Paul Fleming’s Latest Asian Venture is a Casual Affair
Rising Star to Coach Wanna-be Cooks; Kang, Lawry’s to Open in South Coast Plaza
EXECUTIVE DINING by Fifi Chao
Paul Fleming,founder of the P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Z’Tejas and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse chains,has again spread his wings and launched another dining venture.
The new restaurant, the first in the group, is called Pei Wei Asian Diner. It’s located in its own freestanding building in the Oak Creek Village Center at the corner of Jeffrey Road and Alton Parkway in Irvine. This time Paul’s taken the best recipes from P.F. Chang’s and put them in a more casual atmosphere where you order at the counter and they deliver the food to your table.
Entr & #233;es range only from $6.95 to $9 and though it’s quite a family-oriented concept, there’s no lack of pleasantries in the d & #233;cor, which is mostly driven by great swaths of red and yellow, with black as the punctuation point. The latter comes in the lacquer chairs, window shades and wood trim. The big, open kitchen, ready with stacks of red plates on which to serve the food, and fronted by an array of Chinese cooking implements, is also a great focal point.
The premise is this: you read the menu of 18 entr & #233;e possibilities (there are also nine appetizers and salads), choose either beef, chicken, shrimp, scallops or vegetables/tofu and then the kind of sauce you want it prepared in.
Some possibilities, called “bowls,” come as noodle or rice (brown or white) dishes already chock-a-block with flavor and vegetable ingredients, to which they add your requested protein. Others are a la carte stir-fried dishes. For these, I would suggest an order of the very good fried rice that’s dotted with bits of scallion, egg, bell pepper, broccoli and carrot.
Kung pao, spicy Korean, orange peel, coconut curry, sweet and sour, honey-soy, Mongolian (with mushrooms) and chile-hoisin are some of the sauces available. Try a bowl of Dan Dan egg noodles (one of my favorites) spritzed with flavors of garlic, chile and soy sauce, and highlighted yet more with minced chicken, scallions, cucumber and bean sprouts. Traditional teriyaki flavor works nicely in a bowl of rice with beef and shreds of several kinds of vegetables. Anyone who craves real lo mein noodles will be happy to see this tasty version.
A second Pei Wei will open in Encinitas at the end of July. I am sure it will be a fast-growing chain as there’s much to like. The easy-to-order food is of high quality and it’s certainly a value-driven restaurant. And, in the colorful, but unintimidating surroundings, we feel comfortable in our jogging clothes, jeans or even dressed up. The phone number for Pei Wei is (949) 857-8700.
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Laguna Cliffs Marriott in Dana Point has always had a superb view of the ocean from its clifftop perch. It would be nice and relaxing to take part in a cooking class with the vast Pacific as a backdrop. Chef de cuisine, Ashton Hall, who was recently named “Rising New Star” by Angelino magazine, is offering the opportunity. Although one class is scheduled for July and one for August, I am mentioning it now since they have prospects of being sell-outs; thus I would recommend reservations quickly. The Thursday, July 18 cooking class is titled “Table-Side Caesar Salad and One-Pan Dishes.” The Thursday, August 22 class is “Canap & #233;s, Soups and Side Dishes.” Each class is $50 and lunch is included in the package. Chef Hall chose the themes for these classes because he wanted to incorporate a lot of useful techniques and good recipes that will make cooking at home easier and more enjoyable. Sounds good to me. Call Rebecca Lee at (949) 487-7516 to reserve your space.
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Just thought I should let you know, lest you hear the rumors and start guessing what’s going on,this fall there will be two new restaurants in South Coast Plaza: Yujean Kang’s Asian Bistro and Lawry’s Carvery. The latter has the bigger reputation; however, the Taiwan-born Kang has another very popular eponymous restaurant in Pasadena. Have you noticed that Asian bistros seem to be a trend now? Kang has gained critical acclaim in L.A. for his very contemporary take on traditional Chinese dishes and knowing a bit about his food, I think this will be a most interesting addition to the mall. Lawry’s Carvery will feature their trademark top quality prime rib, hand-carved to order for sandwiches. They also will be serving rotisserie-roasted turkey, beef brisket and some of their classic side dishes. Given that meat is back big-time in our diets, this may turn out to be a most popular place.
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Another event that deserves advance notice is the upcoming Hess Winery dinner on Thursday, July 25 at the PCH Grill in Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel. Dave Guffy, winemaker at Hess, will be on hand to discuss the wines and expand your knowledge of the whole Hess collection.
In recent years, Hess has taken on superstar status in the wine world, so this pairing of special wines with the award-winning creative California cuisine at this restaurant will make for an interesting evening. I have attended wine dinners here and can tell you that the food always surprises people with its great presentations and creative pairing of sophisticated sauces in both appetizers and entr & #233;es.
Paradise Pier Hotel: 1717 S. Disneyland Drive, Anaheim. For reservations for this dinner, call (714) 781-3463.
