Sweet & Sour Chicken: An Epic

Over the past few years, Pei Wei has become the staple of my carryout life. Not only do I enjoy the ambrosial flavors and the friendly faces of the local Green Hills establishment, but I dare say I relish the challenge of chopsticks. While I may not boast the ability to snatch flies out of the air (yet), I'm certainly on the plane of mastering the art.

Going back as far as I can remember, sweet & sour chicken has hands down been my favorite Asian inspired dish. So, not surprisingly, it is my most beloved dish on the Pei Wei menu. In case you've never had the joy of experiencing the sweet & sour chicken, allow me to paint you a delectable story, an epic journey on the road to taste bud euphoria.

First, and foremost, you must begin with the bed of white rice. It can be easy to overlook the significance of this prologue, but the white rice is a key ingredient in bringing this flavorful adventure to life. The calm taste and gentle texture of the white rice provide a landscape for your journey into savory bliss.

Next, chopped green bell peppers, sliced onions, and strips of red ginger fall about the snowy white fields, adding a crucial crisp to the dish while providing lovely refreshment to your palate. These fresh veggies pave the road for this cuisine crusade.

Crispy chicken is quick to follow suit and join your quest. This is the core of the sweet & sour dish, filling you up and never letting you down. This protein packed ingredient is the perfect companion with just the right mixture of crispy texture and mouthwatering flavor.

At this point in the expedition, the action is rising and our dish is really taking aesthetic form. Atop the bed of white, we have greens and reds mixed in here and there to make you feel festive, but something is still missing. Now comes the pinnacle of Pei Wei's sweet & sour experience, the chopped pineapple. As these dashes of tropical fruit parade their way onto the dish, the flavor really comes to life, exciting all taste buds. Welcome to the peak of the meal.

Last, but not least, comes the application of the mind-numbing Cantonese sweet & sour sauce, the catalyst of the dish. This magnificent sauce rushes over the crispy chicken like the mighty Yangtze River, carrying your taste buds downstream to an unforgettable dining experience. This is the yin and the yang, providing an unsurpassed balance of both sweet and sour. My mouth is watering at the thought of it.

As our tasty endeavor comes to a close, be sure to top your meal off with a fortune cookie and you have the complete Pei Wei experience locked down. I hope I have painted a beautiful picture in your mind, one that inspires you to go out on a limb and reach for the sweet & sour chicken on white the next time you enter the golden halls of Pei Wei. It is an unforgettable experience. Trust me, you won't regret it!

And at the end of the day, it's sweet AND it's sour. What's not to like?