Hollywood Menu at California Pizza Kitchen

Earlier this week, I was invited for a blogger meet where we were to try the new Hollywood themed menu at California's Pizza Kitchen. Often being frequented by celebrities, CPK decided to give its Indian diners a little peep into what signature dishes the celebs usually pick in their outlets in L.A. The special menu includes new cocktails such as Men In Black and Long Beach (available only in select outlets) and yummy pizzas and pastas. The Hollywood at CPK Menu is available from February 24 to March 16.

As we got seated, we were offered a choice of two mocktails - Mango Mint Ecstasy and Pineapple Twister (at present, the Indiranagar CPK outlet only has a beer and wine license). The Mango Mint Ecstasy had way too much going for itself and the lemon managed to drown out the flavour of mango. The Pineapple Twister was something I liked more simply for my preference for pineapple and sweeter things, though that wasn't the popular choice for others.

As Chef Kuldeep began to explain the concept of the Hollywood menu and we were busy with the drinks, the pizzas eventually appeared and a whiff of that sent me to pizza heaven. The first pizza I tried was Hawaiian Chicken & Grilled Pineapple Pizza, because I love pineapple on my pizza! I'll be honest, both the chicken meat and the pineapple were a little too dry for me, I was looking for something more juicy. I guess the grilled pineapple threw me off, but the flavours worked as always.

Hawaiian Chicken & Grilled Pineapple Pizza

The next pizza we tried was the Jamaican Jerk & Chicken Pizza, which had garlic chicken tossed in a spicy, sweet Caribbean sauce, authentic Jamaican spices, roasted peppers and red onions on a regular crust. The meat lovers at the table loved this pizza because of all the spices and the heat. Chicken was juicy, and I loved the kick of the Jamaican Jerk.

Jamaican Jerk & Chicken Pizza

The Deli Style Bistro Pizza was the one I was looking forward to the most. It had Italian sausages, capicola ham and Canadian bacon finished with lemon herbed rocket leaves and Bocconcini. This one was served on a thin crust topped with pesto marinara. I love Capicola ham and Bacon and Bocconcini, so this pizza won my heart instantly. The flavours worked wonderfully and wasn't too hearty and loaded, but light and crisp. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I was the only one at the table who tried this. The rest at the table didn't touch pork.

The meat loaded Deli Style Bistro Pizza

The Spicy Sonora Pizza was one of the most innovative and delicious pizzas I've tried yet. It had roasted corn and blackbean salsa and spicy smoked chicken with cilantro and lime cream sauce and a strong hit of chilli. Salsa on a pizza was a first for me, but I loved it immensely. The Tex-Mex punch and the spike of lime all came together perfectly. The only thing missing was a shot of tequila. ;)

Spicy Sonora Pizza with the Tex-Mex kick

We almost forgot about the vegetarians, until the Rustica Pizza showed up. The CPK version of an Italian classic, this thin crusted pizza was topped with grilled zucchini, sauteed white mushrooms, green olives and capers and fresh shavings of Parmesan. The table unanimously voted this as the best pizza of the night. While it lacked heat, it simply tasted like these flavours were meant to work together, and tasted like warm, delectable Italian harmony. I personally prefer a simple Margherita when it comes to rustic Italian pizzas, but this one made me change my mind.

Rustica Pizza - simple, light and delicious

After having had our fair share of pizzas, Chef Kuldeep brought in the pastas. The first one we tried was the Mediterranean Roasted Mushroom Spaghettini, a fiery blend of roasted mushrooms, garlic, onions, Serrano chillies and Mediterraneasn herbs. This pasta dish was the hero of the night for me. Chef Kuldeep explained how the mushrooms were first tossed with garlic, then the herbs, and finally mixed with the chillies and garlic flavoured Spaghettini tossed in olive oil. For those who aren't aware, Spaghettini is a thinner form of spaghetti but thicker than vermicelli. The pasta was light, delivered on taste and flavour, and packed a powerful punch. I would have liked to done a takeaway if I could.

A pasta dish so perfect that it could make me cry.

