Well it’s time for another edition of Food Horror and it’s unfortunate that one of my favorite restaurants has to be featured on this page. As vegetarians, we find few restaurants can offer us tasty and healthful options, but P.F. Chang’s was always a favorite except they didn’t have a branch in Connecticut when we first moved here. That changed last month, when their first branch opened bang in the center of Stamford, right by the mall.
The very next occasion we had to celebrate, we drove all the way to Stamford to reacquaint our eye with the ambiance and tongues with the gastronomic treats P.F. Chang’s has to offer and we were certainly not disappointed. From the familiar sculptures of the twin horses guarding the door to the large mural of a Chinese village scene above the bar, the restaurant continues to remain faithful to tradition. The food, while unlikely to be described as “spectacular”, is well above the standards set by other restaurants that serve vegetarian fare. The Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps still maintain that delicate balance between crunchy and tangy, the Coconut Curry Vegetables is aromatic and flavorful as ever and the Banana Spring Rolls are crispy, sweet and the only way we know to end our dinner.
Actually we might have ended our dinner with the Great Wall Of Chocolate which, according to the site, consists of “Six layers of rich chocolate cake frosted with semi-sweet chocolate chips and served with raspberry sauce.” But I was fortunate enough to have seen their online menu (complete with ingredients and nutrition info) and that helped me avoid this calorie, sugar and fat laden disaster:
2240 calories, 376g of carbs and almost 90g of fat. Infact, the head waiter told me they have a stretcher on standby and Stamford Hospital’s Emergency Ward on speed dial just in case someone decides to test the limits of their arteries with this brown bombshell. I mean, this would have been too much even if we split it like we always do. So although it looked and sounded delicious, we just passed on the offer (the guys holding the stretcher were decidedly unhappy with our decision) and chose the Banana Spring Rolls instead (not too much better nutrition-wise, but still manageable).
I sure hope someone talks to them about portion control, and real soon. Thankfully, they still carry some pretty healthful choices for those so inclined. Case in point is their Buddha’s Feast (choose the steamed version):
I guess it’s just a question of knowing (and more importantly, ordering) what’s good for you. What’s your favorite at P.F. Chang’s? And how special should the occasion be for you to go for the Great Wall Of Chocolate?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
My friends and I recently went to PF Changs to celebrate my birthday. I have been there numerous times - I always get the tofu and broccoli. I figured, a wise choice. Take a look at the fat content of that dish! WOW. Before going for my birthday, we all studied the nutritional information. I had the seared tuna as an appetizer, the calamari (I only ate 1/4 of it), some brown rice, and then we split the cake 6 ways. Needless to say, the next morning, I spent 2 hours in the gym.
Their food is good, but don’t assume beacuse it’s rice and veggies that its healthy. A lot of healthy things on their menu are laden with fat.
I think that the way to eat at PF Changs is this - each person orders a dish. You all take a small portion from each one, try some different things, then pack up the rest and divide it up.
After going through their menu, I’m not sure how often I’ll be eating out there in the future.
You should do a review of this book:
The Diet Detective’s Count Down: 7500 of Your Favorite Food Counts with Their Exercise Equivalents for Walking, Running, Biking, Swimming, Yoga, and Dance
ISBN: 0743298004
A friend of mine put me onto it - it’s quite interesting, and I think everyone should read it.