Chef Ed Abdallah took the bazaar team for a behind-the-scenes tour of P.F. Chang’s incredible kitchen operation in the Grand Plaza – The Avenues location. The restaurant’s design is modern, sleek and uses a mix of subtle design choices like exposed brick walls and bold ones such as the beautifully captivating mural on the façade. The space is tasteful and welcoming, but still feels high-end and signals an exciting and eclectic Asian dining experience to come—everything that we know and love about P.F. Chang’s.Our host, Chef Ed Abdallah told us how he started his career at the Roseville California P.F. Chang’s in 1999 and worked his way up the culinary career ladder. Today Chef Ed is the Head of Culinary Operations for P.F. Chang’s Middle East. In 2009 when the first P.F. Chang’s location in Kuwait opened its doors, Chef Ed came here to help get it off the ground. He is tasked to ensure that the P.F. Chang’s experience is perfectly replicated from preparation to plate in every single restaurant across the region.
One of the most unique things about P.F. Chang’s is that even though it is a global brand, the menu has been customized to better serve diners what they truly love and crave. For example, the Dynamite Shrimp is a best-seller here, so P.F. Chang’s have added a larger option that is perfect for bigger groups who love to enjoy this firm favorite. The team at P.F. Chang’s stay ahead of the trends by anticipating and creating dishes that will delight their guests.
P.F. Chang’s constantly pushes the boundaries of Asian cuisine but still chooses to honor the 2,000-year-old tradition of wok cooking as the center of the guest experience. So many of their dishes are prepared using a wok, which is the large deep bowl-shaped frying pan commonly used in Asian cooking. In our behind-the-scenes tour, we witnessed this firsthand as the kitchen team expertly fired up the wok to churn out our favorite delicacies.
Learning by doing is a concept which is deeply steeped in P.F. Chang’s ethos. This is why Chef Ed explained that he begins his day at the restaurant with a daily demonstration from the team. One of the chefs cooks a dish and the team members take turns in tasting and critiquing. The experience is invaluable, as this process ensures that the famous flavors of P.F. Chang’s are perfectly recreated without a single error. Currently, P.F. Chang’s operate 26 restaurants in the region, and making sure that the dining experience is exactly the same at every location is imperative.
Chef Ed also calls and connects with all the chefs at the different restaurant locations to make sure they have everything they need, and to help them deal with any obstacles they might face. As Head of Culinary Operations, his job includes a lot of administrative and operational tasks to make certain that specs and recipes are consistent across the different locations. Consistency is a core value at P.F. Chang’s and they don’t just talk about it, they have implemented processes which guarantee that guests will receive the perfect dish, no matter the location of the restaurant. Consistency as a theme kept popping up in our conversation with Chef Ed. “Consistency is the key. Coming from the management’s perspective, it is our job to relay the message and making sure that we’re policing things. Our main job is to maintain the integrity of the brand.” Chef Ed explained.
We also noticed that Chef Ed doesn’t act like a corporate chef with his crew, which is very symbolic of P.F. Chang’s early operation as a family-run business. We watched him greet everyone, and stop to talk to the different members of the team. He proudly told us each chef’s specialty and what they excelled at doing. We were amazed by each chef’s role and their individual prowess behind-the-scenes at P.F. Chang’s, from expertly rolling an astounding number of dumplings in a single minute, to batch prepping dynamite sauce, everything is streamlined to perfection. P.F. Chang’s is a destination for so many families in Kuwait, and the family atmosphere is mirrored in the kitchen too. The staff treat each other with professional respect, but also make jokes and act like a true family.
The success of the kitchen operation at P.F. Chang’s is all about effective communication. “I think the basic thing over here is to make sure that you’re communicating, with all the chefs and the regional chefs. We have a good team but without communication it would be very difficult,” he explained. Strong communication between the various P.F. Chang’s restaurants allows Chef Ed to better assess the strategies that work best for each location, quickly sort out what needs improvement, and also collate feedback from diners to communicate their evolving requirements to management. All of this is done in an effort to create better and more memorable dining experiences at each and every P.F. Chang’s restaurant.
During our tour, the bazaar team watched the chefs chop, slice, and dice with ease we could only dream of. Despite it being a busy atmosphere, everyone gracefully moved like highly trained dancers at a ballet. The prepping, cooking and plating of dishes happened so quickly, it was magical. No toes were stepped on, no shoulders were bumped into, and crewmembers didn’t accidently collide. In the kitchen, the team operated as a well-oiled machine that produces deliciousness.
After we completed our tour, we sat down with Chef Ed and sampled myriad delicacies and true bazaar favorites, including Shrimp Spring Rolls, Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps, and their Dynamite Shrimp. From the mains, we loved the Spicy Chengdu Beef, along with their famous Pad Thai. From sushi rolls, to various Asian specialties, the menu at P.F. Chang’s is sure to please every palate.
Experiencing a behind-the-scenes look at P. F. Chang’s was a true eye-opener. We left feeling amazed by how all the dishes we love could arrive at our table in mere minutes, yet require a precisely calculated operation that takes hours of preparation. We have a newfound appreciation for the heroes behind the service counter at P. F. Chang’s. But our favorite thing was learning that every dumpling we enjoyed eating was hand rolled with love and appreciation.
For more information follow @pfchangsme on Instagram or visit its various locations at The Avenues, 2nd Avenue and Grand Plaza, Sidra Restaurants in Mahboula, and Al Kout Mall.
