SUMMER is the perfect season to gather friends and family, share your moments and bond over sumptuous meals at California Pizza Kitchen (CPK).

There is definitely more to CPK than just its world-famous gourmet pizzas. Diners also flock to CPK to savor its salads, made-to-order pastas, soups, sandwiches, appetizers and desserts. While you can never go wrong with classic favorites such as The Original BBQ Chicken Pizza, Kung Pao Spaghetti, Thai Crunch Salad, Spinach Artichoke Dip and Key Lime Pie, CPK also serves up new delectable selections to tease your taste buds.

Go with Mexican-inspired Baja Fish Tacos and Steak Tacos, or have a light but filling meal with CPK’s freshly made sandwiches like Chicken Club or Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad served with salad or soup on the sides. Indulge everyone with meaty pizza options like Cheeseburger Pizza and The Meat Cravers, or order any of the latest barbecue chicken pizza varieties such as BBQ Chicken with Applewood Smoked Bacon and Hawaiian BBQ Chicken.

For heat-busting thirst quenchers, try any of CPK’s latest concoctions from smoothies, flavored frozen lemonades to tropical fruit drinks. Not to be left out, kids also have their own unique CPKids menu to enjoy: kid-size pizza, pasta or chicken meal that comes with soda, milk or chocolate milk drink. You can also order a small serving of fresh fruits or dessert for your little tots.

So this summer, enjoy great food and great company by heading over to any California Pizza Kitchen branch in Glorietta 3, Alabang Town Center, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Greenhills Promenade, Trinoma, Power Plant Mall and Greenbelt 5.

Malaya Business Insight

For cooling thirst quenchers, try any of CPK’s latest concoctions, from smoothies and flavored frozen lemonades to tropical fruit drinks, made to accompany CPK’s world-famous gourmet pizzas and classic favorites like the Original BBQ Chicken pizza, kung pao spaghetti, Thai Crunch salad, spinach artichoke dip and key lime pie.

Light but filling dishes include Baja fish tacos and steak tacos, or freshly made sandwiches like chicken club or cranberry walnut chicken salad. Meaty pizza options include cheeseburger pizza and the Meat Cravers, or order any of the latest barbecue chicken pizza varieties such as BBQ chicken with apple wood-smoked bacon and Hawaiian BBQ chicken.

For children there’s a special CPKids menu: kid-size pizza, pasta or chicken meals that come with soda or milk. Fresh fruit is also available.

California Pizza Kitchen branches are located at Glorietta 3, Alabang Town Center, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Greenhills Promenade, TriNoma, Power Plant Mall, and Greenbelt 5.

For more details, visit Facebook: CPKPhilippines or www.cpk.com.ph.

The Philippine Star

Next time you use your HSBC credit card, enjoy a treat from California Pizza Kitchen for free. From December 15,2010 to April 30, 2011n HSBC cardholders get a free dish when they present their HSBC charge slips:

• P1500-2999: Herb Onion Focaccia with Checca
• P3000-4999: Garlic Cream Fettuccine with Chicken (Personal)
• P5000 and above: Adobo Chicken Pizza

The “Delight in every swipe” promo is available in all CPK branches: Glorietta 3, Alabang, Shangri-la, TriNoma, Rockwell, and. Greenbelt 5.

Become a fan of CPK Philippines on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CPKPhilippines. Follow CPK Philippines on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CPKPhilippines

It’s a loaded holiday season for guests of California Pizza Kitchen.  This December, meet the man in the big red suit as he gives out goody bags and poses for photos with kids and adults alike.  It’s another Santa in the Kitchen at the restaurant, all Saturdays of the month.  

On December 18, CPKids members are invited to dress to impress for the Red & White Christmas Party.  Fun and games await those who will join the party.  Kids will enjoy an afternoon of activities prepared by CPK.

The CPKids Christmas Party is open to all club members, ages 10 and below. Registration is free; just ask the Manager-on-Duty or visit www.cpk.com.ph .

Rockin’ Around CPK is happening in all CPK branches: Glorietta 3, Alabang Town Center, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Greenhills, Trinoma, Power Plant Mall, and Greenbelt 5.  Visit the website, CPK Philippines Facebook Fan Page, www.facebook.com/CPKPhilippines, or follow CPK Philippines on Twitter, www.twitter.com/CPKPhilippines for additional announcements.

After celebrating 13 successful years of offering great food and first-rate service California Pizza Kitchen launches two exciting innovations to add to your dining pleasure and convenience.

