Pei Wei Asian Diner is an informal Asian-style restaurant created by P.F. Chang’s China Bistro. Whereas P.F. Chang’s is a slightly more upscale place with traditional table service – and up to a 3-hour wait on the weekends – Pei Wei is less fussy and less expensive, and you wait to place your order at the counter.

Large menu boards reminiscent of Asian screens list the restaurant’s assortment of Asian salads, noodle bowls, rice bowls, and their signature dishes, as well as a description of each dish.

The gluten-free menu, which must be requested at the register, does not provide a description of the dishes. This necessitates cross-referencing it with the regular menu. It does, however, specify how to order the dish to make it gluten free. This point is very important because the person taking the orders is often not familiar with the gluten-free diet, and so unless you state the changes you need, your order will not be keyed in to meet your needs.

The gluten-free menu, http://www.peiwei.com/glutenfreeMenu.htm, which must be requested at the register, does not provide a description of the dishes. This necessitates cross-referencing it with the regular menu. It does, however, specify how to order the dish to make it gluten free. This point is very important because the person taking the orders is often not familiar with the gluten-free diet, and so unless you state the changes you need, your order will not be keyed in to meet your needs.

For those who are overwhelmed by extensive restaurant menus, Pei Wei’s limited gluten-free menu is a boon. It basically consists of three salad meals and two signature dishes.

On my first visit to Pei Wei, I sampled the Vietnamese Chicken Salad Rolls, which is shredded chicken, lettuce, mint, carrot, peanuts, lime vinaigrette, and rice noodles wrapped in rice paper. It is normally served with hoisin peanut sauce on the side, but this must be omitted. The salad rolls were crisp and flavorful, and as with all the meals at Pei Wei, enough for two people. I saved half of it for lunch the following day, and the rice wrapper was starting to fall apart due to moisture from the vegetables, but it was just as tasty, and I was the envy of the other lunch brown baggers that day.

Pei Wei’s other two salad meals are the Asian Chopped Chicken Salad and Pei Wei Spicy Chicken Salad. The Asian Chopped Chicken Salad is made with shredded chicken, lettuce, Napa cabbage, carrots, basil, and tomatoes. The standard sesame-ginger vinaigrette must be replaced with the lime vinaigrette, and the crispy wontons must be left off.

The Spicy Chicken Salad, which can also be made with either shrimp or scallops, consists of wok-seared chicken, lettuce, Napa cabbage, vegetables, rice sticks, tomatoes, and lime vinaigrette.

On my most recent visit to Pei Wei, I ordered the signature dish called Pei Wei Spicy. I like hot and spicy food, but the cook’s heavy handedness with the chili-vinegar sauce made my dish less than enjoyable. I also found it odd that to be gluten free this dish had to be prepared without the vegetables, the reason for which not even the manager on duty could explain to me. So all I got was wok-seared chicken and a few scallions in the fiery sauce, and a side of brown rice. I later contacted the company through its Web site and received the following reply regarding why the vegetables are omitted from a gluten-free order of Pei Wei Spicy: “Due to the risk of cross contamination with items that contain gluten during the cooking procedure, we have removed the vegetables from the cooking procedure. A solution to this would be to have a conversation with either a manager or a cashier asking that fresh water be used for the vegetables specifically for your dish. Although this might take a couple of extra minutes, it would provide you with vegetables for your dish and the confidence that your entrée is gluten-free.” As an aside, my husband ordered the regular version of Pei Wei Spicy and requested that the heat be toned down a bit; his dish turned out fine.

The other signature dish that can be prepared gluten free is Pei Wei Sweet and Sour, which can be served with a choice of chicken, shrimp, or scallops. The battered chicken or shrimp must be replaced with non-battered chicken or shrimp, but the sweet and sour sauce, red ginger, onion, green bell pepper, and pineapple all stay the same.

After placing your order, you are given a cup for your drink, an order number for your table, and you proceed to the service station to secure your utensils and beverage. Chopsticks are already at the tables. Once your meal is ready, a cheerful server brings it to your table, and you are all set. If you can’t finish your meal all in one seating, take-out boxes are also available at the service station. (MP May 2005)