Mexifornia Menu at California Pizza Kitchen

I have been hogging so much lately, that it seems like all I do everyday is eat half a dozen times (maybe even more). New restaurants to try out, blogger meets, all-you-can-eat buffets, all catch my fancy, and are somehow getting the better of me. In another blogger meet at California Pizza Kitchen last week, I tried out their new menu inspired from Mexico, or as they like to call it, their Mexifornia menu.

When I entered the restaurant, the servers greeted me with a big smile wearing cute sombreros (the Mexican hat, that I absolutely adore). Keeping in mind the theme of Mexico, everything from the music to the decor was suited well to it. After being seated, Chef Kuldeep Bharani began to outline the menu for the night and mentioned that CPK introduces a Mexican style menu every year and loves experimenting with the flavours. With the state of California bordering Mexico, it only made sense that the brand stayed true to its roots and paid a tribute to the neighbouring country's cuisine.

We started off with the CPK Nachos - these were regular nachos, topped with oodles of cheese sauces, jalapenos, cilantro, tomatoes and a nice dollop of sour cream. I believe it's hard to go wrong with nachos, and well, that stayed true here too. I enjoyed the nachos, but I would have enjoyed a nice big blob of guacamole as well. Nachos + cheese + guacamole + sour cream = Heaven!

CPK Nachos

Next up, we had to Tick Our Pick, where we got to create our own Tapas platter by choosing a base (flat tostada, tacos, chalupa), topping (chipotle salsa, roasted corn, checca, sonora chicken, southern chicken), sauce (jalapeno guacamole, sour cream, spicy tomato) and garnish (shredded lettuce, sour cream, scallion). Since there were 8 of us at the table, we all experimented with the various toppings, bases and sauces. I selected a crunchy taco with roasted corn, jalapeno guacamole, sour cream and shredded lettuce. I thought the flavours really came together in this and the heat of the jalapeno in the guacamole cut through the sourness of the cream wonderfully.

Crunchy taco with roast corn, jalapeno guacamole and sour cream

The pizza menu was then laid out in front of us and before I could order, the chef said he'd be dishing out every pizza there was in the menu for us to try. Unflinchingly and with no complaints, I patiently waited for the pizzas to arrive. We kicked off with the Serrano Cotija Pizza which had marinated Baja cottage cheese on a regular crust with mozzarella, roasted corn and mushrooms. I personally do not like cottage cheese, but this pizza made me think otherwise. Baja marinade is a very tangy, Mexican-style blend of garlic, citrus, chilli pepper and cilantro that gives a kick to meats and vegetables in most Mexican dishes. The Baja cottage cheese was lovely here and the corn and mushrooms were perfect accompaniments.

Serrano Cotija Pizza

Next, we were given the Egg & Chicken Pizza, a spicy but simple pizza with minced chicken, eggs and red bell peppers. I didn't like this pizza at all, and felt that the flavours didn't work. I personally thought this would be an egg Florentine of sorts (with a bubbly egg cracked in the middle of the pizza). It tasted too, for the lack of a better word, eggy. Yes, egg pizza that tastes eggy is expected, but it did not taste good and it just didn't work. The chicken mince also lacked seasoning. The rest of the bloggers at my table agreed.

Egg and Chicken Pizza with red bell peppers

The Sonora Salsa Pizza was queued up next, a thin crust pizza topped with roasted tomato salsa, mozzarella, homemade roasted corn and black bean salsa, garnished with jalapeno guacamole sauce and cilantro. This pizza to me, represented Mexico at its best. The roasted corn and black bean salsa were redolent of flavours from Mexico, forged with the acidity of the tomato salsa, along with the heat of that jalapeno guacamole that I loved made for a light pizza packed with powerful flavours.

