Address: Multiple Locations
Phone: Multiple Locations
Website: http://www.peiwei.com/index.aspx
January 2012: This review was written by GF Lady, the previous owner of GlutenFreeAlbuquerque.com and is used here with her permission.
I had heard from several friends and users of this site that Pei Wei had a gluten-free menu. However, I had eaten at Pei Wei several years ago and had suffered the unmistakable results of ingesting gluten. I was in no hurry to return even though I missed eating there. Then a friend suggested that we meet at Pei Wei and on the spur of the moment, I decided to give it another chance. I’m glad I did.
Pei Wei has a small gluten-free menu and you have to ask for it when you place your order with the cashier. The menu lists several meals that can be made with either chicken or shrimp along with the ordering instructions that are required to make it gluten free. In general, the gluten-free meals are the same as their standard fare with only one or two omissions required.
I ordered the gluten-free version of the Spicy Shrimp Salad and spoke with the cashier about their procedures for preventing cross contamination. He told me that when ‘gluten free’ is entered on the order, the cooks clean the pan and the utensils before they begin making the meal. In the course of our conversation, he mentioned that the salad I ordered came with fried rice noodles, the operative word being ‘fried’. I requested that these be left off simply because fried foods are often cross contaminated.
I received a bed of greens topped with several pieces of sautéed shrimp that were in a spicy lime sauce. The salad included lettuce, diced green onions, chopped tomatoes and sliced cabbage. This combination was a wonderfully tasty and filling meal.
I am happy to report that I had no ill effects from the Spicy Shrimp Salad. I plan to return to Pei Wei to work my way through their gluten -free menu and to take a pictures of my food, which I forgot to do this time.