VeggieBoards › Forums › Food & Recipes › General Food Discussions › Tofu from Pei Wei
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Tofu from Pei Wei

post #1 of 16
1/26/06 at 2:59pm
Thread Starter 
I've been a veggie for a few years now, and like tofu a bit - until I tried the tofu at a restaurant chain called Pei Wei, that stuff was good. Does anyone know what they do to get their tofu the way it is? It is much firmer, and denser than the stuff I buy from the Asian market.



Thanks,



h
Reply
Reply

Featured Stories on VeggieBoards

Food Photography Tips for Vegetarians and Vegans
VeggieBoards is the ultimate resource for all vegetarians
Gillian McKeith VS Nigella Lawson - Vegan vs Meat Eater
post #2 of 16
1/26/06 at 4:31pm
You have to get the extra firm tofu and then fry it, make sure you get the oil really hot, stir fry to brown on all sides. Remove the tofu from the pan and stir fry the veggies, make your sauce , add sauce to pan with tofu and cooked noodles. Yum! I usually make a sauce of sesame oil, sou sauce, hot pepper sauce from the asian grocer (the kind that has the seeds in it) rice wine and rice wine vinegar and cornstarch. MMMM, stir fry....
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 16
1/26/06 at 4:48pm
yeah, pei wei tofu is unreal, i've never had tofu so thick and tough (but in a good way). the first time I got it, I really was afraid it was meat at first, it looks like beef strips, not typical cubes of fried tofu. I have no idea how they make it though, I suspect it has to do more with the actual tofu-making process, rather than how they cook it.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 16
1/26/06 at 6:14pm
Just a little factoid: Pei Wei is a branch or subdivision of the P.F. Chang restaurant chain.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 16
1/26/06 at 6:27pm
I don't like Pei Wei. I think their foods are gross.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 16
1/26/06 at 7:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katieq View Post

yeah, pei wei tofu is unreal, i've never had tofu so thick and tough (but in a good way). the first time I got it, I really was afraid it was meat at first...

I agree. I think their tofu is fantastic and I'm not normally big on tofu. The first time I got it, I thought it was actually chicken and went about "dissecting" it to make sure it wasn't really meat.



I especially like their Honey Seared Tofu and Vegetables. Yummmy!
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 16
1/26/06 at 7:34pm
I haven't been to Pei Wei since before I went vegan, and from what everyone has described it sounds like they get tofu that is processed differently. Nonetheless, you can try getting extra firm non-silken tofu, pressing much of the water out of it, drying it with paper towels, cutting it up and freezing it. This changes the texture COMPLETELY. After it's frozen, I put it in a container with some marinade and let it sit in the refrigerator until it's thawed I'm ready to fry it or bake it. Wonderful every time, completely different than if you hadn't frozen it at all.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 16
1/26/06 at 8:31pm
I think most Chinese restaurants deep fry their tofu which is part of the reason it has that great texture.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 16
1/26/06 at 8:42pm
many also freeze their tofu first, which allows it to absorb more flavor and have a really neat texture. Combine that with a deep fryer and I bet that would be unreal tofu.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 16
1/26/06 at 10:02pm
Pei Wei uses BAKED tofu. Look for it in the refrigerated section of your local Whole Foods market. Cut into thin slices, and then add to your favorite stir-fry.



Edit: You may be able to find it in the Asian market too. I've also seen two-packs of plain (not flavored) baked tofu at Sam's Club, but that was a while ago.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 16
1/27/06 at 4:42pm
Is Pei Wei a 'sit-down, waiter takes your order' type of restaurant?
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 16
1/27/06 at 5:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhythm B Free View Post

Is Pei Wei a 'sit-down, waiter takes your order' type of restaurant?

No, you order at the cashier, pay, and they give you a number to display on your table. Beverages are self-serve also. The food is okay, but nothing special. It's a nice place to have a reasonably-priced family meal, which is why there always seem to be a lot of rambunctious kids running around.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 16
2/28/06 at 12:05pm
I just ate at a Pei Wei for the first time yesterday. I was delighted when told that everything marked with a leaf on the menu was vegan. The spring rolls were a fried treat.
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 16
7/15/07 at 10:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katieq View Post

yeah, pei wei tofu is unreal, i've never had tofu so thick and tough (but in a good way). the first time I got it, I really was afraid it was meat at first, it looks like beef strips, not typical cubes of fried tofu. I have no idea how they make it though, I suspect it has to do more with the actual tofu-making process, rather than how they cook it.











i work there, and i know exactly how they make it haha
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 16
10/12/07 at 11:04am
Okay, I got obsessed and bought about six different kinds of tofu from local Asian markets trying to duplicate Pei Wei's tofu which is the consistency of a mushroom as opposed to a congealed scrambled egg like you buy at Health Food stores. I made Pad Thai last night and have found a tofu that is as close to Pei Wei's tofu as I can find. It's Baked Soy Bean Cake (it's brown- just like Pei Wei's) and is manufactured by Visoy Food Inc., a Los Angeles based company. I found it at the Cao Nguyen Asian Market in Oklahoma City, but am sure they distribute it all over the country. I have the other tofu condenders in my freezer, but the tofu by Visoy was the right consistency fresh from the refrigerator.
Reply
Reply
post #16 of 16
10/12/07 at 11:06am
Hm, another Oklahoman?



I'm so psyched, I just found out the other day we're getting a Pei Wei here in Norman.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: General Food Discussions

Featured Stories on VeggieBoards

Food Photography Tips for Vegetarians and Vegans
VeggieBoards is the ultimate resource for all vegetarians
Gillian McKeith VS Nigella Lawson - Vegan vs Meat Eater
VeggieBoards › Forums › Food & Recipes › General Food Discussions › Tofu from Pei Wei