13 Best Things To Order at P.F. Chang’s

For those who value the fusion of modern Asian-inspired cuisine with traditional Chinese flavors, a culinary adventure is in store. P.F. Chang is a well-known restaurant that has cemented its place in diners’ hearts and palates all over the country with its mouthwatering flavors and captivating dining experiences. Every dish offers a delightful voyage through the rich and varied realm of Asian cuisine, starting with the well-known Lettuce Wraps, which are a harmonious fusion of textures and flavors, and ending with the flavorful Mongolian Beef. A plethora of delectable options are showcased on the restaurant’s menu, one bite at a time, and this article will serve as your guide whether you’re planning an elegant dinner, a laid-back night out, or you’re just itching for something from the East.

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Mongolian Beef

Despite its name, Mongolian beef actually isn’t a Mongolian dish–it was created in Taiwan and made its way over to the U.S., where it became a mainstay at Chinese restaurants.  P.F. Chang’s’ Mongolian Beef is a high-class take on this classic dish, serving up perfectly tender beef with tangy onions, sharp garlic, and the P.F. Chang’s signature sweet-soy Mongolian Beef sauce. This sauce is the main attraction, hitting your taste buds with all the right notes of salty and sweet. If you love the sauce but don’t love meat, the dish can also swap out the beef for tofu–a win for everyone.

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Chang’s Spicy Chicken

Chang’s Spicy Chicken radiates a warm, golden glow from its cooked-to-perfection exterior–but not for long, because you’re bound to finish your plate sooner, rather than later. One of the spicier offerings on the P.F. Chang’s menu, Chang’s Spicy Chicken consists of chicken that’s been enriched with a delicious marinade, then fried until crispy and covered in a sauce of chili paste, sesame oil, and vegetarian dark sauce. I recommend having the dish served over white rice, which both drinks up the sauce and helps cool your tongue from the spice. While the spicy dish isn’t for everyone, it’s one of my favorite options when I visit P.F. Chang’s.

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Dynamite Shrimp

I found the Dynamite Shrimp to be one of the very best Japanese-inspired dishes on the P.F. Chang’s menu. Imagine the taste of tender, delicate shrimp, nestled inside the light, crisp taste of fried tempura batter, and topped with a kicking sriracha aioli–that’s the delight of the Dynamite Shrimp. You can even enhance the flavors by having it served atop a cool, crunchy salad. Like Chang’s Spicy Chicken, this is a spicier dish that might not be the best choice for folks with soft stomachs. However, if you’re a fan of spice and seafood, then there’s not a better option than this one. As a bonus, unlike most fried fish, the Dynamite Shrimp is dairy-free–so no problem for those who are lactose intolerant!

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Miso Glazed Salmon

There are lots of things in life that I love–walking on a beach at sunrise, being with my loved ones, etc.–but perhaps my favorite is a well-grilled salmon filet. Needless to say, P.F. Chang’s Miso-Glazed Salmon checks off that box. With a succulent, smoky filet that’s grilled to utter perfection and then topped with a miso glaze, this dish is like fireworks for the taste buds. Even better, the master chefs at P.F. Changs have cracked the code on salmon sides, dishing it up with the works–Asian mushrooms, spinach, cabbage, and garlic-ginger aromatics.  It’s a divine mixture of umami and sweet that’ll make your palate jump for you.

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Crispy Honey Chicken

Speaking of fantastic flavor combinations, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention one of P.F. Chang’s’ best menu items, the crispy honey chicken. Although this option is actually available for both chicken and shrimp, I went with the former–and certainly didn’t regret it. The dish offers a flavor combination that’s strange and familiar at the same time: a blast of sweet and a surge of tangy, like a great Memphis barbecue sauce. In this case, P.F. Change’s channels more traditionally Asian flavors, marrying the sauce with chicken that’s been battered and fried to perfection, then topping it with sharp green onion.

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Crispy Green Beans

Want the light crunch of tempura but don’t want it to be your main item? Spring for the crispy green beans, one of the most unique sides available at P.F. Chang’s. This appetizer consists of fresh green beans that are battered tempura-style and then fried to perfection, then served along with a signature spicy dipping sauce. It doesn’t have the exact same full-bodied taste as shrimp tempura, but that’s the point–and it’s absolutely fantastic. You could share this dish, but if you’re like me, you won’t want to.