All for one

First up, CPK introduces Small Cravings items on the menu. These are personal-sized servings of appetizer and dessert dishes with that distinct CPK flavor and flair. These include the healthy and hearty Tricolore Wrap – Waldorf Chicken chunks combined with diced tomatoes, chilled arugula, baby red leaf lettuce, radicchio, almond flakes, and shaved Parmesan cheese tossed in homemade Dijon balsamic vinaigrette all wrapped up in a caramelized Parmesan flour tortilla; and the awesomely crunchy White Corn Guacamole and Chips — Fresh avocado, sweet white corn kernels, black beans, crunchy jicama, green scallions, red bell pepper, cilantro, and Serrano peppers served with blue & white corn tortilla chips on the side. For those who want it meaty, there’s the tender Thai Chicken Satay: skewers of grilled chicken breast slices that were marinated with ginger, lemon, ground peanuts, and minced serrano peppers, served with Thai peanut sauce for even more flavor.

Seafood lovers can opt for the mild-hot Bang Bang Shrimp, which is slightly spiced shrimp with a sweet and sour flavor, sprinkled with sesame seeds and served with slivered scallions on a bed of irresistibly crispy rice sticks; or the White Tuscan Beans with Shrimp, a delectable dish of Cannellini beans with shrimp, garlic, chilies, and Italian parsley bits sautéed in olive oil and served on a sauce bed of lemon juice, butter, and Parmesan Cheese. These can all be washed down with the latest addition to the beverage list, the Cucumber Chill, a healthy blend of cucumbers, monin cucumber syrup, simple syrup, and a zesty spike of lemon juice. A sinful end to accompany any CPK dining experience is the new dessert sampler dish, which combines baked apples with walnut crumble, Belgian chocolate soufflé cake with CPK’s triple thick hot fudge, topped with whipped cream and a cherry, and a fresh banana peanut butter parfait served in a shot glass.

One for all

This holiday season, CPK also launches its party catering services. Before large groups could only reserve tables at the CPK outlets for their party and order their favorite menu items en masse, they can now hold their parties and corporate functions at the CPK restaurants with a full buffet set up and special party packages that include the whole range of their favorite pizzas, pastas, appetizers and desserts. Special arrangements may also be made with offsite events, where customers can request for a full service set-up at their party place of choice.

This service is particularly convenient for party people who want to offer the trademark CPK great food to their special guests at any occasion. Instead of having to face the guesswork involved with ordering items from the CPK menu to fit the guest list and the budget, they may choose from the catering packages, or have a package tailor-fit to their needs. At the same time, they are assured of receiving the high-quality professional service that is provided by the customer-friendly CPK staff on hand during their special occasion.

To inquire about the catering services, you may contact CPK in Glorietta (893-9898), Alabang Town Center (850-5771), Shangri-La Plaza Mall (687-7841 to 42), Greenhills Promenade Mall (725-7377), Trinoma (901-3881 to 92), Power Plant Mall (895-3447) or Greenbelt 5 (401-7160). Or send an email to catering@cpk.com.ph.

Last November 2009, the Philippines was once again making headlines when the People’s Champ, Manny Pacquiao, made boxing history by winning his 7th title, in the much-awaited match with Miguel Cotto. Right after the match, audience members were heard chanting another boxer’s name as Pacquiao’s next opponent. And just when everybody thought that the fight was happening, organizers pulled the plug due to negotiation conflicts. Enter Joshua Clottey.

Nobody had Clottey in mind as Pacquiao’s next opponent but come March 14, the fight dubbed as “The Event” is on. As everyone anticipates another triumph from Pacquiao, California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) offers boxing enthusiasts to watch this megabuck fight as it happens. The cozy ambience and appetizing menu offers make CPK the place to gather and celebrate another imminent victory. Watching “The Event” at CPK takes everyone’s viewing experience up a notch. And for P800, boxing aficionados can watch Pacquiao go head to head with Clottey live, while enjoying hefty servings of their favorite CPK dishes.

Tickets for “The Event” are now available at CPK’s participating branches: Glorietta (8939898), Alabang (8508771), Shangri-La (6877841), Greenhills (7257377), and Greenbelt 5 (4017160).

In this time of economic crisis, spending can sometimes be seen as a luxury. Unless something is really needed, that is the only time that one’s peso is spent. Meanwhile, owning a credit card presents itself as an alternative in terms of purchasing something in an instant, while buying some time to actually pay for it– until the billing statement comes. And while paying for the purchases can hurt a bit, nothing beats getting additional perks from making credit card purchases. It somehow lessens the guilt of having to spend on something.

California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) has partnered with credit card giant Citibank to give its cardholders exclusive perks. For a minimum food purchase of P2000.00, guests who use their Citicards at CPK can enjoy a FREE Dish of the Month. This January, guests who would pay for their CPK food purchases will get a Thai Chicken Pizza to go with the rest their CPK dishes.

