California Pizza Kitchen unveils new flavors, new ‘island’ layout

I remember having my first taste of the Original BBQ Chicken Pizza of California Pizza Kitchen back in college, over a decade ago. Its unusual flavor appealed to my palate then, and I’m not surprised that the item is still available today.

There are now 10 branches of CPK all over the metro, and the latest one in Century City Mall presents a new dining layout and new additions to the menu as well.

The secret to success

The Century City Mall branch also features a first for CPK worldwide: a layout that Archie Rodriguez, president and CEO of Global Restaurant Concepts Inc. (which brought the brand to  the Philippines), calls its "island concept."

“We call it an ‘island’ because it’s located in the center of the mall, without walls, and yet has our trademark open pizza kitchen,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to do this concept for a while now.”

The new branch can accommodate 80 guests and the open space allows mall-goers to see the restaurant from any angle, which lets the establishment showcase its food and service at the same time.

Innovation is indeed CPK’s secret to longevity. Apart from the new breakthrough layout, the brand also updates its menu every six to nine months. “We’re constantly doing development for food,” said Rodriguez. “Every week, I’m trying new items. It’s a fun business in that aspect, but that also means you have to exercise twice as hard. But it’s fun. I like the job. Hopefully the people will enjoy the new things.”

New offerings with local flavors

I was pleasantly surprised to see some local ingredients highlighted in the new menu. I ordered a glass of White Mango Sangria, which mixed Chardonnay and mango juice in one refreshing beverage. It was light and not that strong, a perfect drink for ladies who lunch.

We then whetted our appetite with the Green Mango Salad, a colorful mix of fresh Napa and red cabbage, carrots, cilantro, basil, bean sprouts and roasted peanuts. The veggies are toasted, and the coconut and fish sauce-based vinaigrette topped with julienned green mangoes. It reminded me of the Thai green papaya salad, although it’s somewhat different, but delicious as well. The freshness of the produce made the dish more appetizing.

Our group also got new appetizers like the Chorizo + Quezo Dip, which uses queso quesadilla and mozzarella cheese with chorizo bits on top. The savory sausage morsels were a good complement to the stringy cheese.

However, I preferred dip the Mushroom Dip, which featured a scrumptious blend of abalone, shiitake and button mushrooms that were oven-baked with queso quesadilla and Parmesan cheese. I liked the umami flavor from the mushrooms and the saltiness of the cheeses. Both dips were served with crostini. For those craving for the CPK favorite, don’t worry: the Spinach Artichoke dip is still available.

We also tasted the latest pasta addition, Fettuccini with Mushroom Truffle Cream Sauce. I loved the aroma of the rich black truffle sauce, which absolutely went well with the shaved button mushrooms. The creamy sauce really clung to the noodles and it made my every bite a dream. But then, I’ve always been partial to anything with truffle.

We couldn’t leave without trying the newest variant of original hand-tossed pizza, the Chorizo Pizza. The pie didn’t seem it was overloaded with toppings but it was jam-packed with flavor. The piquant chorizo bits with mozzarella, sautéed red onions, yellow and red bell peppers made my taste buds happy. The pizza’s chewy crust made me feel full but I just couldn’t resist getting another slice.

Another must-try is the Ocean’s Harvest, the new crispy thin crust creation. It’s a seafood medley of squid and shrimp with caramelized onions, red and yellow bell peppers, fresh mozzarella and shaved Parmesan cheese. Vegetarians or pescetarians would appreciate this for sure.

To end our meal, we sampled a couple of new sweet treats. The Halo2, CPK’s version of halo-halo, is good for sharing. The serving has a mix of coconut jelly, sweetened jackfruit, black beans, corn, banana with caramel sauce, and vanilla ice cream, topped with caramelized walnuts. I was overwhelmed by its size and didn’t know where to start, so I just grabbed a spoon and scooped as much as I could. It was icy, creamy and fruity at the same time.

As cool as the Halo2 was, the must-not-miss dessert for me is the Pecorino Romano Cheesecake with Raspberry Puree. The elegant-looking cake had a combination of cream cheese and Pecorino Romano on a traditional graham cracker crust with raspberry puree. It was the kind of cheesecake that I liked—so rich and creamy that it would stick to your heart. The tartness of the raspberry sauce helped cut the richness. A couple of bites were enough to satisfy my sweet cravings. I was then officially full.

Despite being around for almost two decades, CPK still continues to be top-of-mind with pizza lovers and foodies. I would definitely go back to get a second taste of the new dishes, which would hopefully appear on the menu of the other branches—and maybe even go global. — BM, GMA News