The meat lovers had the Spaghetti Carretierra - another Italian classic with a CPK twist thrown in with red chillies, rocket, Bocconcini and freshly crushed pepper in a tangy cream sauce. I personally wasn't the biggest fan of the Bocconcini in a creamy pasta dish, but the rest of the elements on the plate worked. The ingredients were fresh, and the chilli, pepper and rocket combination was much loved.

Spaghetti Carretierra

After our pastas, we had a couple of more Speciality dishes designed for the menu. We tried the California Peri Peri Chicken which was a boneless chicken grilled with CPK's housemade California Peri Peri marinade and baked in a creamy sauce. The sauce was mind blowing, and the chicken was tender and well cooked. I would have enjoyed a little more heat, but the rest of the bloggers seemed to be content with its spice levels. The chicken was served with crispy, perfect fries on one plate and with sauteed veggies on another. We loved them both.

California Peri Peri Chicken - grilled to perfection

The vegetarians got the Spinach and Paneer Malfati with Milan Sauce that had tender spinach and Paneer Gnocchi styled dumplings in a creamy caramelized onion sauce, flavoured with garlic and goat cheese. I'm usually hesitant with Paneer in non-Indian preparations, but this dish was an affair to remember. The caramelized onion, the strong flavour of garlic that resonated in the Malfati and the yummy goat cheese all came together to sync beautifully in a marriage of flavours.

Spinach & Paneer Malfati with Milan Sauce with a very generous helping of veggies

When we were about to burst and I felt like my jeans button was about to pop, the dessert was finally brought in - the California Delight, which was a lovely trio of white chocolate, strawberry and dark chocolate mousse with cranberries and almond praline. This was served with Pita Chips that were dusted with Demerrera sugar, corn syrup and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. I loved the texture of the mousse, and the dark chocolate was my absolute favourite. Everyone at the table was in consensus with this and ordered another portion to devour this decadent dessert. On the other hand, I found too much going on with the Pita chips and the corn syrup threw me off. I would have maybe preferred an almond tuile instead. But the Pita didn't stop me from indulging. The dessert won may hearts and sent us home happier and a little heavier as well.

California Delight - delightful mousse

Overall, we had a fantastic time at California Pizza Kitchen and loved the new Hollywood Menu. I give this one a definite hit, especially for the pasta and the specialties. Visit for friendly service, good ambience and a menu that would definitely leave you wanting for more.

The Mask

Last week, a friend from Wooplr and I got together to check out this restaurant Mask, at the Aurick Boutique Hotel. Located at JP Nagar 6th Phase, the stretch is quite filled with a sizeable number of restaurants, and I must admit, this was only my second time venturing into the area. The last time I visited (which was 4 years back), it seemed quite dead, but is now blossoming with plenty of dining spots and coffee shops.

Notice how the wine glass craftily makes its way into the 'mask'.

The Aurick Boutique Hotel primarily has 3 places you could dine - 2 restaurants and one coffee shop that is open 24x7. The Maori restaurant focuses on Indo Pacific cuisine, while The Mask is a  resto bar serving continental fare. The view of the city from Mask is quite lovely, and it was a pity that I visited during lunch time. The view would be done more justice if I had probably stopped by for dinner instead.

I was definitely a big fan of the interiors.

Our server started us off with the mocktail of the day, which he claimed were Appletinis (though it had no alcohol), but was simply a weird apple milk shake (is that even a thing?). I then asked him for the cocktail menu, as I was looking forward to an icy drink on that particularly torrid afternoon, to which he simply shrugged and said there wasn't one. I could apparently order whatever I wanted, and he said he'd bring it. I ordered a Mojito, but received a pineapple-vodka drink with a splash of soda. He told me that's how they made a Mojito, I decided to stick to my bottled water.

As my drink disappointed me, I jumped on to the starters and ordered the Malaysian Style Prawn and on the chef's recommendation, we ordered the Swiss Meat Bowl. The prawn was described to be an Asian style of sweet and sour prawn dish, but we found it to be very Manchurian like, with bits of chillies, spring onions and capsicum thrown in. I thought it as a complete waste of good quality prawns. The meat bowl had 4 meat balls, that had minced chicken stuffed with mozzarella and then crumb fried. The chicken mince was a little too dry for my taste, and the cheese failed to make any impression whatsoever.