The Citibank World Privileges with CPK runs from February 1, 2010 to January 31, 2011. Cardholders can get this exclusive freebie from all branches of CPK: Glorietta 3, Alabang, Shangri-La, Greenhills, Rockwell, TriNoma, and Greenbelt 5.

This February, while most will be excited for Valentine’s Day, kids, who are too young to appreciate this special day, can still celebrate something else. This month is also known to many as the International Friendship Month.

According to the dictionary, “friendship” is the quality or condition of being friends, a friendly relationship, or the state of being friends. Most adult friendships, the ones that last, are usually the friendships that were built from childhood. This is an idea that California Pizza Kitchen would like to inculcate to its CPKids club members and to their friends.

With “Proud to be Friends, Proud to be CPKids” Friendship month celebration, CPK would like their CPKids and their friends to share something in common, among many other things. CPKids club members are encouraged to invite their friends to join CPKids club by bringing them to the store’s friendship month celebration, happening every Saturday of February. Each Saturday comes with a theme and friends can come in costume, which is sure to make the day more enjoyable and exciting for the kids. There will be games, activities, and goodies, especially for the new CPKids members. Moreover, part of friendship is maintaining and developing new friendships; and coming to parties, like these from CPK, is one way to meet other kids.

The CPKids Friendship Month activity happens every Saturday in February, 3-5pm. For inquiries, call any of the CPK branches: Glorietta (8939898), Alabang (8505771), Shangri-La (6877841), TriNoma (9013881), Greenhills (7257377), Rockwell (8953447), and Greenbelt 5 (4017160).

Filipinos are known to love food; and this passion for good food is often coupled with great company. Whether they are just having a small dinner at home or going out to enjoy a night in the town, food is, and will always be, a part of the Filipinos’ way of getting together.

The idea of pairing wine with some well-loved dishes can be quite daunting to some since most Filipinos as are more familiar with having their dishes with familiar drinks, either soda, juice or iced tea. But what is enlightening about wines is their ability to make or break the dish it is partnered with. The choice of wine can determine what kind of taste the person would like to bring out from the dish. Having wine to go with one’s meals also stimulates the senses, making the dining experience more enjoyable and memorable. From the appearance to the smell and finally to its taste, having wine even with just a regular meal can make a whole lot of difference, but ultimately, it has to complement the dish.

This February, California Pizza Kitchen is giving its guests the experience of having CPK dishes paired with select wines. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this wine pairing activity is ideal especially for those who are still planning on how they want to spend this all-important day. For P595, guests can enjoy a featured CPK dish and a glass wine that will take their dining experience to a whole new different level, compared to their usual soda or iced tea. Aside from the most basic “like-colors-go-together” guideline, which suggests that red or brown dishes go well with red wines and light-colored dishes go with white wines, guests are also in to discover which wines they should go for when they want a certain flavour to stand out in a specific dish.

The CPK wine pairing is scheduled every Thursday of February, 6pm-9pm. Wines are provided by Happy Living Corporation, Philippines and Premium Wine Exchange. For inquiries, call any of the CPK branches: Glorietta (8939898), Alabang (8505771), Shangri-La (6877841), TriNoma (9013881), Greenhills (7257377), Rockwell (8953447), and Greenbelt 5 (4017160).

To make this year’s Christmas more memorable, enter CPK’s Christmas Photo Contest and earn bragging rights as the funniest and most creative photo. It’s so easy.

To register:
1. Open to all residents in the Philippines with Facebook accounts.
2. Employees of CPK Philippines are excluded from joining this activity.
3. Contest opens on December 5 and ends on December 25.
4. To participate, you should become a fan of California Pizza Kitchen. http://www.facebook.com/CPKPhilippines

Photo requirements:
1. Photo should be holiday-themed. It should be funny, creative and family-friendly.
2. Original photos only. The person submitting the photo should own it.
3. One entry per person. File should be in jpeg not exceeding 1mb.
4. To upload the photo, go to the tab “What’s on your mind?” and click attach “photo” icon below it.
5. To judge the winning entry, CPK Philippines fans will vote for their favourite photo by clicking “Like”. Top 5 photos with most number of likes will be chosen. The photo with the highest number of votes will be declared winner on December 28.
6. Prizes include CPK gift certificates.
7. Winners will be notified of the details where to claim their prizes (preferably at the CPK branch near them).
8. To claim their prizes, present a printed copy of their Facebook profile page.
9. CPK Philippines reserves the right to use the winning photos for commercial purposes for unlimited time.