Pei Wei vs PF Chang's

[bobk]

Me too. I was ridiculously spoiled in college in the Bay Area, where there are phenomenal authentic hole-in-the-wall places on every corner.

We have many of those in the Northeast too, but the true hidden gem is somewhat rare. A lot of the hole-in-the-wall places are just that and represent the worst of the Americanized Asian experience. We're all familiar with them - grade D meat, mysterious salty brown sauce, sickening sweet red sauce, crappy vegetables, deep fried chicken, MSG, faded menu photos above the counter (bulletproof glass is optional). Many of the places a step up from this still aren't that great. Even if the food is really good, the dining area can be unpleasant (shabby furniture, fluorescent lights).

I still don't get the hate for Pei Wei. Sure it's a chain and has that homogeneous corporate feel, but they do so many things right. What specifically about the food makes it inauthentic? I guess they sweeten the sauces a bit and tone down the spice level. They also have a more limited "palette" of ingredients, especially the meat and seafood options.
Outside of that, I don't think it's that far off, especially compared to the crap places I described above.

[MsSassyBaskets]

I can enjoy both authentic Asian food and the Americanized version... they're just different things that satisfy different cravings. I can't stand Americanized "Mexican" food though, blech. I LOVE Mexican food, and I love having a go-to Mexican restaurant, usually a hole-in-the-wall place in the part of town with a big immigrant population. I have a very dogeared Spanish-translated gluten-free dining card that holds a permanent place in my wallet.

[bobk]

I can enjoy both authentic Asian food and the Americanized version... they're just different things that satisfy different cravings. I can't stand Americanized "Mexican" food though, blech. I LOVE Mexican food, and I love having a go-to Mexican restaurant, usually a hole-in-the-wall place in the part of town with a big immigrant population. I have a very dogeared Spanish-translated gluten-free dining card that holds a permanent place in my wallet.

Fair enough. That's my approach to Asian food too. I guess I get a bit annoyed when people make a big deal about whether a particular ethnic restaurant is authentic or not. It's a false dichotomy. There's a really wide range there with lots of good choices in the middle.

I've never heard of a gluten-fee dining card like that - makes sense. Have you found that Mexican restaurants are able to accommodate you?

[Cinderella]

I've never heard of Pei Wei either but I remember the rise of PF Chang's. I was also impressed by the ambiance and not as impressed with the food. Unless it's chicken lettuce wraps. Those are the great Om Nom's of our time! When I learned you could make them yourself at home from prepackaged frozen food sections in the store and even buy PF Chang's orange chicken in the freezer section I've never been back. It's just as good or better and less expensive than going out to eat. Though I haven't eaten either item in some time.

I was raised on Tex-Mex and also authentic Mexican food. I love both and it's also probably my favorite food.

[Thirteen]

I still don't get the hate for Pei Wei. Sure it's a chain and has that homogeneous corporate feel, but they do so many things right. What specifically about the food makes it inauthentic? I guess they sweeten the sauces a bit and tone down the spice level. They also have a more limited "palette" of ingredients, especially the meat and seafood options.
Outside of that, I don't think it's that far off, especially compared to the crap places I described above.

I'll bite. I guess their sauces all taste the same to me. If something is either sweet, or just tastes like soy sauce, I'm not a big fan.
Having said that, I grew up on those two flavors only at local Asian restaurants, and did like them a lot (...until I moved to LA).

Our home pantry has crazy spices/sauces for making complex flavors that I have now grown to love in various styles of cooking. Thai, Vietnamese, Szechuan, Korean, Japanese, etc. (I married a man of Asian ethnicity, and lived with my-in laws for a while - that might have something to do with my snobby palette as well).

We don't have a lot of good, authentic restaurants here in suburbia, so we make a lot of our own food now when a craving hits. It's a learning experience, but when executed correctly... It is so good!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SoonerTexan]

Thirteen you can't judge Asian food with P cooking at home!!!!!!

I love Tex Mex too and hate that we are surrounded by great Mexican and Tex Mex but my husband won't eat it!!

[bokelley]

I want 13 to cook me some noms!

+1

[MsSassyBaskets]

Fair enough. That's my approach to Asian food too. I guess I get a bit annoyed when people make a big deal about whether a particular ethnic restaurant is authentic or not. It's a false dichotomy. There's a really wide range there with lots of good choices in the middle.

I've never heard of a gluten-fee dining card like that - makes sense. Have you found that Mexican restaurants are able to accommodate you?

Yeah, I just don't tend to like the flavors of Americanized Mexican food or Tex Mex... too much emphasis on chili powder and sauces, maybe? It's not really about whether it's "authentic" or not, just a taste preference. Authentic Mexican food is also a lot more accommodating for a gluten free diet -- corn tortillas and fewer sauces make it a lot easier.

There are dining cards available online for basically any food allergy... both printables and ones you can buy. They explain clearly to the server what you can and can't eat, and the server can take it back to the kitchen to ask the cooks. Reminds me that I need to find an Italian translation for our trip to Rome this winter.