Hello Potpourriers!
Hope the ridiculous weather isn’t massacring your daily plans. Summer is truly here and the heat is only getting worse with every passing day. But when you have a couple of smoothies and coolers that are special summer concoctions to give you company, you’d care a little less for the way you feel about the unbearable weather. That’s how our evening began at Pizza Express.
So if you follow me closely, you’d know I am a true Pizza Express fan. Having lost count of the number of times I have been to the BKC and Andheri West outlets, I can vouch for a fact that it will end up being a memorable experience with a hearty meal. This time, I was invited to check out their all new Summer Menu. Yes, I was indeed very excited. Read on to know more…
Caramel Mocha | Tropical Cooler | Go Green Smoothie
The evening began with a Caramel Mocha (Rs. 190) – which according to me was a classic cold coffee with a hint of sweetness courtesy the drizzle of caramel around the glass. Nothing extraordinary but perfect for someone like me who loves her coffee in almost any form. 🙂
Mum decided to check out the Tropical Cooler (Rs. 195) – A simple yet effectively pleasant blend of fresh watermelon juice, mint and lemon, this cooler was enjoyed for its non-complicated flavours. If you like some watermelon juice with a twist, this one’s for you.
We also ended up tasting the Go Green Smoothie (Rs. 225) since the guys at Pizza Express insisted. Boy! Was I glad to pay heed to their request… this cucumber, mint and yoghurt smoothie was refreshingly tasty and never did I imagine it to be this unusually good! The best mocktail of the evening award goes to this one – hands down!
Intro Platter
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| Intro Platter |
Appetisers were in the form of this really interesting platter logically called the ‘Intro Platter’ (Rs. 250) consisting of an assorted mix of nuts – salted cashew nuts, smoked almonds and BBQ broad beans (which would go brilliantly well with cocktails) and peppadews stuffed with a creamy mix of Portobello mushrooms and goat cheese. It’s the peppadews that got all my attention for the right reasons. Unusual to say the least, this vegetarian appetiser is totally worth checking out for its fiery pop of flavours!
Moving on the main course – the menu looked rather limited. But as I’d like to believe, never judge the food or restaurant just by looking at the menu. What’s interesting in this summer menu is the use of Buffalo mozzarella to revamp their original iconic range of pizzas – Romana 65s.
Margherita Bufala
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| Margherita Bufala |
The vegetarians have just one option amongst the pizzas – The Margherita Bufala (Rs. 575) consists of Buffalo mozzarella, passata, fresh basil leaves, garlic oil, oregano and black pepper, finished with fresh cherry tomatoes, torn buffalo mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil. Sounds extensive enough but this one is a simplistic margherita with a pleasantly subtle twist. The fresh toppings make this an instant choice for the weight-watchers out there who want to indulge without really going overboard.
Pollo Coriander Pesto
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| Pollo Coriander Pesto |
The non-vegetarians are in for a treat with two meaty indulgences by the names of American Hottest and Pollo Coriander Pesto. Both pizzas deserve all the love I have for pizzas in general. Since I don’t believe in wasting food during tasting sessions, I requested the chef to prepare both in a half and half format. Getting the best of both was the ultimate aim.
The Pollo Coriander Pesto (Rs. 625) pizza introduced me to an unusual Indian twist to the Italian pesto sauce. The toppings included some creamy chicken tikka, mozzarella, onion rings, green chillies, olive oil and finished with a decent drizzle of coriander pesto – which basically tasted a lot like a classic coriander chutney. The chunks of chicken were perfectly succulent and since I am extremely fond of all things pesto, it wasn’t very difficult to love this preparation. Check this out if you’re not a red meat fan since the next pizza I tried is heavenly meat-loaded!
