P.F. Chang's does SUSHI

When you think of P.F. Chang's... Chinese food may come to mind, however they are in the midst of a culinary evolution and are hoping to break all stereotypes. The restaurant chain is located in Waikiki's Royal Hawaiian Center, although I do miss the convenience of the Ward location, the food is still really good, the service is attentive and the location is nice with a good open air atmosphere, lots of seating and nice cool trade wind breezes. 

Recently, launched on to their daily menu, P.F. Chang's is now serving up some unique sushi rolls with the help of Honolulu-born Chef Grant Kawasaki, better known for his culinary adventures on Hawaiian Grown TV and Hawaiian Grown Kitchen. The restaurant has created 5 rolls that highlight local flavors, local ingredients and are very appealing to the eye. You might be wondering, why is this chinese restaurant serving sushi? Well the concept is to create more of an Asian bistro feel, showcasing foods from other parts of Asia like Japan, Vietnam and Korea. Expect to see some new items on a consistent basis and if they are popular they will stay, if they don't work then they will disappear. 

Here's a look at the new sushi rolls that are great for sharing and are packed full of flavor:

Waikiki Roll - like the Rainbow Roll but served with spicy tuna on the inside: spicy ahi, cucumber, kaiware sprouts, enoki mushrooms, topped with sliced ahi, salmon, hamachi, avocado, bubu arare and black truffle pate. The roll is then drizzled with kabayaki sauce, dynamite sauce and wasabi aioli.

Mahalo Roll - this was my hands-down favorite: deluxe version of the Cali Roll: Crab, cucumber, topped with avocado, tobiko, won ton strips. Topped with kabayaki sauce, creamy sesame sauce and dynamite sauce. This roll had a great fresh taste, nice crunch from the wonton and creamy crab. I liked how it had a lot of textures and the flavors all blended well together.

PF Chang's Roll - this was the most photogenic of them all: shrimp katsu, crab salad, cucumber, avocado, kaiware sprouts, topped with a spicy ahi and served with a sweet chili sauce, firecracker sauce, kabayaki sauce and red and black tobiko.

Shaka Roll- this was very different, they call it a "one of a kind" - Hawaiian ahi poke, sweet onions, fresh limy, cucumber, avocado, kaiware sprouts, enoki mushroom, topped with a lomi salmon relish, served with poke sauce, wasabi aioli, and inamona roasted nuts. Not my favorite of the bunch, but I could see how this would be a fan favorite for someone who likes poke and Hawaiian food flavors.

And last but not least, the Aloha Roll: lobster salad, cucumber, avocado, kaiware sprouts, enoki mushrooms, asparagus, topped with a shrimp and pineapple salsa, drizzled with kabayaki sauce, dynamite sauce and wasabi aioli.

P.F. Chang's Waikiki is located at 2201 Kalakaua Avenue, open 11am-11pm. 
808-628-6760. 
www.pfchangshawaii.com