The New Seasonal Menu at P.F. Chang’s

I was invited to a complimentary tasting of the new seasonal menu at P.F. Chang’s. All opinions are my own.

For a long time, I severely cut back on eating out. I just didn’t have the time, was always busy with work or family, and I realized I was missing doing lunch or dinner out with friends. There is something about getting away from home, away from the chores and commitments and just enjoying being waited on while you sit and chat with your friends.

I’ve been sampling some new restaurants and some old-time favorites that have some new surprises on their menus. A few weeks ago I had dinner with my friend Melissa at P.F. Chang’s in Santa Monica. The restaurant was founded in Arizona way back in 1993 (yep - it’s been around for 20 years). Hard to believe… and where did the time go? I can honestly say I’ve never had a bad meal there, and I’ve tried several different locations throughout Southern California. Melissa and I were invited to sample the new seasonal menu. I love when restaurants have seasonal selections. I tend to order the same old thing every time I go to a restaurant, but when there is something special that won’t be around too long, I do like to try new things.

I started off with a cocktail… how could I not. This Asian Pear Mojito was ah-mazing! I’m a recent fan of the mojito so anytime I can try one that is flavored a little different, I do. I would seriously go back just to sit at the bar and have one of these babies.

The seasonal menu they have now is pretty awesome. We chose to order the Heirloom Tomato Salad, the Seared Ahi with Wasabi Guacamole and the Chino-Latino Pineapple Pork.

Chances are pretty good (or better than good) that if there are Heirloom tomatoes on the menu, I’ll be placing an order. I love tomatoes… and when they come with avocado, all the better. This was really fabulous. It came in a Thai basil dressing that I could have drank in a glass.

We weren’t sure what entrees to order so we went with the Seared Ahi because, well, we both love sushi. It did not disappoint. It came as a salad with a bed of arugula and had a spicy chili-lime sauce and wasabi guacamole. You absolutely have to eat it with a bit of everything on your fork (or your chopstick) to catch the amazing flavors blended together. The sauce was spicy, but in conjunction with the fish… so, so good.

We also chose to try the Chino-Latino Pineapple Pork dish. Wok-fired with a pineapple relish, this was incredibly tasty. I’m not normally a pork eater, but this blend of flavors was so amazing… corn and red peppers and a chili sauce… it all worked so well.

Other seasonal selections include Vietnamese Lemongrass Spring Rolls, Korean BBQ Chicken Stir-Fry, Ginger Panna Cotta, and Chiang Mai Curry Noodles with Chicken. Crazy how they all sound so delicious. I’m hoping to get back to try some of the other dishes as well. And I can’t wait to see what they have in store for their next seasonal menu.

David… I think we need a date night.