Text 28951, 67 rader
Skriven 2015-07-11 10:20:00 av Michael Loo (1:18/200)
Ärende: Peter Chang 951
=======================
Peter Chang, not to be confused with P.F. Chang, is a one of
a kind phenomenon, the only celebrity chef I can think of who
hides. Formerly the head chef of the Chinese embassy in
Washington, he struck out on his own and worked in numerous
previously mediocre Chinese restaurants, which he has one by
one revitalized and moved on, with streams of fanboys and
changspotters from Calvin Trillin on down chasing him down in
what has been described as a real-life Where's Waldo.

Now, with his daughter in college and bills to be paid, he's
hooked up with investors and now has a number of restaurants
of his own (more or less), which promise to stay put for a
while while he indulges his peripateticness by traveling
among them.

Frankly, I didn't have a care about him, but my b-i-l wanted
to show off his neighborhood's latest - a branch of Peter
Chang in the unassuming strip mall within walking distance of
the house in Arlington.

It looks like your ordinary Chinese restaurant, the hostess
looking as though she might be Mrs. Chang or a relative, but
the waitstaff disconcertingly young and amateur, probably
college students on summer break. The tablecloths and teacups
all say "Peter Chang" on them.

The food on this visit turned out to be decent, not great. On
the way out I remarked that it was all stuff I could make as
well (and have done) and that my sister or my mother could
have made better. John agreed but said that sometimes the
food was "almost as good" as what my sister cooked.

Spring rolls were a little on the greasy side and with a
substantially mushy filling; the flavors were about right,
the textures not so.

Hot and sour soup was a decent version but pretty cookie-cutter.

Hunan fish, supposedly flounder, was a suspiciously freshwater-
tasting piece of flesh cooked nicely moist and sauced with
green and red bell peppers and onions, some la dou ban, and
not much else, oh, a touch of sugar, deftly done, unlike most
places' treatment which candies the dish. Still, not particularly
Hunanese, not particularly spicy, not outstanding. I believe the
fish might have been tilapia. By the way, a real Hunan fish
would have been made with freshwater fish, but the only reason
people eat freshwater fish is that they can't get saltwater fish.

Twice-cooked pork was at least belly meat and cooked twice. It
was a little too salty and way too bland. Plus it is supposed to
be made with cabbage (even says so on the menu) - in some
misguided attempt to be classy this came with leeks as the only
vegetable. 

The portions were modest, and an order of steamed dumplings for
dessert was required: these were also cookie-cutter, the wrappers
medium thickness and medium toothiness, the insides standard as
could be. If these were made in a factory, at least it was a
decent factory.

Verdict: I'd go back if someone else was paying. There are
probably a dozen places in the Washington area with as good food
- most of them charge less money.

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