Re-ignited Love for California Pizza Kitchen, Alabang Town Center
California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) is one of those restaurants that I had a roller-coaster kind of relationship. Back in probably 2012 (or earlier), I fell deeply in love with how the pizza and pasta of CPK tasted amazing in the Greenhills branch, and during that time I hailed it as the best I had so far. However, things between us suddenly turned sour after trying it the second time around in Greenbelt branch. After that, I just needed to "break up", and scrap it off its title.
However, just recently, I bumped into CPK once again in Alabang Town Center, and despite having a heavy heart from the bad "break up", I decided to give it a second chance. Just like that, things turned out magical, and I am happy to say that my love for CPK has been re-ignited!
Typical yet cozy ambiance
The interior of CPK is typically casual yet exudes a high level of comfort. However, at some point, it can be too "typical" resulting to a boring or laid-back feel. Despite this, the place is still highly conducive for family and/or barkada eat outs.
CPK uses Cholula and this drove me crazy! Well, this is because I'm a huge fan of Cholula! It's the perfect hot sauce for me. Oh hail Cholula!
The Original BBQ Chicken Pizza || P245 - Personal || P395 - Regular
Legendary BBQ sauce, smoked Gouda, red onions and cilantro
The crust of the pizza was magically crisp yet it was "soft" as it was able to retain its moisture. The toppings were also incredibly delicious! You'll get a sweet savory tang matched with the playful smokiness from both the Gouda and BBQ sauce. Hands down to this!
PS: Don't be afraid of the word "cilantro". You'll hardly notice and taste it.
The Bolognese || P325 - Personal || P625 - Sharing
The new Bolognese in farfalle pasta, Italian sausage, mushrooms, beef ragu sauce, Mozzarella and Parmesan
Although considerably pricey for the serving size, the quality of the dish somehow compensates. Also, the pasta looks very fun to consume especially with its ribbon shape. The only downside of this is that the sauce didn't work its way much to the "core" of the pasta. Still, the flavor and meatiness of the sauce pulls this dish high up!
Alright, I know that the content of this blog post is bitin, but rest assured that I will update this as soon as I visit this place once more (which I will few weeks from now).
California Pizza Kitchen - Overall Ratings and Summary
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars. The ratings apply solely to this dining experience.
Place ★★★☆
Taste ★★★★☆
Service ★★★★
Value for Money ★★★★
Budget: at least P500 each for a moderate dining experience for a group of at least 4
California Pizza Kitchen offers impressive flavors based on our lunch experience. One more visit and I will be more certain of my re-ignited love for this restaurant. Anyway, I giving this restaurant two-thumbs up for its pizza and pasta!
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California Pizza Kitchen
Location: Level 2, Alabang Town Center
Service Charge: 10% before VAT
