The wait for San Antonio's own P.F. Chang's China Bistro is finally over! And San Antonians are lining up to sample Chang's “Traditional Chinese offerings as well as innovative dishes that illustrate the emerging influence of Southeast Asia on modern Chinese cuisine.” Celiacs, too, thanks to the restaurant's special gluten intolerant menu, can discover a wide range of dishes from which to choose.

Founded in Arizona in 1993, P.F. Chang's is a fast growing company-owned chain restaurant. The San Antonio establishment, at 255 E. Basse Rd. in Alamo Quarry Market, opened in September. Not your typical Chinese restaurant, Chang's décor is modern and crisp, with a subtle nod to more classical Chinese design. A stately horse statue greets patrons at the restaurant entrance, while inside, replicas of Chinese warriors watch over the bustling dining room. The wait staff and specially trained chefs are equally attentive – and willing to assist the needs of a special diet.

Upon arrival, ask for the gluten-free menu. It was developed about 6 months ago due to a tremendous increase in requests from restaurant guests and from the guest comments section on the Web site. According to Laura Cherry, P.F. Chang's Director of Public Relations, it just made sense for them to review their menu and develop dishes that, if prepared a certain way, would be good options for guests with special dietary needs. They sourced a wheat free soy sauce so that all of their chefs could execute the gluten-free menu, and then educated the chefs about the importance of the menu. According to Cherry, “Unlike many of the special orders we prepare to accommodate a guest's food preferences, celiac isn't a choice; it is a health issue and our employees realize that.”

Though not nearly as extensive as the regular menu, and with beef and pork noticeably absent from it, the gluten-free menu does offer a choice of appetizer, salad, and numerous chicken, seafood, vegetarian, and noodle entrees. The gluten-free menu also notes special ordering instructions, such as to omit wonton strips or to substitute Chang's Gluten-Free Sauce for the regular sauce. Even when ordering from the gluten-free menu, it is still a good idea to remind the server of these special instructions and to verify them again when the food is served. If there is any question about whether or not something is gluten free, just ask for the manager on duty.

P.F. Chang's prepares all of their dishes with fresh, high quality ingredients, using Mandarin style wok cooking in their exhibition kitchen. The counter seats get the best view of this high-energy kitchen, but on the day Anne Barfield and I lunched together, we sat in the large dining area. Reservations are strongly encouraged, especially for the busy lunch and dinner hours.

For our lunch, Anne and I bypassed the Shanghai Cucumbers appetizer, which are sliced cold cucumbers sprinkled with wheat free soy sauce and sesame oil, though later Anne thought they would have been a good accompaniment to her order of Chang's Spicy Chicken. This dish, which can also be ordered with shrimp, is dusted with both potato starch and cornstarch before being stir-fried in a sweet Sichuan sauce. Served with a steaming bowl of sticky white rice, it could have easily served two people (most of the meals actually are considered two portions). I chose the Singapore Street Noodles, which consists of rice noodles, shrimp, and chicken stir-fried in a spicy curry spice. Both the Spicy Chicken and the Singapore Noodles were marked on the menu as being spicy dishes, but only the chicken lived up to the reputation. Instead, I found the noodles to be mild, yet still irresistibly tasty. For any dish that is too tangy, though, tone it down with a dash of vinegar that is available at the table. This is the only table sauce that is gluten free.

Other gluten-free choices at P.F Chang's include Oriental Chicken Salad, Cantonese Scallops or Shrimp, Ginger Chicken with Broccoli, Philip's Better Lemon Chicken, Chang's Lemon Scallops, and Cantonese Chow Fun made with rice noodles. Three vegetarian plates and sides are also offered: Buddha's Feast, which is steamed mixed vegetables, Spinach Stir-Fried with Garlic, and Garlic Snap Peas. Marinated chicken, shrimp, scallops, or calamari can be added to these dishes if desired.

Another example that demonstrates P.F. Chang's ability to accommodate the needs of their customers is their new Training Table Menu. This menu is for athletes training for endurance events, or really anyone else who wants to know the breakdown of calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fats for various dishes that the restaurant serves. There are a few crossovers between the Gluten Intolerant Menu and the Training Table Menu, so ask to see both if you are interested in such nutritional information.

Anne and I both agreed that our Defensive Dining experience at P.F. Chang's China Bistro was pleasant. The cuisine was exactly as billed, fresh and contemporary, and the staff attentive to our needs. Hopefully, an experience to be repeated again soon. (MP November 2003)