahead for a reservation, if not, you can continue shopping, and they will call your cell phone when your table is ready.
Have a “Yuan” for Chinese food? It cost us $59.55, including leftovers.
Jim’s take: The hot-and-sour soup was the best I’ve ever tasted. I wanted to spice up my Kung-Pao a bit, so I tried one of the red peppers that was in my meal and cringed. NOT A GOOD IDEA! And, yes, Nancy did eat little bits of fungi.
Nancy’s take: This is my favorite Chinese restaurant. And everything I ordered were my favorites. Yes, I did eat fungi, and it was worth it! When Jim ate that red pepper, his sweat-head meter registered an 11 out of 10, and I thought his head was going to explode!
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