Review: Pei Wei

Heard from a friend that Pei Wei is closing down after just 4 years of operation here in Kuwait.  I hope that's not true as, though they're similar to and have a lot of dishes in common with P.F. Changs,  I prefer Pei Wei.  I feel that Pei Wei's menu is a lot more varied (they have dishes from China, Japan, Thailand, Korea and Vietnam) and you certainly get a lot more bang for your buck.  I love the casual vibe the place has and the Arabella branch especially is a firm favourite!  

Pei Wei is a semi fast food joint in the sense that you need to place your order and pay for it at the counter.  However, after getting your token number, you take a seat and your order is delivered to your table.  For drinks, you're handed an empty cup which you can fill up (unlimited) at the soda fountain.  Fuss free right?  Though at the Arabella branch, I've always been asked to sit down and the staff wait on you like at any casual dining place.  

Ordering is simple enough.  You choose the dish (mongolian, sweet & sour, mandarin kung pao, etc), the protein (chicken, steak, shrimp or vegetarian) and the accompaniment you'd like (steamed white/brown rice, fried rice or noodles).  You can pretty much customize any dish to your taste.  They even have sushi and you have to try the Blazing Roll (KD 2.500); it is delicious!  

Pei Wei has their own version of P.F. Chang's Dynamite Shrimp, called the Blazing Shrimp (KD 2.750).  Its one of their popular dishes and I order it every time.  Tempura battered shrimp in a rich aioli, you can't go wrong with this dish.  

Blazing Shrimp from Pei Wei, Arabella, Kuwait

Another dish that's a favourite of mine is the Mongolian Beef (KD 4.250) and I order it every time as well.  We had it with fried rice this time around, but whatever side you choose, this dish is phenomenal.  It is a little sweet, but not over powering at all.  The mushrooms and scallions are also a nice touch.  

Mongolian Beef with Fried Rice from Pei Wei, Arabella, Kuwait

Along with my usual orders, we try to order a few different dishes and below is the Caramel Chicken with Noodles (KD 4.000).  To be honest we didn't like this dish.  The fact that the word caramel is in it should've been a clue about how sweet the dish would be.  The dish was bogged down with too much sauce and tasted monotonous, which got old fairly quickly.  One to miss next time.  

Caramel Chicken with Noodles from Pei Wei, Arabella, Kuwait

We also had the Honey Seared Shrimp with White Rice (KD 4.750).  Though another dish on the sweeter end, this was delicious.  The shrimp was crispy and went well with the plain sticky rice.  

Honey Seared Shrimp with White Rice from Pei Wei, Arabella, Kuwait

Of course you can't finish without dessert and we usually go for the Chocolate Cake (KD 1.500).  A simple cake with layers of chocolate cream and a heavenly chocolate ganache on top. 

Chocolate Cake from Pei Wei, Arabella, Kuwait

Pei Wei has branches in the Avenues Mall and Arabella.  If you haven't tried them before, hop to it before they close.  You can find their website here and they're also on talabat.com.

2 comments:

  1. This post has made me extremely hungry! XD

    Fernanda | heyfernandafletcher.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Haha, I know what you mean. I'm sitting here thinking about just how delicious their food is. Thanks for stopping by!

    ReplyDelete

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