Last week, I accidently found P.F. Chang's in Toms River, New Jersey. You may be thinking how does one accidentally find a restaurant? Well, we were actually headed somewhere else when I noticed another road behind the parking lot that we initially pulled into. It appears that Ocean County is creating a Restaurant Row connected to the Ocean County Mall. According to the hostess, they have only been opened for a month. I actually ate at a P.F. Chang's one time before in Freehold and only that one time because it was nearly impossible to get a table without waiting over 90 minutes.
As we entered the venue, you could just smell the newness of the place mixed with the wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen. This is not your ordinary Chinese Restaurant, but it also isn't your ordinary franchise either. You don't get the regular bowl of noodles with duck sauce while you are waiting for your meal here, but I can get passed that after tasting our meals.
We weren't in the mood for alcohol today due to the heat we just came in from. Therefore, I ordered a Strawberry Cucumber Limeade. I never tasted so many flavors coming from a singular drink before. Lori ordered a Pomegranate Lemonade, which was listed as a special for that day. We must have spent a few good minutes taking turns sniffing the basil that came with her drink. I love the smell of basil!
I ordered their version of Sweet & Sour Chicken. The chicken was deliciously cooked with pineapple, onions, bell peppers and ginger. The peppers must have have been given an extra dose of ginger because when I put them in my mouth it was like a party going on! Lori went with the Crispy Honey Chicken, which was also a winner. We tasted each other's meal.
Even though we were totally stuffed, we ordered a dessert to share. The winning selection here was the Chocolate Soufflé. The cake was augmented with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce. I simply loved the atmosphere of the place. The giant screens at the bar gave me some ideas for a game night. In addition, the service was great. We both left with smiles and only nice things to say about the experience.
