We are all food critics in the sense that we constantly judge and criticize the food that we eat based on our own preferences. Filipinos are no different. We love our food and we always have a thing or two to say about it.
Apart from the popular Filipino dishes that we have, the Filipino family now enjoys variety — and the influx of restaurants offering other specialties such as pizzas, pastas, salads, and the like are very much appreciated. One such restaurant that has been successful in penetrating the Filipino market is California Pizza Kitchen, or CPK. It started operations in the country in 1998 and has had numerous additions to their menu ever since.
What sets CPK apart from the rest is the ingredients and food preparation. First, they boast of an “open kitchen” that sends the message that cleanliness and safety is given utmost priority. Second, olive oil is used is instead of the regular oil (high in saturated fat) used by other restaurants as a main ingredient for their pizza dough. Third, they use “kosher” certified salt, which means that the said ingredient has met certain standards of cleanliness and is free from impurities. Lastly, they use honey instead of sugar (in all pizza dough and some sauces and salad dressings) and none of their food has MSG (monosodium glutamate).
I was served a dish from their old favorites, the Original Chopped salad which consists of chopped lettuce, basil, salami, chilled roast turkey breast, diced tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese. This was tossed in CPK’s herb-mustard parmesan vinaigrette topped with scallions. It has a refreshing taste to it, with the fresh mix of veggies and just the right amount of dressing that wasn’t too filling. For those who are watching their weight, you may choose not to eat the salami and devour the rest of it!
A visit to CPK won’t be complete without sinking your teeth into a pizza, and I had the Vegetarian with Japanese Eggplant Pizza. It was an exotic combination of broccoli, Mozzarella cheese, grilled Japanese eggplant, roasted corn, sliced red onions, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes on a tomato-sauce base. The broccoli added the crunch, while the blend of the sun-dried tomatoes with the eggplant was a zesty treat — that even non-veggie eaters can enjoy.
At CPK, you also have the option to have your favorite pizza on honey wheat dough instead of white dough. So the next time you eat at CPK, try exploring their menu. Their new and old entries are packed with delightful favors that your taste buds may have yet to savor.