Sonora Salsa Pizza

The Tijuana Chicken Pizza, which Chef Bharani said was the most selling pizza of the menu, soon made its rounds. Albuquerque sauce smeared on a thin crust with mozzarella, grilled onions, shredded chicken and sliced jalapenos topped this pizza. I'm partial to jalapenos, so I did enjoy this pizza, but these jalapenos weren't from the bottled ones soaked in a brine solution. Fresh jalapenos used on this pizza elevated the flavour profile of all the toppings as well and made for a spicy-licious pizza that we all enjoyed.

Tijuana Pizza

The final pizza was the Southwestern Pizza, with refried bean sauce on a regular crust topped with grilled onions, tomatoes, baby corn, broccoli and sour cream. This pizza didn't excite me too much, and somehow the sourness of the cream dominated the flavour of the refried beans making this just another pizza with veggies and chicken that lacked character.

Southwestern Pizza

With our tummies nearly full with the pizzas, we learnt that there were 'Specialties' from the Mexifornia menu that weren't to be missed. With a heavy heart because of a heavy stomach, I reached out to take a bite of the beautiful Baja Fish in Banana Leaf - a lovely Baja marinated Basa fish that was wrapped in a banana leaf and baked in a hearth oven. Chef Bharani mentioned that the fish was cooked with two techniques - steaming and baking. The fish was perfectly moist and tender, and the citrusy kick of the Baja marinade made love to the fish so delicately, that I gorged it down in quick mouthfuls.

Baja Fish in Banana Leaf

With me being stuffed up nearly to my neck, I went ahead and tried the Tex Mex Fajita served with sauteed onions, bell peppers, shredded chicken tossed in soy sauce and fajita spice with homemade tortillas with quintessential sides of guacamole, sour cream and roasted tomato salsa. The soy sauce in the meat in a Mexican menu seemed a little off to me, but the chef explained that it was to give it a salty kick that would work well with the flavours of the sour cream and guacamole. In a strange way, he turned out to be right, but yet again, the guacamole and sour cream dominated the flavours, though I'm not entirely complaining. I've always had a soft spot for fajitas with guacamole after all.

Tex Mex Fajita

The California Styled Burritto Wrap arrived in all its glory, filled with California rice, refried black bean sauce, cheddar cheese and shredded lettuce, drizzled with sour cream and served with spicy BBQ sauce and fries. Now this is a massive burritto, and a portion that could easily feed at least two people. Standard burritto filling, nothing to write home about, except that it was quite heavy. I would have liked some jalapenos/chilli and a dash of lemon to give it some zing, as it tasted a little too vapid to me.

California Styled Burritto Wrap

If you don't already know, there is one stomach for food, and another for dessert. So while I had stuffed myself uptil my brain, my second tummy immediately opened up to welcome dessert with open arms. The first dessert I tried was the Apple Enchilada - crisp wonton sheets with apple compote and Philadelphias cheese, which were fried until sweet and golden brown, served with apple sauce and vanilla ice-cream. When it comes to fruits in desserts, I love the use of apple; when it's deep fried in wonton sheets, even more so. This was truly a magical dessert that had the right balance of different textures of crunchy and soft, different flavours, and even the hot and cold between the wontons and ice-cream, all work a little too well to create an orgasmic dessert that will leave you wanting more (I'm not kidding, I was halfway home when my third craving got to me).

Apple Enchiladas

The other dessert was the Coconut Lime Tres Leches Cake, which is a popular Mexican dessert, and had a light and fluffy texture, dominant with flavours of coconut and lime. The flavour of the coconut milk is quite distinct and is cut sharply with the citric acidity of the lime; despite that, the fluffy texture and the flavours somehow didn't create the best of desserts for me. The table was divided on the verdict of this dish, so it's really a matter of personal preference (as is in all cases).

Coconut Lime Tres Leches Cake

Now that I had my share of dessert(s), I was officially stuffed and couldn't eat a morsel more. Overall, I enjoyed the Mexifornia menu that CPK had to offer and definitely recommend it to those who like Mexican food. Must-trys include the Sonora Salsa PIzza, Tijuana Chicken Pizza, Baja Fish in Banana Leaf and the Apple Enchiladas.

