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I visited a PF Changs in KC a number of years ago for a business meeting and I left without finding anything significant about it. Was I jaded, no pun intended, because my father owned an about as authentic Chinese restaurant in Cincinnati during the early 70’s? The Kali-Kai in Blue Ridge.

I worked there on occasion while in school and learned from the Taiwanese cooks about what they ate that was not on the menu. Changs reminded me of going into a Taco Bell when looking for Mexican. To me, it was nothing more than a Yuppie joint with an oriental motif.

Right after 911, I went to Taiwan for a project to construct and commission a plant I was involved in the design. Big difference! Just to be said they waste nothing, Absolutely nothing and whatever your imagination could come up with, goes beyond that. Nowhere close to any “Chinese” restaurant in the US.

So, if you like your American food sprinkled with some oriental staples like bean sprouts and a little bok choy and a bottle of soy sauce on the table. Kewl, have at it, but like I said, I’m jaded.

Here in Virginia we have a few Peter Chang’s restaurants. Wife and I were taken to one by some (authentic) Chinese friends. On their recommendation, I tried some ‘innards’ stuff that I never would have approached otherwise. OMG, all were absolutely DELICIOUS! Note: this was Peter Chang’s, not PF Chang’s; distinctly different. I do enjoy PF Chang’s, albeit more for the urban atmosphere, although the cuisine is good also.

Chinese restaurants tend to adapt their cooking to local tastes, or what they perceive as local taste. The Chinese food I've had in Germany has always been bland and boring. A few years ago a Polish lady was exhibiting her products alongside mine at a trade event in Singapore and our hosts took us out to dinner. The food was fabulous, not really hot spicy but well seasoned and varied. Maybe twenty "courses" on the usual big lazy susan on the table. She literally would not touch a bite of anything as it was all "too spicy". It was kind of sad, really. She didn't seem to understand or care that she was not only missing out on an experience but insulting her hosts in the process.

But speaking of Taiwan, I was told when there that one reason the cuisine is so excellent is that among the escapees who left in 1949 with Chiang Kai-shek's army were many if not most of the finest professional chefs in the country. And the cuisine is widely varied covering all the regional specialties. If you're in Chengdu you're going to get the roof of your mouth singed with Szechuan, whether you're into that or not. In Taiwan you can find just about anything and of very high quality.