IT JUST GOT A TAD HOTTER IN THE VALLEY NEW P.F. CHANG'S COULD REALLY BE CALLED PRETTY FIERY CUISINE.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

It took a while for a P.F. Chang's to get to the San Fernando Valley.

But finally one opened in Woodland Hills on July 17, 6 1/2 months after prior site lessee Bob Burns closed its doors permanently following its millennial New Year's Eve party.

There are 39 of these restaurants around the country, eight of them in Southern California. They form the first national, full-service, Chinese restaurant chain of consequence.

The P.F. stands for founder Paul Fleming, a noted Scottsdale, Arizona-based restaurateur who owned several Ruth's Chris Steakhouses at one time, including those in Beverly Hills and Palm Springs.

The Chang's part of the name was inspired by the restaurant's menu developer Philip Chiang, son of famed restaurateur Cecilia Chiang, owner of the posh Mandarins in San Francisco and Beverly Hills.

The younger Chiang now operates the Mandarin locally, to which he added the popular downscaled Rice & Noodle Shop in the rear, and two Mandarettes, one in West Hollywood, the other in Beverly Hills.

The Fleming-Chiang concept works exceptionally well.

P.F. Chang's is casual without being spartan. In fact, as a bistro it possesses a dramatic attractiveness from statuary, mural art, suspended disclike circular chandeliers with black sides, counters, upholstered banquettes and booths, and an entirely roomy, airy atmosphere.

But you know it's a bistro because it doesn't have tablecloths, for example. And forget reservations. It's a first-come, first-served situation.

Among other good things, it serves 50 wines by the glass and American desserts.

Yeah, I tried the wall of chocolate ($6.95), a nifty, fat wedge of moist chocolate cake, on one occasion. And yeah, I fell for the wine come-on one day and ordered a glass of very refreshing Frog's Leap sauvignon blanc even though it set me back $8.

But you really don't feel cheated here.

That's because Chang's has somehow eliminated the institutionalization from which most chains suffer.

You don't get watery soups, mushy vegetables, or listless and flavorless food.

Dish ingredients here appear fresh, not overcooked, not greasy, properly textured and individually distinctive in flavor.

The prices, generally speaking, don't seem out of line.

From a cup of pretty good hot and sour soup ($2.95) to a plate of peppery, spiced seared ahi tuna ($7.95), starters are, for the most part, satisfying.

The exhibition kitchen comes up with crunchy spring rolls ($3.50) filled with shredded, fresh-tasting vegetables. You won't go wrong ordering a well-seasoned chicken mixture to stuff into chilled, crisp iceberg lettuce cups ($5.95).

Though it's not particularly creative, the cold cucumber salad ($4.95) in a sesame-soy dressing provides a cooling companion to any spicy-hot items ordered here.

Which brings us to Chang's laudable policy of actually delivering promised spicy hot food the way it should be - peppery enough to make your palate take notice.

Dishes like nicely firm-textured, chewable calamari steak pieces prepared in a garlicky red chile sauce, under the menu subtitle Szechwan from the Sea ($11.95), are agreeably fiery to those of us who believe that hot should be hot.

Ditto for Chang's spicy chicken ($10.75), which has that sweet touch in its spiciness, causing the spicy heat to be deliciously delayed. The chicken meat appears to be of superior quality and is definitely moist.

Also spicy and particularly tasty is an egg noodle Chinese pasta creation - that I understand used to be served as a soup-noodle bowl - called Dan Dan noodles ($8.95).

The fluffy, thin egg noodles arrive tossed with scallions, garlic, chiles and ground chicken, receiving enjoyable crunch from a cooling garnish of shredded cucumber and bean sprouts.

If you prefer non-spicy dishes, the double pan-fried egg noodles ($8.95) are stir-fried to semi-crispness and tossed with an array of vegetables plus a choice of chicken, pork, beef or shrimp. We opted for the shrimp one time and found the result to be more than pleasant, partly due to the generosity of the shrimp portioning.

But one dish that I must vote for as not to be missed is the Cantonese duck offering ($12.95) served with scallions, julienned cucumbers, hoisin and plum sauces, and several very thin pancakes on the side.

They are, of course, there to wrap the duck meat in, first to be smeared with some sauce, and not folded until a sprinkling of cucumber and scallions is completed.

Each bite provides plenty of delightful crunch from the duck skin and good flavor from the meat.

It's fun and an all-around tasty experience.

Just like a visit to this restaurant can be if you don't have to wait too long.

The facts

--The restaurant: P.F. Chang's China Bistro.

--Where: 21821 Oxnard St., Woodland Hills.

--When: Open for lunch, dinner and snacks from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, to midnight Friday and Saturday.

--Behind the scenes: Founder is Paul Fleming. Menu developed by Philip Chiang.

--Recommended items: Hot and sour soup, Peking steamed dumplings, chicken lettuce wrap, Dan Dan noodles, spicy Szechwan calamari steak, Chang's chicken, Cantonese duck, wall of chocolate.

--How much: Most dishes shareable. Starters from $3 to $8, main courses from $9 to $13, dessert $7. Full bar. AE, MC, DC, V.

--Wine list: Surprisingly big for a Chinese restaurant. 50 wines by the glass. Tall glass of Newcastle ale on tap ($4.95) is a good brew choice.

--Reservations: Not taken. First come, first served. (You get one of those little gadgets that lights up when your table is ready.)

--Our rating: Three and one half stars for food; three stars for service; three stars for wine.

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Photo:

P.F. Chang's China Bistro in Woodland Hills features a selection of flavorful dishes, such as the traditional and popular Mongolian beef.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer