P.F. Chang’s Louisville is located off of Shelbyville Road in St. Matthews. It’s an upscale Chinese restaurant with classy décor and service, which is amplified by the fantastic menu of flavorful Chinese dishes prepared with high-quality ingredients.
The Experience
If you didn’t know it prior to eating at P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, you’d probably never guess that it was a chain restaurant. In fact, everything from the white stallions that stand at opposite sides of the restaurant’s entrance to the intricately-prepared dishes signals originality and attention to detail. It seems that not one detail has been overlooked at P.F. Chang’s – even the restaurant’s square plates have their own unique appeal.
When you enter the restaurant (through a revolving door, nonetheless), you’re immediately greeted by a smiling hostess dressed head-to-toe in black. All of the restaurant’s front-of-the-house employees wear nondescript black clothing, a rarity for a chain establishment that has every reason to force their employees into polo shirts bearing the company logo. The black clothing is just one of the many things that give P.F. Chang’s an air of Asian simplicity.
The Service
I don’t know that the service at any other restaurant in Louisville compares to that of P.F. Chang’s. The servers are friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about their product. The beginning of every meal starts with a chemistry lesson: the server brings out several different vials and cups of different ingredients and mixes a sauce for your food, explaining how to make the sauce hotter or milder as they’re mixing. At the end of every meal, they box your leftovers for you in traditional Chinese carryout boxes.
The Food
Like any Chinese restaurant, the menu items at P.F. Chang’s are divided not only into appetizers, soups and salads, lunch, and dinner, but also into chicken and duck, meat, seafood, rice and noodle, and vegetarian selections. P.F. Chang’s offers 11 different appetizers from between $5.50 and $8.00, three choices of soup from $6 to $7, and an Oriental Chicken Salad for $9. Their lunch selections are smaller-portioned and served daily until 4 p.m. Their six lunch entrees are $8 each, with the exception of Moo Goo Gai Pan which is $12.
P.F. Chang’s has a diverse menu of dinner entrees, each traditional Chinese dishes prepared with the restaurant’s signature recipes. The dinner entrees range from between $6.50 and $20.00. The duck and fresh seafood dishes run at the higher end of that price range, though the average price for an entrée is $11. Its five desserts run from $6 to $8.
The Review
My husband and I were out taking pictures of Louisville when he suggested that we grab lunch at P.F. Chang’s. I was hesitant at first, recalling a past conversation with a co-worker who claimed that the restaurant was overpriced. However, my husband assured me that it wasn’t any more expensive than any other restaurant, and I reluctantly agreed to go. When we left the restaurant that day, I was glad I gave in to his assertion.
My husband informed me that I was supposed to wrap the filling in the lettuce like I would prepare a burrito. The filling was made with chicken and spices, and the combination of its tenderness with the crispness of the lettuce created an interesting texture as well as a delicious appetizer. I’ve thought about those Lettuce Wraps several times since. Even now writing about them my mouth is watering.
For the main entrée, I chose the Tam’s Noodles with Savory Beef and Shrimp while my husband opted for the Double Pan-Fried Noodles. I was nervous about my selection because the menu claimed it was spicy, but it was not over-spiced like the “spicy” dishes I’ve gotten at many Chinese restaurants in Louisville. Instead, it was a subtle blend of vegetables, tender beef, shrimp, and chili peppers that I couldn’t quit eating. My husband’s dish was delicious as well, even though I typically don’t care for egg noodles.
Recommendations
- Lettuce Wraps
- Calamari
- Mongolian Beef
- Tam’s Noodles with Savory Beef and Shrimp
Pros:
- Fantastic service, leftovers boxed for you
- Well-prepared, delicious food made with high-quality ingredients
Cons:
- During dinner hours, there tends to be a long wait for tables
- Entrées are oversized -- I’d rather pay less and not take home three more full meals
