Sunday, September 11, 2016

P.F. Chang's

This post was last updated May 25, 2019 

Yesterday, we spent the morning at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.  While we were hiking, we called the P.F. Chang's in Monterey to make a reservation for lunch, because I was in the mood for Chinese food.


I was shocked to see that P.F. Chang's now has a separate gluten free menu.  On past visits, which you can read about here, gluten free options were listed in their regular menu.


On the front of their menu, P.F. Chang's mentions that they have gluten free soy sauce, and that, "all their gluten-free meals are cooked in a designated gluten-free wok using only gluten-free ingredients."


Picture updated October 1, 2017

Right away, I looked for my favorite gluten free entree, the Cantonese-style lemon chicken, and was disappointed to see that it is no longer on the regular or gluten free menu.


We started our meal with an order of Chang's chicken lettuce wraps, which never disappoint.  One order is plenty for the four of us, and I know we are getting the gluten free version when it arrives on a white plate that says P.F. Chang's.


For an entree, I ordered the Mongolian beef with broccoli subbed for the green onion, and a side of brown rice.  I have always enjoyed this dish, because I like my Asian food to be a little sweet.  I also enjoy Chang's Spicy Chicken, because it is sweet and spicy, my favorite combination.


I considered ordering P.F. Chang's new gluten free entree, the Singapore firecracker chicken, which one of my blog readers told me is very good. I will definitely have to try it the next time we go.


The four of us shared the two gluten free desserts P.F. Chang's offers, the chocolate dome and the berry ginger shortcake. The chocolate dome used to be served with a raspberry sauce, but the new menu mentions a passion fruit caramel sauce which we had left off.  We all love this rich flourless chocolate cake, but I always find myself wishing they would serve it with some whipped cream or ice cream.


While my daughters devoured the chocolate dome, my husband and I ate the berry ginger shortcake, which is deconstructed vanilla cake with fresh berries, and vanilla and strawberry-ginger sauces.  My husband and I both enjoyed it.  I really liked the combination of flavors, and the large portion we ordered was plenty for the two of us to share.

We always enjoy our meals at P.F Chang's, and I am excited that there are locations near us in California, but I am sad that they have taken my favorite gluten free entree off their menu, and that there are no Pei Wei's in our area.  Pei Wei is a fast casual restaurant owned by P.F. Chang's.  I love their Pei Wei Spicy shrimp, which was my go-to meal when I was craving Asian food in Orlando.  You can read my review of Pei Wei here.


January 1, 2017 Update



Yesterday, we had lunch at the P.F. Chang's in Monterey.  I shared gluten free chicken lettuce wraps with my whole family, and Chang's Spicy Shrimp with my husband.  The shrimp was an upcharge of $2.25 from the Chang's spicy chicken.  I loved the sauce, and our shrimp was nice and crispy.  My only complaint is that this dish comes with no vegetables.


My daughter Emma shared some of her chicken fried rice with us, which we ordered gluten free.  I had a side of brown rice to go with my shrimp, but I preferred eating my shrimp with the fried rice.  In the future, I might order Chang's Spicy Shrimp and vegetable fried rice, because I think it would be a great combination.

October 1, 2017 Update



We have lived in California now for 14 months, and the restaurant we dine at most frequently is the P.F. Chang's in Monterey.  We eat there so often, because we love Asian food, and I feel safe dining there. On our last couple of visits, we have ordered Chang's Spicy Chicken, my daughter Emma's new favorite dish.


For a while, my husband and I were splitting Chang's Spicy Shrimp and Mongolian Beef with snap peas instead of onions, but on our last visit, we had Chang's Spicy Shrimp and Chang's Spicy Chicken. Emma has had the gluten-filled and gluten free versions, and preferred the gluten free.


We all love the chocolate dome, but on our last two visits, it did not include the sauce in the picture, which has been disappointing, but maybe I am ordering it wrong.  The last couple of times, I have not asked for it without the passion fruit caramel sauce.

May 25, 2019 Update


After receiving an email about the Chang's Combo, which features my two favorite entrees, I decided that we had to go to the P.F. Chang's in Monterey last weekend.


Sadly, there are no longer any desserts on the gluten free menu, but I was able to order a gluten free version of the Chang's Combo for a $2 upcharge, which I expected, because P.F. Chang's does charge more for gluten free dishes.


Instead of my food coming out on one large platter, it was served on the plates designated for gluten free dishes. I did not want any carrots, so both my Chang's spicy chicken and Mongolian beef were served with snap peas.


Both entrees were amazing, and my husband and I also enjoyed our side of gluten free fried rice.


You can read more about P.F. Chang's on their website, and view their gluten free menu here.

What are your favorite gluten free options at P.F. Chang's?



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