Asian diner offers right spice and selection

As my friend opens the door, I stride over to find several large electronic panels greeting me with menu choices in a sleek, rich restaurant setting.

A red clock is set above the center of the restaurant’s back wall with numerous hanging woks as cooks in the background sear vegetables and meat together, blending a variety of spices.

Welcome to Pei Wei Asian Diner.

It’s a new restaurant in town with menu offerings ranging from spicy Thai curries to traditional Chinese sweet and sour dishes.

Pei Wei, whose parent company is P.F. Chang’s, offers wok-made dishes served up in a matter of minutes.

The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based chain offers a more casual dining setting compared to its parent restaurant.

And Pei Wei offers all of its menu items for a price under $10. The main course dishes range in price: Shrimp-based dishes are the highest at $9, and vegetable- and tofu-based dishes come in at $7.25.

The restaurant also offers rice and noodle bowls, salads and appetizers.

This is a place I’ve come to dine on a reporter’s budget in search of vegan options with a dear omnivore friend of mine.

As a vegan, I found the menu at Pei Wei to offer a variety of menu options. I can’t say that about all of the restaurants I frequent. Standing in line, I silently applaud Pei Wei for this.

I select Thai dynamite, with vegetables and tofu, which combines Sriracha chile sauce, soy sauce, fresh lime, scallions, red bell pepper, carrots and Thai basil.

My friend selects the ginger broccoli with beef, which also has soy sauce, oyster sauce and scallions.

We sit at a booth in the corner as the lunch crowd begins to arrive.

We start off with spring rolls that contain cabbage, ginger, carrot, onion, black mushroom and glass noodles enclosed in a crispy roll.

The spring rolls are what one might expect of a spring roll. I would describe them as adequate in taste. They are crisp on the outside with tender vegetables inside.

The rest of our food arrives in a matter of minutes.

With chop sticks poised, I begin to toss tofu cooked to perfection with vegetables.

The first bite is dynamite when it comes to the sauce. The amount of spice is right on. It’s not too fiery. It doesn’t make me cry or clear my sinus passages.

The sauce has a slight smoky hint mingled with sweetness. It isn’t as robust as I hoped it would be though.

The tofu is sliced thin, browned on the outer edges, and well-seasoned in the center. It’s tender.

I’ll return for the tofu, which I sadly cannot cook that well in my own kitchen.

My dining companion, who detests my diet, samples the tofu and describes it as “not bad.”

He prefers his tender beef with the broccoli that gently pulls apart.

He described his oyster sauce as “bitter” in taste and said it reminded him of the sauce contained in instant dinners purchased in the freezer section at the grocery store.

His side of fried rice does not contain enough vegetables.

While I drank water, my friend had Mandarin orange green ice tea, which has just the right hint of orange flavor, he said.

He noted the decor was clean and fresh. Diners can eat their food inside or outside at the restaurant.

My friend and I will return to this restaurant to explore other menu options at some point.

His fortune from a cookie read, “Bide your time, success is near.”

He said, “That’s good advice for Pei Wei, who is trying to achieve the success of P.F. Chang’s.”