In the heart of Chinatown, this doesn't compete
The first UK outpost of the American chain P.F. Chang’s is here, just on the edge of Chinatown and competing for business. Well.
On a Wednesday night in summer, the height of the tourist season, it was quiet. Decked out in dark wood and soft lighting, the restaurant itself is attractive and the atmosphere is ok. The staff were a bit hit and miss. My friend is a strict veggie and when she asked if the dishes could be amended to include tofu, the waiter told her no and just to order some sides. There is a lone veggie main dish of grilled vegetables for £9. Really?
We asked for the manager, who was lovely and he accommodated her needs. But, the food was incredibly disappointing. Mediocre is the best superlative that I can apply. I ordered the Dali chicken, a Sichuan dish that apparently had a sauce. To call is a coating on over fried chicken nuggets would be generous, more like a smudge. The vegetable spring rolls were a little doughy being slightly undercooked, but the red chili tofu was very nice. The best part of the meal was the egg fried rice, which isn’t saying a lot.
Do yourself a favour, stay away from the cocktails. The ones we tried were absolutely undrinkable, play safe and go with a G&T. Finally, the bill came to £80 and I was disappointed to pay it. You can get a much better meal in Chinatown (if you know where to go) for less money and enjoy it more.