Prior to flying from Maui to Oahu for the Unconferenz, Lilinoe and I decided that we would try P.F. Chang’s restaurant on Ala Moana Boulevard in the Hokua building that opened in September 2006. I was familiar with the brand having lived only minutes away from the Highland Village Center location in Houston, Texas but had yet to enjoy the experience.
We arrived for an early dinner and found close parking within the building and a few other patrons seated inside. Influenced by my determination to document my journey, Jayden and I toured the outside of the Hokua building, him serving as director of photography! The Hokua is a 40-story luxury high rise with 248-residential condominiums and a reported value of $800 – $1,000 per square foot. On the ground level, the restaurant’s neighbors are a Starbucks and the recently opened urban clothing store, Stussy. I took particular interest in the rock pathway because there were petroglyphs embedded randomly around the building. 
Jayden was immediately attracted to the towering stallion statue that sits outside the entry door and I learned that it’s completely hollow.
Once inside, the restaurant is decorated in hues of browns, reds, yellows and black giving the feeling of a Chinese palace. My description may be accurate because all throughout were statues of emperors. The atmosphere was elegant, and I kept Jayden nearby so as not to damage anything.
Our server recommended that we try the Chang’s Chicken in Soothing Lettuce Wraps and we added the Crab Wontons since it’s one of our favorites to make at home. Wait let me be honest, I don’t make them at home Lilinoe does, I just eat them. Serving at this restaurant is family style, so to complete our order we added Chang’s Spicy Chicken (non-spicy), Cantonese Shrimp, and the Double Pan-Fried Noodles with Shrimp.
The goal of a P.F. Chang’s meal is to attain harmony of taste, texture, color and aroma by balancing the Chinese principles of fan and t’sai. Fan foods include rice, noodles, grains and dumplings, while vegetables, meat, poultry, and seafood are t’sai foods.
P.F. Chang’s exceeded it’s goal in our opinion and the service was excellent. For those planning on visiting for the first time, have your server introduce a mixture of the sauces provided and add it to your lettuce wrap. Now, if you’re from Hawai’i and hoping for the tastes of Patti’s Chinese Kitchen you’ll be disappointed, with the closing of their Ala Moana location, we recommend Au’s Garden Restaurant in Kalihi or Wah Kung Seafood Restaurant at the 99 Ranch Market.