Malaysian Chilli Prawn - very reminiscent of the capsicum chilli-esque Manchurian dishes.

Swedish Meat Bowl with coleslaw

The chef also insisted that we try the new soup that wasn't yet featured on the menu, and we decided to go ahead with that. I got the Pumpkin and Cilantro Soup, neatly separated, and the flavour of the pumpkin really stood out wonderfully, which easily overshadowed that of the cilantro. My friend got the Onion and Cilantro Soup, which to me, wasn't the best combination. The onion soup also tasted more like a lighter version of a basic white sauce and didn't work with the cilantro for me.

Pumpkin and Coriander Soup - lovely combination of flavours.

Onion and Coriander Soup

Since we were exceptionally hungry, we also tried a salad each - I knew I was going to order the Caesar Salad simply because it was served with crispy bits of bacon (and is always a personal favourite). My friend picked a nice, light Greek Salad and decided to top it up with Prawns. I was in love with my Caesar Salad and the bacon bits added the perfect bite to the salad. The dressing, made in-house was fresh and delicious, and coated every bit of the Romaine lettuce. It was oddly topped with grated cheese and served on a bed of sliced tomatoes, that I didn't care for too much. My friend's Greek Salad was mighty disappointing though. We expected a light olive oil and vinegar dressing with herbs, but were instead met with a creamy mayo dressing for the Greek Salad that didn't have much Greek going for it. Lettuce coated in mayo, topped with prawns and a sprinkling of parsley and served on cucumber slices, instead of being tossed with the lettuce. This was their own version of the Greek Salad, I suppose. The only saving grace was the crumbled bits of Feta they served it with.

Caesar Salad with crispy bacon bits and topped with grated cheese

Greek Salad with Grilled Prawns in a thick, creamy dressing.

We finally proceeded to our mains where again, on the chef's recommendation, I ordered the Fish D Casa, which was a nice grilled fish served with creamy spinach sauce on a bed of spaghetti and a side of veggies. The fish was perfectly cooked and I loved the spinach sauce that topped it. The flavours really came together, and the veggies were seasoned with butter and herbs that gave it that extra kick. What also blew me away was the spaghetti, that was cooked perfectly al dente and was simply tossed with garlic, chilli and olive oil - the simple, but delicious flavours that always work. Every flavour on the plate worked to create a beautiful harmony of sorts.

My friend decided to order the Moroccan Lamb Chops, that was their specialty, and it was a Moroccan style juicy lamb served with cous cous & ratatouille. We were hoping for a juicy lamb chop, but the lamb was a tad overcooked and dry. The cous cous also got replaced with 'spicy flavoured rice' that seemed like a Pulav gone wrong. The sauce wasn't too bad, but had only one primary dimension of flavour and lacked a zing. I found it quite boring and monotonous and wished it had more depth. A nice salad/side of mash would have also worked with the lamb.

Moroccan Lamb Chops with flavoured rice

Pretty stuffed with our mains, my friend decided to order one portion of a dessert for the two of us. 3 out of the 5 menu items weren't available, and we settled for the Caramel Custard instead. It tasted pretty average, nothing extraordinary, and probably wasn't the best finish to our meal.

Service also failed to hit the mark, with the servers often confusing the drinks and the dishes up. While they were friendly and courteous, they simply weren't trained enough to completely understand the menu and the dishes. The restaurant is experimenting with its menu and desperately needs to up its food and service to really leave a mark and keep its customers returning. The view is definitely worthy of a visit, but the rest of the elements fail to keep it together.

Overall, my rating:
Food: 5.5/10
Service: 6/10
Ambience: 8/10
Verdict: They're trying out a new menu with some serious changed to be implemented, so maybe wait it out a month before trying it. The fish is definitely recommended.

The Mask is located at: Aurick Boutique Hotel, 598, 15th Cross, 35th Main, 6th Phase, JP Nagar, Bangalore
Phone: 080-49011000
Parking: Basement parking available