Protein bowls, salads and lower-calorie entrees highlight the new “Lighter Menu” at Pei Wei Asian Kitchen. But the Dallas-based fast casual had to expand its pantry and perfect some sauces before it was a go. The official launch took place on March 12.
“The new menu gives people more options and more opportunity to come in, especially at lunch,” said Laura Purser, VP of marketing for the 110-unit chain. Classics like Firecracker Shrimp and Spicy General Tso’s Chicken, a bit indulgent, will remain on the menu, she said, “but the new dishes target healthy lifestyle choices.”
To create the protein-focused and lighter items, Pei Wei brought in several new SKUs, including grilled chicken, fresh avocados and jicama, and “spent a lot of time on sauces,” said Purser. The culinary team developed a new citrus vinaigrette and a slightly spicy hoisin sauce is now sourced. Here’s what ended up on the menu.
Chicken plays a starring role
Pei Wei worked with a supplier partner to spec sous vide grilled chicken breast, which is very juicy, lean and flavorful, said Purser, and holds up well in both salads and stir-fries. It goes into the new Signature Grilled Chicken Salad, tossed with mixed greens, crisp jicama, carrots and tortilla strips for crunchy textural contrast, and the aforementioned citrus vinaigrette. It clocks in at 310 calories per serving.
Pei Wei's Chicken, Avocado & Broccoli Protein Bowl features sous vide grilled chicken.
The same sliced, grilled chicken is featured in the Chicken, Avocado & Broccoli Protein Bowl, boasting 38 grams of protein. Fresh avocado slices and steamed broccoli provide freshness cues and brown rice boosts nutrition; it’s also served with the citrus vinaigrette. Now that the broccoli and avocado are available, customers can add them to any salad or poke bowl, said Purser.
For a couple of other new dishes, steamed chicken is the protein of choice. Thai Basil Chicken combines that chicken with red bell peppers and onions, with the new hoisin sauce and leaves of fresh Thai basil adding authentic flavor. At 230 calories a serving, it fits squarely into the lighter category.
Thai Basil Chicken has just 230 calories per serving.
And steamed chicken joins shrimp in the Chicken, Shrimp and Veggies Protein Bowl enhanced with broccoli, carrots, onions and a white wine sauce. Served on a bed of brown rice, the dish provides an impressive 42 grams of protein. “Shrimp has always been on our menu, but we haven’t paired it with chicken in many years,” said Purser.
Consumers are creating a strong demand for protein these days, as the muscle-building nutrient is associated with promoting wellness, fitness and strength. Fast casuals including Sweetgreen, Panda Express and Noodles & Company have all introduced protein-centric menu items recently in response to that demand. Plus, they’re calling out protein on their menus, and Pei Wei is doing the same.
The sauce journey
The citrus vinaigrette, essential to several new items, took a bit of trial and error to get right, said Purser. “We wanted it to have an Asian flavor profile with a little ginger kick, but it took some tweaking to get the lime juice amount and ginger amount in balance.”
The proportion of oil was important as well. Too much, and the sauce tasted heavy. After four or five tests, the team perfected the vinaigrette to be light and refreshing.
The new dishes “shake up” the menu, said Purser, as “it goes outside of Asian a little.” But the idea is to attract a broader customer base. The fitness and lifestyle consumer is just one target. She sees it expanding its reach to office lunches, families and singles crowd.
In addition to the new dishes, some of Pei Wei’s regular items fit the criteria for the lighter menu section and were moved in there. These include Thai Coconut Curry, the Poke Bowl, Mongolian Chicken and Asian Chopped Chicken Salad. Both the old and new dishes sell in the range of $11.59-$12.59.