PF Chang’s, Victor, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
On our Monday evening visit we were immediately greeted and sat outside on the patio. It was a warm night, perfect for sitting outside and eating. It was neither rainy or windy, but warm and still.

Mise en Scène
We used to be regulars to this Chinese Bistro that to us is unlike any other Chinese eatery because we have yet to spot even one single Chinese working there. We say we used to be regulars as this was one location closest to our home that seemed to have a wide array of tasty vegetarian options outside of Indian restaurants. Then, as we braved out into the wide world of other ethnic foods and American cuisine, this location no longer topped our list. Also, far as we understand from visiting this location for the past three years, there have been only minimal changes to the menu. We do like the Chinese themed décor inside and out. We also like the booth seating inside the bistro as it is wide and very comfortable.
**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!

Choosing a Veggie Treat
Our favorites on the menu are undoubtedly the appetizers. We always get the vegetarian lettuce wrap (pictured to the right). When this is served, the waiter will usually ask if you like your sauce made mild, medium or spicy. On the table are some bottles of different sauces that the waiter combines to make one tasty, spicy dip according to your preference. We also did notice a new addition to the menu tonight- a green beans appetizer. These were green beans dipped in a breading and deep fried. The sauce served with this was very tasty. The only other place we ever saw this appetizer was TGI Fridays sometime last fall (2007), but it was available for only a limited time. This green beans appetizer was not only new to PF Chang’s since our last visit but does have scope to become a permanent fixture on their menu.

The chosen dish for our main meal was the ‘Buddha’s delight.” With the main dish, diners can choose either brown or white rice. We opted for a little of both. The brown rice here is very tasty.

Checking In
Our waiter was very attentive and checked on us in regular intervals.

See you later
This has never been an issue for us in this location. The bill and payment collection is done efficiently and without issue.
Pay Scale
$11-15 per person (Two people sharing two appetizers and one main dish with tips.)
Tips 10-15% is sufficient
Star System 3.5/5

Reviewing restaurants from the standpoint of enjoying vegetarian cuisine, I believe PF Chang’s could do a little better with offering more choices for vegetarians. Though there are sufficient choices for most vegetarians as seen in their menu, since choice is so limited this is most likely what encouraged us explore other places for other vegetarian options.

To find/Contact

PF Chang's China Bistro
820 Eastview Mall
Victor, NY 14564
(585) 223-2410
Get directions

Have you eaten at PF Changs in Victor, NY or any PF Changs in US? If so, please share your thoughts below.

tags: "Eastview Mall Rochester" "PF Chang's Rochester" "Eastview Mall"

Ambrosia, Kerala, India

Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

(We have made three trips to Trivandum in the last three years. On each trip, we have eaten at Ambrosia fast food restaurant in the GC Technomall at the entrance of Technopark, Trivandum (Kerala State, India).

Unlike the restaurants situated inside the Technopark only accessible by employees of offices in Technopark that have been short listed for stale and unhygienic foods (source), Ambrosia has a different standard. We have never had a problem eating there, in fact it appears to be one of the cleanest establishments we have eaten at.

This is one of the very few restaurants in Trivandrum that serves non-Indian food. In fact, it may even be hard to find non-South Indian food in Trivandum, but non-Indian food found all together is a rare find. (In fact if you have a list of any other non-Indian hotels outside Technopark, besides Cafe Coffee Day in Ginger, let me know.) So in addition to the Subway, situated on the same mall area, Ambrosia serves "American" style fast food, though not quite McDonald's, you can get pizzas, chicken burgers, fish burgers, veggie burgers and Indian style veggie burgers (tikka, etc.). It seems according to their website, that the menu I am used to at Technopark may be an abbreviated menu of their main branch (where ever that is, or possibly each branch has different variations of the menu), because the website mentions hamburger (beef burger) and others we did not remember seeing at Technopark.

Though this restaurant is cheap if you're going there on holiday from U.S., U.K. or other places with a good exchange rate, for most Indians this place is considered not only exotic (because of menu options) but also expensive. To get an idea of what a local eatery may charge, I have reviewed a Kochi restaurant, Sree Krishna Cafe, which should not be too different from local eateries in Trivandrum, three hours north of Trivandrum.

In any case, this place is a must stop for westerners in Trivandum pining for some sandwiches, fries, and other western fast foods. Me being a vegetarian, I had a veggie sandwich and french fries. I wanted the fried mushrooms, but it seems if you go past a certain time of day not all options are available. As they sell out on a daily basis, they're out!!

Ambrosia also has a nice bakery section, which is stocked based on day. I can't review many choices on the bakery menu, though I have had something I think they call 'devil's food cake'. Like the namesake found in U.S., it is a chocolate cake, but unlike the U.S. namesake, it is more of a bitter chocolate taste, hence not as sweet as the American counterpart. Personally, I prefer the Ambrosia devil's food over American counterparts.

Overall, I give this eatery high marks. The only improvement I can suggest is to speed up the making of the foods. Interestingly on our most recent visit (May 2008), when I ordered veggie sandwiches (made of untoasted bread, spread with butter, and filled with raw tomato and cucumber slices) it took them longer to make these sandwiches than the hot foods- pizzas and burgers!!


Ambrosia
G C Technomall,
Technopark, Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram)
Kerala, India
Phone: 0471 3043311, 3043322.