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Sesame Chicken

For a modern take on a Chinese food classic, you can’t go wrong with the Sesame Chicken. The chicken, which arrives steaming and bathed in a delectable crimson sesame sauce, brought me back to all my favorite memories of eating at hole-in-the-wall restaurants, but added a blast of refinement. I highly recommend pairing the sesame chicken with a bowl of hot white rice–there’s nothing better than taking a big bite of rice that’s been inundated with all the raw flavors of P.F. Chang’s unforgettable sesame sauce, mixed in with tender chicken and the crunch of red peppers.

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Vegetable spring rolls

Spring rolls hold a special place in my heart. When I was young, each time I’d visit my grandparents my grandmother would have a plate of warm, toasty spring rolls (and, of course, a bowl of sweet chili sauce) waiting for me, and I remember her every time I eat one. That means I’m serious about my spring rolls–and I’m glad to say that P.F. Chang’s fulfills expectations. P.F. Chang’s’ vegetable spring rolls are everything you want from spring rolls: they’re crunchy but not hard, savory but not overpowering, and delicious but not overly filling. The restaurant’s chefs have struck a perfect balance between the julienned vegetables and the egg-based shell, and I can rate them one of my favorite appetizers.

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Beef with Broccoli

For when you want Asian flavors alongside a high-quality cut of meat, go for the beef with broccoli. This dish serves up tender, juicy flank steaks in a delectable sauce that radiates the aroma of ginger and garlic. On top of that, the green onions and garlic add both a pop of color and a satisfying crunch to the dish. This is an especially good dish if you’re looking to include some vegetables in your diet, as the broccoli florets are both delicious and healthy.

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Hand-Folded Crab Wontons

Easily the most beautiful appetizer at P.F. Chang’s is the crab wontons. My first reaction when these arrived at my table was simply “wow,” because the floral-looking treats were probably the most artful Chinese appetizers I’d ever seen.  The taste matched the aesthetic. When you bite into these crispy delights, you’ll immediately taste the creamy, tender, delicate crab, along with the crunch of green onions and bell peppers. If you want a sauce–which, come on, of course, you do–you’ll be able to pair these wontons with an amazing spicy plum sauce that gives a kick of spice and a sweet embrace in rapid succession.

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Lobster Avocado Roll

When I was growing up, there was nothing better than heading out to the bay, cages in hand, to catch lobsters. This dish, perfect for sushi lovers, is the complete fulfillment of that ineffable experience. Like all the sushi at P.F. Chang’s, the dish is rolled by hand and paired with house-made sauces–in this case, a curry aioli that’s as beautiful as it is delicious. I recommend being quite generous with this aioli, as its creamy spice brings out all the best flavors in the lobster avocado roll, from the sweet, meaty taste of the lobster, the cool umami of the avocado, and the steamy flavor of the sushi rice.

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Shrimp With Lobster Sauce

While I have an interminable love for lobsters, this dish doesn’t actually contain them–though that didn’t stop me from loving it! Lobster sauce actually originated in American Chinese restaurants as a sauce to serve lobster in, which means it’s actually way more adaptable–and it makes a perfect foundation for this dish. If you choose this as your entree, you’ll get perfectly cooked shrimp spread over a plate of umami Asian mushrooms, chopped black beans, egg, and green onion–an eclectic mix of ingredients that was a very pleasant surprise for me as I took a bite. The lobster sauce itself adds quite a lot to this dish, infusing it with a mild flavor that brings the diverse ingredients together perfectly.

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Signature Lo Mein 

The last of this best-of-P.F. Chang’s list is the Signature Lo Mein–which, I can say from experience, is called signature for a reason!  Lo Mein is one of my favorite Chinese food dishes, and the P.F. Chang’s version can skirt around issues that plague other restaurants–namely an excess of salt or too little meat–by heaping on tender noodles, meaty shiitake mushrooms, and plenty of vegetables. These include snap peas, broccoli, cabbage, celery, carrot, onion, and togarashi bean sprouts, making each bite chock-full of diverse flavors. Add your choice of protein to make this dish specifically designed to make your tastebuds explode with flavor.