Useful Information:
Providence Place Mall
111 Providence Place
Providence, RI 02903
401-270-4665
PF Changs website
*If going during peak hours, a reservation is necessary, which can be made right on their website.
Prices: Food is roughly between $15 - $30 per person. If alcohol is ordered, beer starts at $4.50, mixed drinks start at $6.50, and they also have an extensive wine menu.
Dress: Casual, but not too dressed-down. Jeans and a polo/blouse are fine.
It's not common these days that I come across a restaurant that doesn't have any flaws. However, this restaurant came pretty close to it. On a whim, my boyfriend Richard, and I decided to try out P.F. Chang's, which recently opened at the mall. We looked up the menu on my iPhone, and although the prices weren't listed, we found a lot of items that appealed to us. We decided to give it a try, hoping it wouldn't empty our wallets. Upon arrival, we were a bit apprehensive as the entrance was packed, and the hostess said it was a 2 hour wait. The bar was first come first serve, and featured a full dinner menu. We found seats after only 15 minutes, score! The bar was constantly being cleaned, and there was a decent amount of personal space from other guests, that was a plus.
The bar was pretty decent sized, and there were about 5 bartenders, the two that waited on us were Jose and Jackie, both very sociable and appealed more to the younger crowed like us, but also appreciative to the needs of all other aged patrons. Richard ordered a beer; Magic Hat Octoberfest, and I ordered an Agave Margarita (a little pricey, at $9 for 8 oz, but again I'm still new to the bar scene). Jose made my drink with two generous shots of Patron silver - the good stuff for my standards, and ensured me it was a great choice. It was perfect - sweet, just strong enough, and ice cold. The drink lasted almost through my whole meal, and ended up being worth the money.
It didn't take us long to decide on what we wanted. They had a great offer, called "PF Chang for Two). For $39.95 you each get a soup - we went with the Egg Drop soup, which is an Asian twist on the classic chicken noodle. It also included an appetizer, which we chose the Salt & Pepper Calamari - perfectly fried (not too crispy, not too chewy) squid, with just salt and pepper to taste. It was served with a teriyaki glaze on the side, that definitely complimented the calamari so well. For our entrees, Richard chose the Mahi Mahi, which was so fresh it may have been caught just a few hours prior. It was lightly covered with a lemon-garlic glaze and served over cilantro white rice - a good choice. I ordered the Crispy Honey Chicken - again fried just perfectly, with a tangy, flavorful glaze - it was served with white rice, all over a bed of crispy rice sticks - white noodle things that were crispy, but once saturated in the sauce, became the consistency of angel hair pasta. I loved every bite of this meal, which was a decent portion, and I took half of it home, which was just as good the next day.
Lastly, the offer included dessert which you could either share a full size dessert, or you can each order a mini shot glass dessert. Richard got the triple chocolate mousse, which was very good, and I ordered the red velvet cake, so moist and the cream cheese frosting was nice and fluffy. These weren't necessarily something you would see offered at an Asian Bistro, but I liked that they catered to American taste-buds, but also offered a lot of ethnic choices, which I may be inclined to try on my next visit. All in all, we were definitely pleased with our visit to P.F. Chang's and recommend it to anyone craving some Chinese food (not Japanese, because they don't serve sushi - we asked the difference). This was definitely worth the money, which on my standards wasn't too pricey, seeings how it was a night out.
Dress: Casual, but not too dressed-down. Jeans and a polo/blouse are fine.
It's not common these days that I come across a restaurant that doesn't have any flaws. However, this restaurant came pretty close to it. On a whim, my boyfriend Richard, and I decided to try out P.F. Chang's, which recently opened at the mall. We looked up the menu on my iPhone, and although the prices weren't listed, we found a lot of items that appealed to us. We decided to give it a try, hoping it wouldn't empty our wallets. Upon arrival, we were a bit apprehensive as the entrance was packed, and the hostess said it was a 2 hour wait. The bar was first come first serve, and featured a full dinner menu. We found seats after only 15 minutes, score! The bar was constantly being cleaned, and there was a decent amount of personal space from other guests, that was a plus.
The bar was pretty decent sized, and there were about 5 bartenders, the two that waited on us were Jose and Jackie, both very sociable and appealed more to the younger crowed like us, but also appreciative to the needs of all other aged patrons. Richard ordered a beer; Magic Hat Octoberfest, and I ordered an Agave Margarita (a little pricey, at $9 for 8 oz, but again I'm still new to the bar scene). Jose made my drink with two generous shots of Patron silver - the good stuff for my standards, and ensured me it was a great choice. It was perfect - sweet, just strong enough, and ice cold. The drink lasted almost through my whole meal, and ended up being worth the money.
It didn't take us long to decide on what we wanted. They had a great offer, called "PF Chang for Two). For $39.95 you each get a soup - we went with the Egg Drop soup, which is an Asian twist on the classic chicken noodle. It also included an appetizer, which we chose the Salt & Pepper Calamari - perfectly fried (not too crispy, not too chewy) squid, with just salt and pepper to taste. It was served with a teriyaki glaze on the side, that definitely complimented the calamari so well. For our entrees, Richard chose the Mahi Mahi, which was so fresh it may have been caught just a few hours prior. It was lightly covered with a lemon-garlic glaze and served over cilantro white rice - a good choice. I ordered the Crispy Honey Chicken - again fried just perfectly, with a tangy, flavorful glaze - it was served with white rice, all over a bed of crispy rice sticks - white noodle things that were crispy, but once saturated in the sauce, became the consistency of angel hair pasta. I loved every bite of this meal, which was a decent portion, and I took half of it home, which was just as good the next day.
Lastly, the offer included dessert which you could either share a full size dessert, or you can each order a mini shot glass dessert. Richard got the triple chocolate mousse, which was very good, and I ordered the red velvet cake, so moist and the cream cheese frosting was nice and fluffy. These weren't necessarily something you would see offered at an Asian Bistro, but I liked that they catered to American taste-buds, but also offered a lot of ethnic choices, which I may be inclined to try on my next visit. All in all, we were definitely pleased with our visit to P.F. Chang's and recommend it to anyone craving some Chinese food (not Japanese, because they don't serve sushi - we asked the difference). This was definitely worth the money, which on my standards wasn't too pricey, seeings how it was a night out.
