P.F. Chang’s is a well-known chain of restaurants that serves up Asian-style food in a casual yet stylish way. At the P.F. Chang’s in Waikiki, definitely a cut above the greasy-spoon Chinese restaurant on the corner, one could have a nice pau hana.
The experience
Located on the Lewers Street side of the Royal Hawaiian Center, the restaurant takes up two floors. The decor gives nods to Chinese culture but, other than two huge wall murals painted Chinese style, doesn’t go overboard with it. Rather than round tables, there are booths and small square tables, and there’s outside dining on the Lewers Street sidewalk and the spacious upstairs deck.
The downstairs space has a large pillar in the center, dividing up the space without walls. There are flat-screen TVs galore, with several hanging above the large bar, from the central pillar and from the walls. Sports fans won’t be hurting for a view of their favorite game. The staff is friendly and helpful.
Happy hour: 4-6 p.m. daily
>> Spring rolls, dumplings, $4
>> Kapiki Ahi Canoes, Crab Won Tons, Dynamite Chicken, $5
>> Lettuce cups, $7
>> Draft and bottled beer, $4
>> Well drinks, wine, $5
>> Specialty cocktails, $7
The food
There’s always something appealing in food with a DIY aspect, like fajitas in Tex-Mex cooking. At P.F. Chang’s it’s the lettuce cups ($7 during happy hour). They actually make for a perfect pau hana offering, with cold lettuce wraps providing a smooth complement to the warm filling. P.F. Chang’s chicken filling — it offers a vegetarian option, too — is tasty without being overpowering. The inclusion of water chestnuts was especially appreciated, adding a pleasant, textured bite; and fried puffed rice noodles added extra crunch. P.F. Chang’s managed to supply just enough lettuce to use up all the filling.
Also good were the Crab Won Tons ($5), neatly folded into crowns and filled with crab, peppers and scallions. It was a bit of a challenge trying to figure out how to eat them — use a utensil and shove the entire thing in your mouth? Use your hand and bite them corner by corner? I guess that’s part of the fun. I decided to use my hands, and that worked well for dipping the wontons into the plum sauce provided.
We also had Dynamite Chicken ($5). The name suggests this would be hot and spicy, and it was, in fact, pretty tangy, but certainly local people will have experienced spicier food. I was hoping for some Szechuan-style peppercorn buzz, but that was not to be. The Kapiki Ahi Canoes (also $5) were perhaps more satisfying because they provided a smoother finish.
The drink
P.F. Chang’s has generous drink offerings during happy hour, with beers for $4, a particularly impressive wine list at $5 and specialty cocktails for $7.
I sampled the Aloha Kiss, a vodka cocktail flavored with raspberry and triple sec, and the Blueberry Mojito, made with rum and muddled mint and sweetened with blueberries,. Both were tasty, and I appreciated that the Aloha Kiss and some of the other specialty cocktails are served in big glasses, filled to the brim. One of these is enough to provide a soothing refreshment for an entire meal, and that’s often not the case with skimpy drinks served by other establishments.
The verdict
P.F. Chang’s is a pleasant establishment that makes for a relaxed pau hana experience, with good food at an affordable price. If you want a quiet spot in the heart of the Waikiki, you might find it upstairs; for a sports bar environment, take a seat on the main floor.
