Italian food has always been a synonym for good food. Remember the movie Eat, Love and Pray? Wherein Julia Roberts travels to Italy to attain gastronomic nirvana. Think Italian and the first thing that comes to mind is the humble Pizza.
California Pizza Kitchen -a pioneer in Californian-style pizzas- has been serving delicious pizzas from quite a long time. I myself am a lover of their thin-crusts, so when I got the opportunity to try out their new star-studded "Hollywood on Your table" menu especially designed for this award season (available only till 16th March!) at their Phoenix Mills outlet located in Lower Parel, I didn't let the opportunity pass by.
The first thing one's eyes look for in the menu are the drinks and the "Hollywood on Your table" menu doesn't disappoint in that regard. The menu comprise of three cocktails and two mocktails. As usual I sided with the mocktails and tried both the available options, namely, the Pineapple twister and the Mango Mint Ecstasy. The Pineapple twister, naturally, happens to be my choice due to it's tangy taste perfectly married with the refreshing accents of mint. The Mango Mint Ecstasy although a bit too sweet is pretty impressive. I enjoyed it big time with my dessert.
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| The Mango Mint Ecstasy mocktail |
Basically, the pizza section in the new "Hollywood on Your table" menu is a boon for non-vegetarians as it boasts of five pizzas out of which four are meant for meat-eaters. They get to choose from the zingy Hawaiian Chicken & Pineapple pizza, the Caribbean inspired Jamaican Jerk & Chicken pizza, the exotic sounding Deli Style Bistro pizza and the essentially Mexican Spicy Sonora pizza. The ones who tried the non-vegetarian spread swore by the Spicy Sonora pizza.
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| The Spicy Sonora |
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| The Jamaican Jerk & Chicken Pizza |
Vegetarians have the option of going with the Rustica pizza or the modified Spicy Sonora pizza (I say modified because the Chef informed me that it can be made vegetarian on request by replacing the chicken with paneer). I tried the Rustica pizza and was mindblown; the perfectly thin and crispy crust topped with grilled zucchini, sauteed white mushrooms, green olives and capers was just delicious.
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| The Rustica Pizza |
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| The half-eaten Rustica pizza (lol!) |
Not a Pizza eater but a Pasta lover? Don't worry! The "Hollywood on Your table" menu features two pasta dishes- the
Mediterranean Roasted Mushroom Spaghettini and the
Spaghetti Carretierra.
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| Spaghetti Carretierra |
The Mediterranean Roasted Mushroom Spaghettini is a vegetarian option, while the Spaghetti Carretierra (which everyone loved at the table) isn't because of the use of chicken stock in it. Nevertheless, the Mediterranean Roasted Mushroom Spaghettini that I had opted for was delicious; the mushrooms were marinated beautifully furthermore, the spaghettini tossed in extra-virgin olive oil and herbs complimented the mushrooms very well. The Parmesan sprinkled generously on the top was a wonderful addition to the dish.
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| Mediterranean Roasted Mushroom Spaghettini |
The Spinach and Paneer Malfati with Milan Sauce and the California Peri Peri Chicken are the two much talked about house specialties on "The Hollywood menu". And I assure you, they are worth the hype! The Spinach and Paneer Malfati with Milan Sauce that I had was brilliant! The gnocchi made up of Spinach and Paneer are the 'melt-in-the mouth' kind, and imagine them in a delectable creamy caramelized onion sauce with bits of fresh Goat cheese! Ah, heaven.
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| Spinach and Paneer Malfati with Milan Sauce |
On the other hand, the California Peri Peri Chicken is an absolute eye-candy. The beautifully grilled boneless chicken in spicy peri peri marinade, baked with a creamy sauce and served with a side of stir-fried exotic vegetables was an instant hit with the non-vegetarians at the table. And why wouldn't it be? I myself was enchanted by it's beauty!
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| California Peri Peri Chicken |
After wiping off the main course from the plate came time to relish the dessert. The "Hollywood on Your table" menu is graced by the presence of just one dessert; the California Delight, a trio of white chocolate, strawberry and dark chocolate mousse with almond praline and cranberries. Honestly, words aren't sufficient when it comes to describing this dessert! Knowing the fact that it was gone within seconds after being served would give you an idea about how scrumptious it was!
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| California Delight |
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| One second on, other second gone! |
Overall, the "Hollywood on Your table" menu at California Pizza Kitchen has some exceptional dishes. I would certainly return for more of the California Delight! If you want a taste of "The Hollywood menu" better do it ASAP, as the menu is around only till 16th March. So hurry up folks!
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