East meets west in CPK's new menu

MANILA, Philippines - Proving that California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) is a melting pot of good food and refined taste, the pizza chain combines the diverse and exciting flavors of east and west with its authentic California-style cuisine to come up with 25 new dishes guaranteed to leave a mark on your palate.

 Every year, CPK introduces new items on the menu to spice up the dining experience of their regular clients, but this is the first time they’re launching 25 new items in one go.

 “We normally introduce seven or eight new dishes on a regular basis and it would take us six months to conceptualize everything,” says Gina Salazar, senior operations director of CPK Philippines. “We decided to come up with new food items because we noticed that our regular diners don’t look at the menu anymore when they place their orders. They just stick to their favorites. We want them to be more adventurous when it comes to food so we revamped the menu, changed its layout, and added appetizing food shots to whet their appetite even more.”

Freshness guaranteed: The spaghettini vongole at CPK

 CPK Philippines is CPK USA’s first branch in Asia, so it has the audacity to do such a thing. Besides, CPK Philippines has become a training ground for personnel for other Asian branches like Singapore and Shanghai.

 “Our new offerings were developed at our global kitchen using the freshest local and imported ingredients,” notes Gina. “CPK is more than just a pizza and pasta place. We have a complete menu that goes from appetizer to dessert.”

Choke not: Vegetarians will surely love the roasted artichoke and spinach pizza

 For me, the roasted duck salad tops the menu. The fresh greens are mixed with cucumber, celery and roasted peanuts tossed in a spring vinaigrette topped with crispy wontons, sesame seeds and generous servings of shredded roasted duck breast drizzled with hoisin sauce. It’s like having Peking duck, but the Mandarin pancakes are replaced with fresh, green lettuce instead. The crunch comes not from duck skin but the roasted nuts, crispy wontons, and celery.

My appetite was perked up even more when I tried the Dynamite Seafood. This dish, a best-seller in CPK Shanghai, is served uber spicy, but you can always ask the wait staff to tone the flavor down. With every spoonful, you’ll savor the freshness of the shrimps, baby clams, mussels, calamari, and ripe tomatoes. It’s served with toasted garlic baguette slices and is best enjoyed with a glass of Riesling wine.

CPK senior operations director Gina Salazar with marketing manager Ellen Bernales

 “Most diners aren’t aware that CPK has a good wine selection. And that’s what we wanted to highlight on our new menu,” shares Gina. “Our wait staff can offer suggestions on what kind of wine goes best with your meal.

 Aside from food and wine pairing, CPK also launched its Small Craving, a dish that is midway between an appetizer and a main meal. Now you can try as many dishes as you want without digging deep into your pocket.

 “And since CPK is an American company, diners are assured the personal size is big enough to share,” notes Gina. “Small Cravings is perfect for students and yuppies. When they dine in a group, they can take turns in ordering the new food items. In that way, they get to sample the delectable treats in one go.”

Some like it hot: Savor the freshness of shrimps, clams, mussels, and calamari with every spoonful of Seafood Dynamite at CPK.

 Those who have small cravings can opt for the Korean barbecue steak tacos or the spaghettini vongole for lunch or merienda.

 Pizza munchers are definitely in for a treat as CPK introduces seven new pizza varieties. Again, the roasted duck pizza is superb! Dough shall not resist the thick-crust pizza topped with shredded duck, shiitake mushrooms, mozzarella and hoisin sauce garnished with wontons, and slivered scallions. Enjoy it with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir.

 Vegetarians aren’t left out as CPK offers the roasted artichoke and spinach pizza. Indulge in oven-roasted artichoke hearts, spinach, garlic, Fontina, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese with spinach artichoke sauce.

Creamy and yummy: CPK’s smoke salmon spaghetti

 Cap your meal with S’mores Dessert Pizza for a change. CPK’s classic pizza dough is thinly pressed and topped with butter, crushed Graham crackers, dark Belgian chocolate, marshmallows and walnuts. It is then baked to perfection in the stone oven and served with vanilla ice cream on top.

At CPK, linger and enjoy your pizza with your choice of wine. A dough-licious idea, don’t you think?

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California Pizza Kitchen has branches at Glorietta 3, Alabang Town Center, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, TriNoma, Greenhills Promenade Mall, Power Plant Mall, and Greenbelt 5.

For inquiries, visit www.cpk.com.ph or like CPK on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CPKPhilippines.

I want more: The S’mores Dessert Pizza is simply delish!