Christmas Celebration of Pizza und Pasta at California Pizza Kitchen

Due to the turnover we had with the improved economy, my office gang moved our annual Christmas celebration outside of work to California Pizza Kitchen. For several weeks before this event, we debated hotly on Facebook and offline on where to hold the event. Moomba was the preferred choice, but unfortunately due to the prices, it was vetoed in the end.

Fortunately, Captain Expensive came to the rescue with California Pizza Kitchen. He recommended the Peking Duck pizza and the KungPao Chicken Spaghetti. So 22 of us (initially only 17 RSVPed, so a definite improvement!) showed up on Thursday at Forum's CPK. 

Since there were so many of us, we split into different tables, and each table ordered their own dishes. The crazy Teletubby went to order some sort of garlic focaccia bread. I was like... I tried to stop him but Miss Piggy said let him go ahead because the two of us had ordered the main courses, Funghi Ravoli and Kung Pao Chicken (because I don't eat shrimp) spaghetti. The bread came REALLY TOUGH, and was I grateful for my real teeth. If I had false teeth, the damn bread would have tore them out of my mouth. 

The salsa was pretty good though. The other table ordered a Vietnamese-style spring roll, which looks really pretty. I tried their "sauerkraut", its marinate seemed to have a woody fragrance (like maple), but no one at the table would agree with me. =P

These photos are taken by our dear confused boy (the only one who could bring a camera, and did, a beautiful SLR which he could put in his car). We evilly dragged him over from his own table,  made the hungry man take photos of our food and rewarded him with some, because his order has not arrived. The funghi ravioli (not pictured) while dull looking, was excellent (and thankfully all the way heated through, unlike the ones I had at Soprano)!!!  We love the recommended Kung Pao Chicken Spaghetti, though it tastes like Chinese food. I think I can recreate this at home. hmm. It had dried chili, diced chicken, peanuts (or was it cashew nuts, Argh, I got the photos too late), which gave a nice crunch, and spring onions. It was texturally interesting and very edible.

I think this is the BBQ chicken pizza ordered by Confused Boy, because we ordered Peking Duck pizza and Meat Cravers. I cannot vouch for how it tastes. But Miss Piggy said that the Hawaiian pizza sucks. I tried the Meat Cravers and considered it VERY SALTY, even without eating the prosciutto. I had problems finishing my slice. I was somewhat indifferent towards the Peking Duck. I like the concept, but found the meat tough (I usually don't eat Ente), and then the thin crust somewhat dry with little sauce and many little crunchy bits of deepfried wonton skins and julienned strips of spring onions.

BBQ chicken pizza

Peking Duck Pizza

Overall, I think California Pizza Kitchen does their pasta better than their pizzas. Still, it was excellent fun, and at the end of the day, it's the company rather than the food that is important, nicht wahr?

In a nutshell:

California Pizza Kitchen

Forum the Shopping Mall 

583 Orchard Road, #01-42
Singapore, 238884
Mall is located next to the Hilton Hotel

Food Quality: Pretty good, I will return to try their other menu offerings.
Price: I find it ok.

Service: The waiters were very professional, though the waitress gave me the face, when I told her that we have to increase the number of persons, but this wasn't our fault because some of the guys didn't RSVPed yet showed up (we had booked 20 persons, in anticipation of 3 sudden arrivals). While I understood how crowded it was, I didn't like her lack of professionalism.