Gluten Freebird

Chinese food is something that I’ve really come to miss.

In my gluten-full life, we practically had a standing order at Great Wall Szechuan House for Ma La Chicken, Ma Po Tofu and Double-Cooked Pork (usually with a side of veggie dumplings).

The craving hasn’t been intense enough to warrant a trip to P.F. Chang’s for their gluten-free menu (I think of it as Cheesecake Factory with a wok), but when the people from my noon meeting suggested lunching at the massive chain, I let curiosity get the best of me.

I don’t know why P.F. Chang’s has a gluten-free menu, but it’s commendable.

I now have my very own takeout box!

Frankly, it’s Chang’s Dynasty. They’re the only gluten-free Chinese I can find. This was the first time I hadn’t panicked in an Asian restaurant. Though these massive chain restaurants usually freak me out a bit (Such huge portions! So little flavor!), I must admit that they’ve got the gluten-free dining thing down to a science.

The menu (pdf) isn’t shabby by any means. They offer an appetizer of chicken in lettuce cups and several entrees, including Singapore Noodles. I was tempted by the Steamed Wild Sockeye Salmon and the Lemon Chicken, but opted for the (uncleverly named) Chang’s Spicy Chicken. I couldn’t pass up the chance to have General Tso’s (even if it was Chang’s Tso’s).

And?
I added broccoli to it, which absorbed the sauce nicely. It wasn’t exactly spicy, but it came with a dusting of gluten-free flour to simulate the breadiness of dishes like Orange Chicken. The texture was a bit gummy, but it was great to pretend that I was eating Chinese food again. They also give the option of white or brown rice, a trend that I wish would catch on at other Chinese restaurants.

They have wheat-free tamari on hand that diners can drizzle onto their food, but the wheat-free tamari doesn’t come with the little service tray of sauces that they bring out. Maybe I’m picky, but if you know there’s a gluten-free diner at the table, it makes sense to sub in the gluten-free so that there’s no chance for a mix-up. Knowing me, it would only be too easy to lose track and take a bite of soy-sauced rice.

I am still on a mission to convert some of my local Chinese restaurants to wheat-free tamari cooking. I had a dream about ordering some of my favorites at Great Wall (you already knew that food had infiltrated my dreams, right?).

I didn’t try the gluten-free dessert: flourless chocolate cake, but I imagine I’ll be back again. For the time being, even American Chinese food is better than none at all.