It’s a matter of wok: P.F Chang’s is bringing American-Asian cuisine to India

A few years ago, I came across P.F. Chang's in an episode of one of my favourite sitcoms, The Office. It caught my interest– particularly since the central character Michael Scott mentioned it to be a ‘little Chinese bistro’ in a conversation with Kelly, played by Mindy Kaling. 

While my discovery of P.F.Chang’s is fairly recent, the Asian culinary brand, which centres around the 2,000-year-old art of wok cooking, has been making much noise ever since its inception by Philip Chiang and Paul Fleming in 1993.

From its first outlet in Scottsdale, Arizona to over 300 restaurants in more than 20 countries, including Argentina, Canada, Chile and Bahrain—P.F.Chang’s has come a long way. 

Its current expansion plans include establishing a solid footprint in India–a country where international food brands are considered aspirational and a social leveller, points out Ramit Bharti Mittal, Executive Chairman and Director, Gourmet Investments Pvt Ltd (GIPL)– the group that has earlier brought in global restaurants like Pizza Express, Chilli’s and Ministry of Crab to India. 

After opening up in Mumbai’s Lower Parel district three months ago, P.F Chang's newest outlet finds a home in Gurugram’s prime food-and-entertainment destination, CyberHub. 

But what took so long for this iconic brand to come to India, and does the food live up to the hype? YS Life finds out. 

Bold flavours, precise processes 

As we made our way to the expansive 140-seater P.F. Chang’s outlet in CyberHub, certain characteristic symbols including the brand's guard horse at the entrance and cherry blossoms welcome you. 

However, it's the open kitchen that draws intrigue–as the wok dances to the tunes of the chefs. Interestingly, it is the wok technique that has made P.F. Chang’s a leader in American-Asian cuisine–which uses more meat than traditional Chinese food. 

Mittal informs that the carbon-steel wok that Chang’s uses has been specifically created for the brand. “It's as heavy as a sword that was used by kings back in the day…what you see in other restaurants has been copied. We are the OG,” he laughs. 

This wok helps cook food quickly, allowing the kitchen team at P.F. Chang’s to lock in the bolder flavours and nutritional values. “The plate in there is 700 degrees–normal woks can't withstand such high temperatures. It's the dance of the wok that makes all the difference,” adds Mittal. 

It took them some time to learn these things, he admits. Besides the wok, P.F. Chang’s is conscious about avoiding the use of MSG, a controversial ingredient that is used in processed food. Mittal highlights that this means they have to work harder to ensure bolder flavours. 

“It's a very laborious process and the complexity in the kitchen is much higher,” shares Mittal with YS Life. 

From adjusting themselves to the new market to ensuring more variety in vegetarian dishes on the menu, to having an extensive list of small plates, and focusing on smaller portions–there was much to do for the team at P.F.Chang’s before opening up in India. 

A menu tailored for Indian palates 

With roots in Chinese cuisine, the P.F. Chang's menu spans across all of Asia, honouring cultures and recipes from Japan, Korea, Thailand, and beyond. 

While certain standardised processes were essential for the brand to set up shop in India, the team spent much time researching about the likes and dislikes of the Indian palate. 

For instance, globally, the portion size for sushi is eight pieces. However, in its India outlets, they serve four pieces because diners prefer ordering multiple small plates. 

That's not all–while their global outposts have about 75 items on the menu, they introduced 105 items in Mumbai–including a large selection of vegetarian dishes and a special Jain menu—considering the sizable population of the community in the city. 

That's not the case with Delhi where they have infused these offerings into the main menu. “But we also wanted to offer these in a market like Delhi…there are enough people travelling from Mumbai to Delhi frequently, so there's an option for them.”

In their new outlet in Gurugram, they have introduced 12 exclusive dishes for diners. These include the Asparagus Tempura Roll, Asparagus and Pea Dumpling, Truffled Salmon Roll and more entrees. 

“This is a new market for us to test. Delhi people are more traditional eaters and are highly opinionated about their choices. This makes it much harder to win a Delhi customer than say a Mumbai one,” says Mittal. 

“We also have a 100% eggless dessert menu. We thought of pushing ourselves and being completely vegetarian in one category. This isn't set in stone though,” Mittal adds. 

But how does another Asian brand plan to succeed in markets like Delhi and Mumbai where the options are endless? Mittal believes there was scope for a differentiator—which has been brought in with the launch of P.F.Chang’s in India. 

“There's a lot of Indian Asian, a lot of authentic Asian…but it's time for American Asian to find its feet here. This is where we will differentiate,” he adds. 

Living up to the hype 

At a food-forward place like P.F.Chang’s, food is likely to take centre stage. However, the Gurugram outlet will soon have a bar that will offer celebratory cocktails–like the Zen Garden to the Rising Dragon. They also plan on including certain classics!  

For now, we went ahead with one of their mocktails–Strawberry Mojito with strawberry, lime, pineapple and fizz. A refreshing drink–it wins over particularly with its use of strawberry pieces that make for an interesting addition.  

With so much excitement around its food, we decided to wait no longer. The meal started with the Original Dynamite Shrimp and Lettuce Wraps. The crispy tempura-battered shrimp is lightly tossed in sriracha aioli and is highly addictive because of its crunchy texture and spice levels. Interestingly, this dish is available for vegetarians, with the shrimp replaced with cottage cheese. 

The Lettuce Wraps left us a little disappointed. While the minced chicken mixture was on point, the lettuce wasn't as crunchy as we expected–making this signature dish a little underwhelming. However, Mittal was quick to take constructive feedback and gave notes to the kitchen team. 

The P.F. Chang’s menu has an extensive selection of small plates–particularly sushi and dimsums. We went with the Avocado Cream Cheese Roll and the Dynamite Shrimp Roll. 

The creamy texture of the avocado and cream cheese was a match made in heaven, leaving a burst of flavours in our palate. With most places, our biggest grouse with sushi is that it ends up being dry. It wasn't the case with this one. 

The Dynamite Shrimp Roll was another hit–it was spicy, crunchy and well-balanced. A little heavy on the stomach but the portion size of four ensured we didn't overeat!

Among the dimsums, we ordered the Handmade Chicken Dumplings and Chicken and Chilli Oil Dumplings. While the second option was flavourful, light and had a balanced filling, we weren't particularly impressed with the first one. The coating of the dumpling was a little thick–and the chilli sauce drizzle was a little overwhelming. 

On to the mains–we went with Pepper Chicken (tender chicken, bell pepper, red onion, crushed black pepper), Thai Chilli Basil Greens paired with Chang's Chicken Fried Rice–the meal was nothing short of comforting! 

We ended dinner with The Great Wall of Chocolate that had six layers of chocolate cake, chocolate frosting and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Yes, it's an overload of chocolate but one of the most well-crafted desserts we have had–every bite is layered with chocolate; it's not just at the beginning or the end. 

But yes, the portion size is massive (even after bringing it down by 40% of the American portion size) so make sure there are enough people to share it with. 

What's next?

With Mumbai and now hopefully Delhi getting a nod from curious diners, there's much in the pipeline for the team.  

“In the next 5-6 months, we will have three more outlets–two in Delhi-NCR, and one that's in construction in Mumbai in Bandra-Khar,” concludes Mittal. 

Price for two (without alcohol): Rs 2500+taxes