Located at: Dubai Festival City Mall / Mirdif City Center, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Visited on: 25th and 31st March, 2022

This is a combined review of P. F. Chang’s at Dubai Festival City and Mirdif City Center – two of many of the chain’s locations across the Middle East.

There were a couple of dishes that we quite enjoyed on the first day, that we ordered again on the second. One of these was the Hot & Sour Soup with chicken, tofu, bamboo shoots and mushroom (AED 21 per cup; AED 42 per bowl which serves four). This was a good choice to get our tastebuds, with its strong savoury and mildly umami flavours.

The Shrimp Tempura Roll (AED 30.45 for 4 pieces; AED 57.75 for 8 pieces) was quite yum, with a nice bit of crunch coming from the tempura and a touch of smooth freshness from the crab stick, cucumber and avocado that had been rolled in.

On the second day, we tried the Dynamite Shrimp Roll (AED 32.55 for 4 pieces; AED 59.85 for 8 pieces), which was also quite good. It came with their signature dynamite shrimp sitting atop a California roll.

P. F. Chang’s The Original Dynamite Shrimp (AED 54.60 for a regular portion; AED 81.90 for a grande portion) is a favourite among their diners – for good reason. To begin with, the presentation of the shrimp in a martini glass is a great visual. And the shrimp itself is perfectly crunchy in its battered shell, and enticingly scrumptious with a generous dressing of ‘dynamite’ sauce. The sauce itself is not very hot, but creates a light buzz on the palate as you bight through.

Both of their dumplings were delicious – Chicken Dumplings (AED 35.70) and Shrimp Dumplings (AED 40.95), topped with a light chilli sauce. They come with the option of being served pan-fried or steamed. We went with steamed for both, and it turned out to be a great choice. The dumpling pouches were soft and thin, while the contents of both were tasty with a nice mix of textures.

The Miso Glazed Salmon (AED 86.10) offered a sizeable piece of salmon with a perfect miso glaze. The leafy greens with mushroom and herbs came with a lovely, light dressing, too, which made them quite appetising. This dish comes with a side of white or brown rice.

Their Singapore Street Noodles (AED 51.45) dish had a mix of chicken and shrimp with cherry tomatoes, greens and onion relish. Quite good – a bit like a cross between street/comfort food and something out of an à la carte menu.

However, what took the cake for me was P. F. Chang’s Pad Thai (AED 52.50 with chicken; AED 54.60 with shrimp; AED 56.70 with both). Absolutely delish! It was a perfect balance of flavours and textures, with a touch of sweetness amidst the savoury flavour. The crushed peanut and bits of fried egg along with the onion leaves added to the dish in terms of texture, as did the crunchy, lightly battered shrimps and chicken strips. The rice noodle itself was not too heavy, and was tossed together with noodle-like strips of carrot. This dish definitely was the deal breaker for wanting to go to P.F. Chang’s a second time during our stay in Dubai. Yummy!

Yummy Rating: 4.5 / 5.0