Many people probably aren't familiar with Pei Wei, which is too bad because you're missing out! Pei Wei is owned by the same company who started P.F. Chang's and serves similar food but offers a more casual dining experience. While the menu isn't quite as broad as P.F. Chang's, Pei Wei still offers many of the popular items from the P.F. Chang's menu and they also feature lower prices and little wait time.
When I first heard about Pei Wei, I must admit I was quite skeptical. When I think of quick service asian restaurants, I come up with images of places like Hibachi Express, Panda Express, and other mall restuarants serving their numerous versions of teriyaki chicken. However, after eating many times at a couple different locations, I'm happy to say Pei Wei is quite a few steps above any of those places in virtually every way.
I haven't tried everything on the Pei Wei menu, but I do feel like I've tried enough of their menu to offer a reasonably informed opinion on the food they serve. As for appetizers, there are a couple different choices I would be happy to have every day of the week. I love their lettuce wraps with minced chicken as well as their crab wontons with duck sauce. The lettuce wraps are a popular menu item at P.F. Chang's, but at Pei Wei you can enjoy the same flavors without having to wait an hour to get a table and they are $1.50 less expensive! And the crab wontons are $3 cheaper!
If I ever decide to skip the appetizers, it's not a big deal because there are plenty of great entree choices that offer large portions. The noodle bowls are excellent, and I especially enjoy the Chicken Pad Thai bowl and the Chicken Lo Mein bowl. You can pick from chicken, beef, shrimp, or vegetables to put in the different bowls, but I usually prefer chicken as my meat of choice in Asian cuisine. The amount of food offered in the bowls is plenty for two people to share, or a good choice if you want to take home leftovers for another couple meals. Not bad when two people can share a meal for about $8.
Pei Wei also features a section on the menu called "Signature Dishes," which I'm guessing are the popular entree items offered at P.F. Chang's. These dishes offer a good combination of thai, chinese, japanese, and korean cuisine, along with a good mix of spicy and mild variety. I've tried the Honey Seared Chicken and the Mongolian Beef and enjoyed both. These dishes come with either brown or white rice and the concept is similar to P.F. Chang's in that they are big enough for one person or you could order a few dishes with a group and share all of them.
When I look for a good restaurant, I want to find a place where I enjoy the food and I feel like I'm getting what I pay for. While P.F. Chang's is a restaurant I love to eat at, it's a place that is normally in my budget. If my wife and I go to P.F. Chang's, we can get a great meal but it'll probably cost us about $30. When we go to Pei Wei, we can get a great meal with similar food and it'll cost us half the amount. Pei Wei is a place where I love the food, love the convenience, and love the value.
PS. Their fortune cookies are great!
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