“PAY WAY” NOT “PEE WEE” ASIAN DINER
This is America, so I have a gut feeling we will be calling the Pei Wei Asian Diner, “Pee Wee’s” Asian Adventure in short order. Americans don’t do foreign languages easily. We massage foreign words into submission, into American…until we call them our own. We call this process assimilation. I would say most Americans pronouce Greek gyros (lamb pita sandwiches) as “jyros” not “heros” with a rolled “r” as the Greek pronounce it. So Pei Wei correctly pronounced “Pay Way” may not be sustainable, but hopefully the Asian dishes they expertly prepare in their open kitchen will be.
The diner on 66th satisfies all the senses: classy casual contemporary decor with Asian accents delighting, woks and music sizzling, exotic Eastern aromas enveloping, comfy chairs and booths soothing, and smiling staff awaiting. You get a pan-Asian experience with a limited menu featuring popular appetizers, salads, noodle bowls and main entrees from five Eastern cuisines: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese. Lively beer and wine selection adds to the this
dining experience, that is a dining hybrid: cafeteria-style selecting of your food and drinks, with cafe table service. The servings are grand, with lots of meat and very crisp veggies glazed with glistening and delicious sauces.
I found the music too loud, they will turn down the music if you find it interferes with conversations. I figured that the cooks and servers in the open kitchen turn it up so they can hear it, but it can be way too loud for the diners.
The other area they need to work on is getting the food out to the tables in a better order. The food is immediately delivered when it is cooked, so that others at your table may not have their food delivered at the same time. But you will see servers delivering dishes to half of another table. Seems that all the cooks should work on an order together, so that the whole table gets their food pretty much at the same time. They need someone who can be in charge of coordinating each order.
I don’t know if they are still working out the kinks or if this is how they operate, but it doesn’t make much sense, since there are plenty of cooks. And I think most tables would not mind waiting a bit longer, so that all of the folks at their table get their food within a better time-frame. Most folks are sitting there waiting for everyone to get their meal, anyway, so they can begin eating together.
Check out this chains web site for more info:
http://www.peiwei.com/index.html
Wishing you many chopstick surprises!
Foodie Adventurer
We very much enjoy the restaurant. I appreciate the cleanliness and the fact that the menu is more simple than a typical asian menu. I find that I get more than enough food. And often take some home. I like that is cooked to order and in the open so I know it has not been sitting in the back just waiting to be heated up.
Ms. Seawall,
I wanted to reach out and touch base with you regarding your experience at the Pei Wei Asian Diner here in St. Petersburg . My name is Jesse Mehaffie and I am the Market Partner for West Florida . I wanted to reach out to you regarding your email.
First, thank you for sending in your comment, you have a great eye for detail and excellent writing skills!
If you are ever in the restaurant and feel the music is too loud, please just ask a manager to turn it down. You should be able to hear the music, bit it is not so the cooks can hear. I always tell my managers, you should hear it while having a conversation, but the music should not overpower it.
As far as the food coming out at different times; our goal is to get the food out as fast as possible. One thing I really like about Pei Wei is it is not your “traditional” restaurant. Your order is placed at the register, you are given a number, and we bring all the food to your table. Immediately upon ordering your ticket is sent to the kitchen and the wok cooks begin cooking it. Some dishes cook faster than others, that is why not all items come out at the same time. It should never be much of a time difference of more than a few minutes.
Also – we do not have heat lamps to stage food like most restaurants at the expo counter. Most traditional restaurants will wait until the entire table has their food, and then send all of the food out. We want you to get your food as hot, fast, and fresh as possible.
Sometimes all the food does arrive at the same time, sometimes it doesn’t. If you would like to happen, just let the cashier know and we can accommodate any request you may have if it is possible. We are here for you.
Our company message is,
“We are truly glad you are here and we will do everything we can to make you want to come back…”
I would like to send you a small token of appreciation for taking the time to provide feedback. Would that be ok? Please send me your address and I will ensure it gets sent to you shortly.
Once again, thank you for your time and we look forward to serving you again.
Jesse Mehaffie
Market Partner
“I would like to send you a small token of appreciation for taking the time to provide feedback. ”
Is this an issue of bribery, attempting to buy off our unbiased food reporter?
Maybe I should change from city affairs to gourmet review.
As always, wondering where the payoff is in all this.
Dog Fish
Well – at least she asked for permission to send “token of appreciation”…and it was after the review published.
“I would like to send you a small token of appreciation for taking the time to provide feedback. Would that be ok?”
Feline
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