It’s a very attractive space. The statuary, the murals, the furniture and fixtures. The heavy forks and knives, the real chopsticks and linen napkins. And the marketing is on point as well. Farm to Wok. House made this, house made that. And the food is good looking too.
This would be a go to place if the food was any good. I tried it when it first opened years ago and it was way too loud. The acoustics made you feel like you were sitting at one big table with kids babbline, staff dropping cases forks and knives and high octane gossip riding hard and high like the trading pit on the stock exchange floor. I didn’t really remember the food and now I know why. I went again about five years ago after they heavily advertised their dim sum happy hour, but again I wasn’t impressed. Third time was not the charm. I would like to blame myself for picking the wrong items. But if you can’t pull off steamed pork dumplings, or hand made pork eggrolls, what is the point? Both were beyond bland. I had high hopes for the beautifully named Long Life Noodles with Prawns, but the garlic noodles were overcooked with only a hint of garlic; instead, the whole dish was warped by the presence of so many hot chili peppers. The salt and pepper shrimp that weren’t in direct contact with the chili peppers weren’t bad, but it wasn’t enough to keep me from writing this place off. I did enjoy the hot tea in the cast iron pot and it was a nice touch to serve it with a side of honey, but good intentions, clever marketing, and a beautiful space alone do not a restaurant make. You go there to eat. And it has to be good. I’d rather hit any number of buffets or even make the drive out to Sherwood Forest to hit up Hunan’s than revisit P. F. Chang’s. I think I’ll hit Chow Main soon to see if they know what they’re doing. That’s the new place on main fronting the Galvez Plaza parking lot.
