Migration
P.F. Chang’s raises the bar for Chinese food in Kaiserslautern area
Stars and Stripes
October 11, 2018
The dining room of P.F. Chang's at Ramstein Air Base. The restaurant sets itself apart with excellent food, good service and an outstanding overall dining experience. (Will Morris/Stars and Stripes)
The dining room of P.F. Chang's at Ramstein Air Base. The restaurant sets itself apart with excellent food, good service and an outstanding overall dining experience. (Will Morris/Stars and Stripes)
P.F. Chang's in Ramstein has a relaxing decor that puts the diner in the mood for good food and company. (Will Morris/Stars and Stripes)
The lo mein noodles served by P.F. Chang's at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, are amazing, with fresh veggies cooked with care. (Will Morris/Stars and Stripes)
The Korean mainstay bibimbap is among the Asian classics served at P.F. Chang's. If you can't catch a flight to the suburbs of Seoul, catch someone going to Ramstein Air Base for a completely respectable version of this dish. (Will Morris/Stars and Stripes)
When I walked into P.F. Chang’s on Ramstein Air base last weekend, I had given up all hope of ever finding decent Chinese food in the Kaiserslautern area.
Everywhere I have gone, it’s been the same — cheap, improperly made food that is laden with salt and barely edible. The last time I ordered Pad Thai noodles in town, it had so much salt on it, I tossed it.
I had also given up on casual dining on base. Three weeks ago, the last time I ate at a restaurant that shall go nameless, they served me a hamburger patty that was burned black halfway through. The time before that, it was guacamole that was turning brown.
Well, now I can truly say that I have been to the mountain. I have seen the light. My faith is restored. Praise the Lord and the crab wontons that he provides!
P.F. Chang’s has, without a doubt, the best Asian-style food I have eaten in the Kaiserslautern Military Community or, for that matter, anywhere in Europe. When you combine that with the service and overall dining experience, it’s a shot across the bow of all but a handful of other restaurants in K-Town.
The menu was clearly compiled by someone who is well versed in the highlights of Asian cuisine. Dishes from China, Japan, Thailand, Korea and more — all the mainstays you know and crave can be found here.
The cooks clearly care about the food they make. Except for certain products that have to be shipped over from the States, everything is fresh and made to order. The one taste that overwhelms every other Asian restaurant in K-Town, salt, has been replaced with something commonly known as flavor.
For dinner, I recommend the Combo Lo Mein — beef, pork and chicken cooked perfectly with an assortment of vegetables drizzled with just the right amount of soy sauce. For lunch, try the Tokyo Udon Noodle Bowl, a type of stir-fried noodles with vegetables and chicken or beef.
Beware, though: The noodle bowl is mild in the beginning, but the sauce draws out the seasoning and gets more spicy as you get to the bottom of the bowl.
For breakfast, order anything on the menu, put it in a box and take it home and hide it from your family until morning.
morris.william@stripes.com Twitter: willatstripes
Address: Ramstein Air Base, next to the Bowling Center
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Fridays, 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Saturdays, 4 p.m.-9 p.m. Sundays
Prices: Entrees average $12
Dress: Casual
Information: Phone (+49)(0)63-747-7981, website: tinyurl.com/y7jnxnjw