Armed with a 1 for 1 voucher, I was back to visit my favourite pizza haunt in town, California Pizza Kitchen.

I opted for my usual booth seat at the basement level of this cosy family style eatery and being a Friday evening, people started streaming in to no end, resulting in a long queue forming up just outside of the pizza joint just to get a table.

Peking Duck Pizza - Probably one of the most unusual pizzas that I've come across and a signature pizza of CPK, the Peking duck pizza wasn't short on surprises. For starters, the crust's texture tasted like prata or Indian pancake - flaky and a tad chewy. Deep fried wanton skin toppings provided a nice crunch to the pizza. However I couldn't quite make out the taste of the duck slices although I could see them, all thanks to the rather strong peking duck dipping sauce that was drizzled all over. Overall the pizza tasted very much like peking duck wrapped up in a crepe. Most interesting!

Shrimp and Chicken Fettucine with Garlic Cream Sauce - I personally felt that the pasta fell a little short of being al dente. What I did like about this dish was the not too overwhelming garlic cream sauce that didn't render me nauseous (a common occurance for me). I also appreciated the generous servings of chicken cubes and shrimps, making for hearty comfort food.

Apple Crisp Ala Mode - I requested for a scoop of ice cream atop the apple crisp, hence the term ala mode. The nice and sweet layer of crumble belied a trove of hot sourish apple slices that didn't come across as too soft or mashed up. The ice cream tasted like supermarket quality ice cream though. I'm not so much of a sour food eater so the crumble and ice cream appealed more to me.

With the price of my pizza out of the way, the 2 of us chalked up a reasonably modest bill of about $39, which is really bang for the buck in my humble opinion. Now if I could just get my hands on more of those 1 for 1 coupons.

See all my pictures here.

Now CPK has been one of my favorites even way back in Manila. Whenever my budget permits, I would go to CPK for a reward meal. I even celebrated my first bday in Singapore in CPK. Naturally, I was expecting another glorious meal.

For starters, we ordered "Spinach Artichoke Dip".

This is where everything started to go downhill. The tortilla chips were NOT hot at all. Not even warm. In fact, they tasted old. So old it wasn't crispy at all. I really wanted to complain. But it's not really my habit to complain when I eat out. If it won't kill me, I'll just let it go. Besides, I really didn't want to spoil my mood, even if my appetite was already spoiled.

for my full review pls read
http://the-f-word-blog.blogspot.com/

It was my turn to decide which eatery we were heading to this week so I decided to opt for this as it certainly had many reviews praising it to the skies. The service was top notch as we were promptly ushered in to be seated at a cosy table for two. The staff actually asked us what we wanted to order THREE TIMES even before we had made up our minds. For starters, we decided to go for the Tortilla Wrap which comes with a choice of three fillings. We could choose two out of three so we decided to go for the Baja Chicken and the Thai Chicken. The Thai Chicken was OK only but the Baja Chicken tasted incredible. Here's the horrible part. The main course was so GROSS. I ordered the Penne with Spicy Italian Sausage and Marinara Sauce. It was the worst pasta I've ever eaten! I took two mouthfuls and couldn't bring myself to eat anymore. It reeked of uncooked meat. The pasta was undercooked and tasted like rubber. The boyfriend ordered the Original BBQ Chicken Pizza which was a welcome relief from the disgusting pasta. It tasted really good. The restaurant's saving grace came in the form of one of the most decadent desserts I've ever had! We ordered the Moist Chocolate and Banana Cake which comes with ice cream upon request. It was TO DIE FOR. Overall, the place was overpriced and disappointing.

Had a craving for American style thick crust pizzas so ventured to California Pizza Kitchen's (CPK) sole Singapore outlet at Orchard. CPK is actually an international chain with 235 outlets worldwide and is well known for its extensive menu which features everything from creative pizzas to pastas, sandwiches and salads.

Occupying two levels at Forum the Shopping Mall, CPK offers air conditioned dining on both levels and al fresco dining on the lower level as well. Tables are spaced comfortably apart and if you sit downstairs, you can get a partial view of the kitchen and the counter where the pizzas are placed to be served. All in all a family style cosy interior with the option of booth seats if you so wish.

BBQ Chicken Pizza - Branded as a hot favourite amongst customers in the US, the BBQ Chicken pizza has withstood the test of time by being on the menu since the first CPK restaurant opened up in Beverly Hills in 1985. Sizing in at 10 inches and 6 slices, the BBQ chicken was relatively heavy on the tastebuds with BBQ chicken breast cubes (duh!) and onions. Cheese was also plentiful and complemented the mild tomato base which covered the chewy and hearty pizza dough. But it could probably do with alot more ingredients for the price. Heck, pizza hut gives more for roughly the same price!

Hawaiian Pizza - The Hawaiian was much much lighter on the palate then the BBQ chicken, which isn't a bad thing really. Fresh pineapples and bacon coupled with a generous layer of gooey cheese and a moderately thick and chewy crust with lots of bite made for an excellent pizza. But as with the BBQ chicken pizza, the amount of ingredients could have increased.

Chocolate Banana Cheesecake - This is seriously one decadent dessert. Extremely chocolaty and rich from the drizzled triple thick hot fudge, the cake was a tad soft but went very well with the smooth vanilla ice cream. Definitely not recommended for people who can't tolerate high levels of sugar in every mouthful. And at $12 a pop, its not recommended for budget/value for money seekers as well.

I like the food and the place, I can accept the relatively higher price ($60 for 2 pax) but I hate the location (and parking charges as well). Unless CPK can move to the heartlands or I'm around the area, I'll probably have to stick to Canadian Pizza or Pizza Hut for my frequent pizza urges.

See all my pictures here.

I went there a month ago and i left with quite a good impression. A friend and I walked into an empty restaurant in the middle of one afternoon and we were seated in one of the booths at the back of the restauarnt. The lighting was nice and dim, quite comfortable as opposed to sitting outside in the glaring sun.

My friend and I ordered a Pizza Margherita, the one with just plain tomato, cheese and basil. I think a good pizza place should always be able to make simple pizzas taste fabulous. And this did it for me. Large pizza portion, enough for two of us. I didn't know it was going to be so big, cos we both ordered appetizers too. In the end, we did look like two heavy eaters.

The staff there are rather pleasant but i had trouble getting their attention. The two girls kept standing by the door and talking, facing outside the restauarnt. Their back were against us, so they couldn't see me waving to them. Had to walk up and ask them for stuff.

This place also has a lower floor to it and the big space just means that its great for big gatherings. I wouldn't mind having a get together or pizza party here, looking at their great selection on the menu. I've also heard that they do lots of specialty pizza. Wasn't in the mood to try something funky that day though.

One bad thing, the guacamole here doesn't taste fantastic here. I love avocado, its a very rich fruit but the one i ordered didn't taste nice at all. I think the avocado was over ripe, it had a bitter aftertaste. Didn't want to say anything much cos that's my only gripe. The salsa here is nice and spicy, and i pretty much 'attacked' the salsa the whole afternoon!

Overall, a great place with great food and pleasant service. I'm a satisfied customer!