CRANSTON -- When I asked my friend J. to meet me at Pei Wei Asian Diner at Chapel View for lunch, she didn’t know what I was talking about. This surprised me because she works on a street just below this newly redeveloped area high atop Cranston that mixes retail, office and residential space at the site of the former state Training School for Boys. Plus, she’d met me before at Ted’s Montana Grill, which is across the ample parking lot. But she’d never looked beyond the big Shaw’s grocery store to see the new restaurant on the far side.

Plenty of people have found this spot, she learned, as business was brisk and diners were coming and going while we perused the menu wall as we entered. With most dishes priced in the $7-to- $8 range and nothing costing more than $9, a feast is possible on any of the tabletops for around $20. A single can eat one dish and still have leftovers.

Pei Wei is that casual, fast and affordable kind of restaurant that is so in demand today. Order at the counter, then take a number to put on your table. Collect your condiments and chopsticks, and pour your soda or complimentary cold green tea. Before you are even settled down, the food is delivered by a server.

"I don’t even think that was five minutes," J. said, amazed as our plates of Blazing Noodles, Thai Dynamite, Spicy Korean and Asian Chopped Chicken Salad were delivered. Our Pei Wei Spring Rolls followed.

We like spicy, so ours was one table of delicious fired-up food. But there are plenty of mild dishes, such as ginger broccoli, sweet and sour, crab wontons, lo mein or teriyaki bowls.

In fact, the menu covers a wide swath of culinary cultures. The menu is full of Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese-inspired dishes. The meat and vegetables and greens are as fresh as can be, and each dish, many of them stir-fried, is cooked to order by a fast and efficient kitchen. You’ll see the noodles fly into a pan, with a quick shake of sesame seeds added at the end.

Pei Wei is a new concept from P.F. Chang, the Arizona-based chain of contemporary Chinese restaurants with restaurants around the country, including two in Boston. Cranston’s Pei Wei is the first one in New England.

That makes us the lucky ones. I like everything about the place.

We adored the Blazing Noodles ($6.95) with the light but powerful tomato black pepper sauce with scallions, carrots and snow peas. They were all tossed among the rice noodles. This dish is one of the noodle bowls and available with your choice of protein or all vegetables. Other selections include the popular Pad Thai, but I’m glad J. suggested trying this one. It was my favorite with all the wonderful flavors, including the peppery addition of Thai basil. I found that the heat built slowly with each bite.

We ordered the Spicy Korean dish ($7.95) with chicken, but since we ordered another chicken dish with steamed rice, we got this one with egg noodles, the ones used in lo mein dishes. The thin slices of chicken were tender and just the right size for enjoying with the perfectly cooked onions, lots of mushrooms, sliced carrots and beans. Drenched in Korean hot pepper sauce, the dish was spicy but enhanced by the black and white sesame seeds sprinkled on top, which added both color and crunch.

J.’s favorite was the Thai Dynamite ($7.95) with its small balls of crispy chicken. Unlike the often-served dish General Tso’s, with its coated, sugary chicken, this one offered chicken with a crunch, and if there was a batter it was light. Freshness was evident in the poultry. It was served in a sriracha chile sauce, a hot sauce that was balanced with fresh lime that brought each bite to life with a citrus glow. All the signature dishes, of which this is one, are available over steamed white or brown rice.

We didn’t mind that our spring rolls (two for $3.95) were served with the entrees, rather than before. Pei Wei delivers food as it is prepared instead of serving in courses. The spring rolls were not greasy but chock-full of cabbage, carrot, onion, mushroom and glass noodles, which are really made from the starch of green mung beans. The accompanying sauce was sticky and sweet and just right.

Finally, J. and I are big fans of Vietnamese chicken salad, so we tried Pei Wei’s Asian Chopped Chicken Salad ($7.75) and this one had a surprise among all the cabbage and shredded chicken: crunchy wontons.

In addition to sodas, Revolution teas are served by the tea bag. Kendall Jackson wines and a Pinot Grigio are offered by the glass. Beers, including Tsingtao, are served in small or large sizes.

With everything cooked to order, accommodations and substitutions are easily made here. They also have a gluten-free menu.

And when you are done, shrimp boxes await you at the self-service station so you can pack up your leftovers and enjoy them at home. With everything so easy and fast and fresh, Pei Wei has a concept that should be embraced with open arms.

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Bill of fare

A meal for two at Pei Wei might look like this.

2 sodas…$3.70

Spring rolls…$3.95

Blazing Noodles with beef…$6.95

Spicy Korean chicken …$7.95

Total food and drink…$22.55

Tax…$1.80

Tip…$3.40

Total…$27.75

DETAILS, DETAILS

Pei Wei Asian Diner,

4 Chapel View Blvd., Cranston, (401) 464-9360, www.peiwei.com. Very casual with counter service and take-out availability. Wheelchair accessible. Highchairs and boosters. AE, D, MC. V. Open Sunday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Dishes $2.25 to $9. Chocolate chip cookie for dessert $1. Children’s menu $3.75 to $4.25. Small wine and beer list $3.50 to $6.75.

gciampa@projo.com / (401) 277-7266