American Hottest
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| American Hottest |
An absolute meat stunner all the way, American Hottest (Rs. 725) consists of fiery toppings like pepperoni, jalapenos, fresh red chillies, spicy hot yet soft N’Duja sausage, passata and buffalo mozzarella, finished with torn buffalo mozzarella, fresh parsley and chilli oil. Although it may seem like there’s way too much spice in there, I personally loved the magnanimous flavours come together. The red meat lover in you will be grateful for this treat! Definitely my favourite pizza of the evening. #TGLPrecommendation
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
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| Spaghetti Aglio e Olio |
Now that we were done checking out the pizza offerings from the summer menu, it was time to move on… to pastas! As mentioned earlier, the limited options didn’t seem very pleasing but you know you’ve got it right when both turn out to be outstanding dishes in their own special ways.
My favourite of the evening was the simple yet flavourful Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Rs. 425). Yes, there isn’t anything new to it which I think is perfectly fine since this would easily mean it’s a classic that you can’t help but love thanks to the crispy garlic flakes, chilli flakes, parsley and olive oil. If you’re a true Spaghetti Aglio e Olio fan, this better be your main course of your meal.
Pollo Alforno
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| Pollo Alforno |
Although I am not majorly into lasagnas, the Pollo Alforno (Rs. 575) came across as a pleasant surprise; maybe because it wasn’t overloaded with cheese. The only option for the non-vegetarian patron, I guess the subtly flavours may not appeal to all typically Indian tastebuds. Personally, I believe the layered pasta with chicken bolognese sauce, arrabiata sauce, béchamel sauce and emilgrana made for a hearty meal if you want to take a break from all things spicy.
Baked Vanilla Cheesecake with Gelato
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| Baked Vanilla Cheesecake with Gelato |
The evening of course ended on a super sinful and sweet note as we indulged in one of the best cheesecakes in the city. Yes, Pizza Express knows how to make the Baked Vanilla Cheesecake (Rs. 340) right and they’ve also been listed in my post featuring the Top 5 Best Cheesecakes In Mumbai.
Dense yet moist, this homemade dessert is what you need, whether you’re celebrating something positive or trying to get over something negative. Served with either vanilla gelato, mascarpone or cream, this officially is my all time favourite dessert.
The summer menu is available all of May. Go ahead and check it out before it’s too late. I’m pretty sure you’ll pick your favourites well now that you have this review to help in whatever way it can. Do share your experiences with me. I’d love to know. Cheers! 🙂
Outlet Details:
Andheri West
Ground Floor, Crystal Paradise, Off Veera Desai Road, Andheri West, Mumbai 400058
Telepohone No.: 022 – 67080743 / 44
Open from Sunday – Thursday (11:30am to 11:30pm) | Friday – Saturday (11:30am to 11:45pm)
BKC (Bandra-Kurla Complex)
FIFC Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) Unit No.001, Block C, Plot No. C/ 54 & 55, FIFC Building, BKC, Mumbai
Telephone No.: 022 66421952 / 53
Open from Monday – Sunday (11:30am to 11:00pm)
Andheri East
Next to Citibank, Unit No. 2, B Wing, Times Square Building, Andheri Kurla Road, Marol, Andheri East, Mumbai 400059
Telephone No.: 022-66717631 / 32
Open from Monday – Thursday (11:30am to 11:00pm) | Friday – Sunday (11:30am to 11:30pm)
Colaba
Near Gateway of India, Ground Floor, Dhanraj Mahal, Apollo Bunder, Mumbai, 400001
Telephone No.: 022 – 66562633 / 42
Open from Sunday – Thursday (11:30am to 11:00pm) | Friday – Saturday (11:30am to 12:00am)
Powai
G-14, A-Wing, Ventura, Hiranandani Business Park, Powai, Mumbai 400 076
Telephone No.: 022- 61669088 / 89
Open from Monday – Sunday (11:30am to 12:00am)
Thane
Viviana Mall, 2nd Floor, Next to Jupiter Hospital, Thane West, 400 606
Telephone No.: 022- 61701501 / 02
Open from Sunday – Thursday (11:00am to 10:45pm) | Friday – Saturday (11:00am to 11:45pm)
Social Media Pages
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PizzaExpressIN
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PizzaExpressIN
Instagram: http://i.instagram.com/pizzaexpressin/
Until next time…
The Potpourri Girl
xx
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Twitter: @TaariniNB
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Email: thepotpourrigirl@gmail.com
The Good Life Potpourri 