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.

Chef's Table at Pizza Hut

Last week, I was invited to a special Chef's Table Menu at Pizza Hut. The event mainly invited food bloggers and other individuals associated with the F & B industry. The Chef's Table event was in its third season in India, and was led by Pizza Hut's Head Chef, Arjyo Bannerjee in collaboration with Luca Ciano, Executive Chef from Barilla (the international pasta giant), Italy.

The event started out with icy cool beverages being handed about. For a moment, I got excited thinking they were cocktails, but I quickly realized where I was. Nevertheless, the drinks were great, particularly the Ginger and Lime one that I tried. The main focus of the event was to showcase Pizza Hut's soon to be launched pasta menu and educate people about pasta and the innovative recipes you could use to maximize the burst of flavours.

Chef Arjyo and Chef Luca ready to get the cookout session started!

The session began full swing with a very cool live cookout workshop where the chefs were dishing out Pasta 101 to us. While we were getting this Pasta gyaan, the appetizers were laid out for us. The Assorted Veg Platter consisted of Crispy Veg Patty, Parmesan &Garlic Potato Wedges and Onion Rings served with Sweet Chilli ad Jalapeno Cheese sauces. The potato wedges and the veg patty were perfectly crispy and had surprisingly good flavours (I have little faith in fried vegetarian starters when it comes to European food in India).

Veg Platter - Potato wedges, Veg Patty and Onion Rings

The Non Veg Platter consisted of Chicken topped Crispies, Jerk Chicken Skewer and Kibbeh with Tomato Salsa and Yoghurt dip. The only redeeming dish on this platter was the Chicken Topped Crispies, which were something like an Indianized version of Nachos with good squirts of cheese. The Jerk Chicken was pretty bland on flavour and the Kibbeh was too dry for my taste.

Non-veg Platter - Chicken Crispies, Jerk Chicken and Kibbeh

Chef Arjyo started the cookout session by whipping up the Red O White pasta (to be launched next month by Pizza Hut). This was simply fusili tossed in a tangy tomato and herb sauce and tempered with cream, topped generously with basil and Parmesan. With use of limited but fresh ingredients, this pasta came together wonderfully in terms of flavour and spice.

Red O White - tomato and herb sauce with cream.

Next, it was Chef Luca's turn to wow us. He prepared a Warm Spaghetti Salad with Lemon & Oregano marinated Prawns. Since it was a salad, none of the ingredients were cooked, except the pasta. This got some people jittery, since raw prawns wasn't something they were interested in trying. Chef Luca assured us it was ok, that the heat of the spaghetti will warm up the prawns fine, and the prawns were of top-notch quality so they wouldn't create an issue at all (plus, don't we eat Sushi with raw seafood anyway?). The salad was warm and refreshing, and the lemon and oregano worked their magic on the prawns fantastically.

Warm spaghetti that was al dente - firm to the bite.

Spaghetti Salad with Lemon & Oregano Prawns

While the chefs were busy prepping for more pasta,  we were served some pizzas to calm our growling stomachs (why not pizza at Pizza Hut, right?). The Grilled Chicken pizza was okay, nothing exceptional. The Roasted Bell Pepper, Arugula and Parmesan pizza was simply delicious. The freshness of the arugula and the sharp, nutty flavour of the Parmesan shavings came together brilliantly (I downed 5 slices of this). Again, the vegetarian dish tasted far better than the meat one.

Grilled Chicken Pizza - Lacked punch and flavour.

Veg Pizza - Roasted Bell Pepper with fresh Arugula and Parmesan shavings. Fresh and delicious!

Our next pasta dish was Lasagna Bolognese, except that instead of beef, the chefs used chicken instead. Chef Arjyo made 2 layers of lasagna along with the chicken version of Bologna. I personally found the dish very heavy and fared average on taste - the rest of my table also returned their plates of half-eaten lasagna which echoed what I thought of the dish as well (all the other pizzas and pastas were wiped clean). The lasagna in particular was too rich, and I couldn't get past the first few bites.

Lasagna Bolognese

The final pasta dish was Penne with Sicilian Vegetable Caponata, Salted Ricotta and Pine Nuts, prepared by Chef Luca. More than the flavours in this pasta, I loved the different textures in this dish! The creaminess of the Ricotta, crunchiness of the pine nuts blended beautifully with the caponata. The pasta was topped with very fine fried juliennes of aubergine that we LOVED. I didn't think I would be able to get a cut that fine at home, so I asked Chef Luca to demonstrate it; and he did such a wonderful job that he made me feel like I had some serious dexterity issues.

Chef Luca wowing the crowd with his knife skills.

Penne with Vegetable Caponata, Ricotta and Pine nuts.

We finished off our meal with the Warm Chocolate Trio for dessert, which was simply warm, molten chocolate cake topped with chocolate sauce, ice-cream and white chocolate chips. It tasted good, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Warm Chocolate Trio

Chef Arjyo's and Luca's 3 top tips for making a pasta dish:
1. Use firm pastas like Penne and Farfalle for chunky sauces with veggies and chicken.
2. Use flat pastas like Fettucine for heavier, creamier sauces.
3. Use thin pastas like Spaghetti for lighter sauces.

Overall, I had a great time at the Chef's Table event and Chef Arjyo and Chef Luca kept us very entertained and dished out some yummy food with funnier quips. A fun evening overall.

P.S. I didn't have to pay for my meal as it was an event for bloggers, but this is an unbiased review of the event.