Note: The special Mexifornia menu is available only till July 6th, so make sure you visit soon. Also, they have a special menu for Margaritas, but due to license issues, it's only served in the CPK outlet in Whitefield. If you do try the drinks there, please leave a comment below and let me know! :)

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.

Food Hopping in New York!

Yes, I know it has been forever and a 3-month hiatus is unforgivable. I've been busy with work, shifting houses, a friend's wedding and lots of travelling. I managed to visit the U.S. last month and I had an amazing time. So I thought I'll share a few pictures of the food I gorged in New York (I'm sorry I couldn't have too many pics here, I've been struggling to find my old memory card in this house and mostly, I finished eating before clicking a pic).

                                  Salmon and Avocado Sushi with Yuzu Aioli at Ruby Foo's.

            Roast Peking Duck with a sweet and subtly spicy Hoisin sauce. Absolutely delicious!

Watermelon, Ricotta and Ricola Salad with sunflower seeds - I liked the different textures.

                   Oysters with red wine vinaigrette, lemon and horseradish. If you like Sushi, 

you'll be able to deal with oysters.

                              The New York Sicilian - Mozzarella and tomato sauce on a square pizza

 base with a thick crust at Julian's Brick Oven.

                The Manhattan - Mozzarella, tomato sauce, basil and garlic. Simple and nice.

                      Capicola, salami, meslun and mayo wrap served with the best sweet
                                                     potato fries I've ever had!

                       Chicken salad with fresh veggies and a cold Garbanzo soup at a local deli.

                                               Hot chicken wings at an Irish pub.

                       American style Mac n Cheese - a little too cheesy for my taste.

                     Pastrami sandwich at a local diner - too much meat, too little seasoning.

                                  The 'small' portion of the Greek salad that I ordered.

Unagi Eel Sushi - the eel was well-cooked with a sweet and spicy sauce, so I wasn't too squeamish about trying eel for the first time.

               Mandoo Gui - deep fried beef dumplings. Very greasy, and hence, very yummy.

   Pork Belly being BBQ'd. No final shot because we ate it in minutes the moment it was done.

Assorted Korean-style accompaniments for the

various meats.

                   Deep fried spicy chicken that I loved. Reminded me of home actually.

        Garden Fresh Omelette - Cheese, mushrooms, green peppers and tomatoes at IHOP.

      Spinach and Mushroom Omelette topped with Hollandaise sauce - very rich and filling.

The fluffiest, most delicious pancakes I've had in my life - topped perfectly with a blob of butter   and served with assorted syrups.

First things first, I got a new watermark. Yay! I'm trying the whole "I-click-photos-of-food-so-I-shall-use-an-artistic-watermark" thing, so I thought this would give my photos a cleaner look - what do you guys think?

Also, a few observations after having eaten at the U.S.:

1. Portion sizes are HUGE. They literally are the size of your head. So forget ordering an appetizer AND a main course. Pick one.
2. Fatty/unhealthy/greasy foods are dirt cheap. McDonald's serves quarter pounder burgers for a pittance, and that really contributes to a growing unhealthy population there.
3. Healthy, well-cooked food and cooking at home is expensive. A dozen eggs cost more than buying a small jar of mayo. It's thus easier to just buy readymade stuff instead.
4. Food is actually cheap in New York. I found Sushi rolls (6 pieces) for $3. I get 2 pieces of Sushi priced INR 300 and upwards in Bangalore.
5. The food streets are really interesting and you'll find cuisines from world over in New York. There are also food tours that are organized that help you explore new areas to find all kinds of food.

So, yeah, I had a ball of a time, but I was bummed that I didn't eat at more places because I didn't have much time. 

Before I sign off, here's a pic of me with the New York skyline. I'm feeling very narcissistic.