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Cuisine From All Over the Map (of China)

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<i> Anne Michaud is a staff writer for The Times Orange County Edition</i>

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, a popular Scottsdale, Ariz., restaurant, recently opened in Newport Beach. It serves selections from the major regions of China--Canton, Shanghai, Szechwan and Hunan--and from Mongolia. The owner, Arizona restaurateur Paul M. Fleming, also owns Ruth’s Chris Steak Houses in Beverly Hills and Palm Desert, Z’Tejas Grills in Scottsdale, Austin, Tex., and Las Vegas, and several other restaurants in the Southwest and Hawaii.

The new P.F. Chang’s has entered the location vacated by Michael Kang’s Five Feet Too, between the Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza Kitchen, at Fashion Island. Among the entrees ($8 to $13) are orange peel shrimp, spicy ground chicken with eggplant, Paul’s catfish in black bean sauce and lemon scallops. Appetizers include Peking ravioli, minced chicken in a lettuce cup and sesame shrimp.

The decor was designed by the owner’s wife, Kelly Fleming, and combines the influences of ancient China and contemporary America. A historic mural, miniaturized from a mid-12th-Century screen painting, tells the stories of emperors, gods and guardians. Slate and hardwood floors, high ceilings and a color scheme of mustard, mauve and dark purple add a modern feel.

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Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and noon to 11 p.m. on Sunday.

1145 Newport Center Drive. (714) 759-9007.

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Scott’s Seafood Grill & Bar has redefined itself by adding a line of beef dishes to its menu, including prime rib. There are nine cuts, several accompanying side dishes and about 20 new red wine selections.

3300 Bristol St., Costa Mesa. (714) 979-2400.

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The Westin South Coast Plaza is serving a Pacific Northwest menu through Sunday. Selections include smoked Alaska salmon, Washington state potato crab cakes, Alaska crab and brie soup, grilled quail with corn on a bed of vegetables, lamb loin with crepes and chocolate mousse with peppered cookies.

Patrons may also select a wine from the Northwest, including Hogue Cellars 1993 Fume Blanc, Firesteed 1992 Pinot Noir and Knudsen Erath 1992 Pinot Gris.

The special menu is offered for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. in the hotel’s Garden Court Cafe.

686 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa. (714) 662-6694.

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