Tuesday, October 21, 2008

PF Chang's Pairs a Fine GF Menu with Great Service

P.F.Chang’s China Bistro is perhaps one of the most accommodating chain restaurants for people with allergies. They have a complete gluten-free menu, and deserve their mention in Triumph’s Gluten-Free Dining Guide. I dined at the Aurora, Colorado location tonight, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a wealth of choices available, even with my less common yeast allergy. They carry a wheat free soy sauce (available by request) for topping the bottomless rice served with each entrée.

I had the Chang’s Spicy Chicken adapted from the Gluten-Menu listing to allow for my yeast intolerance. The chicken was sautéed to perfection and I was pleased to discover that dishes labeled “spicy” aren’t subdued for the American palette. We also shared a dish of Garlic Snap Peas, forgoing the flourless chocolate cake in favor of some vegetables to accompany our meat dishes and rice.

The service was among the best I’ve has since my diagnosis. Although a floor manager and kitchen manager both attended our table, our server never forgot to check on us. She kept our drinks full and none of her tables were neglected. Within a few minutes of our conversation with the chef, our meals appeared. Mine was served on a differently shaped plate to denote the special request.

Perhaps the only “bad” thing about the experience was that the music didn’t match the elegantly understated Asian décor. Perhaps, refusing to have faux atmosphere piped in is a statement of the style, service and quality one can expect from P.F. Chang’s.