California Pizza Kitchen's National Pizza Day

08.15.2013 - California Pizza Kitchen declared it as National Pizza Day which means that if you buy any regular pizza, you get another one for free! Your choices for the free pizza are Untraditional Cheese, Garlic Chicken, Hawaiian, Wild Mushroom and Caprese.

We went to CPK Eastwood since it is the nearest branch for us. When we got there of course it was jam packed. We were told that we can sit outside but as soon as a table is free we can go inside. We were willing to wait in the name of free pizza so we sat and waited outside. After a few minutes of deciding what to eat, we ordered The Original BBQ Chicken and Garlic Chicken for our freebie. Their serving time was 40 minutes to 1 hour so we just sat down and waited patiently. Meanwhile, Geraldine took some pictures to kill time. 

Here is the menu

CPK put up a tent outside for those who are ordering pizza for take out.

After about 30 minutes we were able to get seated inside the restaurant. The place was really small compared to their other branches. No wonder a lot of people were waiting outside.

Now here comes the disappointing part. As mentioned earlier we were told that our food will be ready in 40 to 1 hour. After an hour Geraldine was already being a little bit impatient. However I decided to cut them some slack because I figured it must be really a very very busy day with all these customers. Besides, their servers were really nice. They were all still smiling even though it was a very difficult day. It was also that branch's first National Pizza Day. A waiter even gave an order to the wrong table and only realized it after a few minutes. Lucky him, the girls at the table did not touch the food yet. A Chinese mom beside us was also getting pissed already and ranting to her son "how long does it take to make my pizza?" She has been there before us so I get why she is getting all worked up.

However, after an hour and a half has passed I started to be a little bit irritated. Different waiters/waitresses would approach us and ask what our order was to follow up. Don't they have a record of all those orders somewhere??? Five different people followed up on our orders but still no pizza. Geraldine ordered fries because she was starving already. The fries, which by the way are not good, was served in less than five minutes. Finally I snapped so I called a waiter and asked him how many more hours until they serve the pizzas because we have been there for almost two hours. And of course, he asked us again what we ordered. My voice was a little loud already because I was really pissed. I think I even scared the really nice girl who took our orders. After about two more minutes they served the much awaited dinner for the day. 

Homemade Fries - Php95

They served the Garlic Chicken first. When I had my first bite I was even more disappointed that the pizza was not hot. How come Pizza Hut delivers HOT pizzas while CPK serves cold ones for dine in?? I did not even bother to ask them anymore. It was sad because this was actually a good tasting pizza. If you would ask me, this is actually a HIT if it was served with the right temperature considering we waited for almost two hours.

Garlic Chicken

Next up is The Original BBQ Chicken Pizza. Same thing. It wasn't hot. I really don't get why. This was really disappointing considering that this is CPK's best because of that BBQ flavor, giving the pizza a smoky and sweet taste. Nevertheless this is still a HIT. CPK undoubtedly serves great tasting pizza.

The Original BBQ Chicken (Regular) - Php375

While we were eating another family was also complaining already about how much longer would they have to wait. The dad even asked the waitress, "Miss ilang oras pa? Sabihin mo lang" in a sarcastic manner. A waiter also approached us and apologized for serving our food late. 

I really do hope that CPK Eastwood improves their system most specially during National Pizza Day. They should have anticipated the number of people coming in that day and devised a plan to handle everything. Maybe they can offer on-the-house appetizers for their guests.

Despite all the problems we encountered that day I would like to commend their staff for being very customer friendly. From the beginning of our stay until we left the restaurant they were still smiling and very attentive.

California Pizza Kitchen is a must try! Pizza lover or not you will love everything they have to offer. What about you? What was your experience during National Pizza Day? Share it with us :)

California Pizza Kitchen

G/F Eastwood Mall Veranda

Libis, Quezon City

http://www.cpk.com.ph/

https://www.facebook.com/CPKPhilippines

Komrad: Mao's Hunan and Sichuan Kitchen @ Eastwood

Last July 11, we went to Eastwood and ate at Komrad for the first time. At first I was hesitant to go inside because there were only two customers so I thought to myself baka hindi masarap. Another thing I noticed were the colors in the restaurant: red and black. Then there was a large picture of Mao Zeddong. The place had a heavy feeling for me. When I go to restaurants I usually like those that are well lit and have bright and happy colored interiors. For the sake of trying something new, I agreed to give it a try.

The place had a cozy ambiance despite its heavy colors inside. We sat on the couch and it really felt comfortable. The tables were large enough for both me and Geraldine to have ample elbow space while eating.

Geraldine and I were both clueless on what a Hunan and Sichuan cuisine is about so I just let her decide on everything we were going to eat. She ordered everything she loves to eat: Shrimp, Squid and Siomai. At first, I was going for plain rice but she wanted Yang Chow Fried rice. She said “Yang Chow nalang. Mukang masarap.” Since it was good for two people, that's what we ordered.

The serving time was about 15 minutes, pretty quick but then again there were only six customers (Yes! Another two walked in) at that time. Firstly, they served the Kung Pao Shrimp Balls. There were about 10 pieces which looked plenty the way they arranged it on the plate. There were peanuts as well on the dish. Being shrimp lovers, we both enjoyed the dish. It was a little bit spicy, just enough to complement the sweetness. This is surely a HIT.

Kung Pao Shrimp Balls - Php325

Kung Pao Shrimp Balls

The Garlic Siomai was served on a sizzling plate which made it interesting. However aside from the different presentation there is nothing outstanding about this dish. For now this is a miss.

Komrad Garlic Siomai - Php125

Lastly, the Crispy Calamari was served. Two dips went along with it, apple sauce and the usual sweet and spicy. I am not a fan of calamari because I do not like the elastic texture of the squid when you eat it. However, this is different.  Aside from it not being the usual ring shaped calamari it had a different texture once you eat it. It was not elastic. It was crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. The apple sauce that went with it was also perfect. Without a doubt, you should CRAVE for this HIT dish.

Crispy Calamari with Two Sauces - Php165

Komrad: Mao's Hunan and Sichuan Kitchen
2nd Level, Veranda
Eastwood Mall
Bagumbayan, Libis, QC

My Thai Kitchen @ Eastwood

We had dinner in My Thai last Friday. Thanks to their very small space there were no more seats inside so we sat at Lucky Yakiniku Cafe. We were not so familiar with Thai food so we just ordered seafood.

We got only a bowl of shrimp fried rice. We thought that since we have noodles, one bowl would suffice. Nothing special here. Skip this and just get plain rice or something else.

Shrimp Fried Rice

Shrimp Fried Rice

I have always loved Pad Thai noodles most specially the ones with shrimp. Which is why I suggested to Geraldine to get this one because it should be good. However when we ate My Thai's Shrimp Pad Thai noodles, it was too sour. Prior to eating the dish I squeezed a little bit of lemon on it so I was disappointed to have it this sour because that little lemon juice should not make it THAT sour. Aside from that, it lacked flavor. So this is a MISS for us.

Shrimp Pad Thai Noodles

Shrimp Pad Thai Noodles

Despite the disappointing Shrimp Fried Rice and Shrimp Pad Thai Noodles we ordered something good. This squid is one of their bestsellers. It was like an appetizer. It was so nice inside the mouth because it had that melt in the mouth feel due to its softness. The sauce was not too spicy either. This is a HIT for us.

Deep Fried Squid with garlic and peppercorn

My Thai Kitchen

G/F Eastwood Mall Veranda

Libis, Quezon City

709-2127