It was love at first slice. While Italy may be ‘persona non grata’ for many of us in the light of the coronavirus pan(dem)ic, that beautiful country’s biggest legacy is thankfully not. We stepped into Pizza Express Powai, and were reassured by the cleanliness of the cheerful and characteristic black-and-white interiors with the brightly-lit open kitchen displaying the dough-tossing drama. But as soon as the pizzas arrived at our table by the window, our despair at the viral situation flew out.
When the Goan chorizo meets the Italian legend, violins play in our imagination – and we are magically transported to the land of the sun, sand and sea. ‘Flavourful’ is a word that best describes every bite of the first of the three ‘deliciously decadent’ specially-crafted pizzas launched by The Bandra Project by Pizza Express (until March 31st) as part of the brand’s Good Times Together campaign. Topped with red onion, red chillies and mashed potato smothered in the goodness of chorizo (pickled spiced pork), the aptly-named India-inspired Vasco da Gama is the hero.
Next up was Pizza Caprese, which plays a complementary role with its vegetarian toppings of baby mozzarella cheese, marinated tomato, torn basil leaves and generous strokes of a thick arugula and pesto paste. The finished work of art tastes as delectable as it looks.
Chicken Caesar, a classic salad turned pizza, stars pulled chicken, Caesar dressing, sun-dried tomato and olives topped with shavings of parmesan cheese. It’s great for non-vegetarians who do not eat pork, but bland in comparison to our first choice. The good news is that the condiments and/or garlic and chilli infused olive oil come to the rescue.
The mushroom soup deserves a mention, and so does the sticky toffee pudding – a date muffin that came blanketed in toffee sauce.
The new menu is available until March 31st, so make the most of it – and enjoy the Good Times Together while it lasts. Prices range from Rs.525-775, depending on which type of pizza (Classic or Romano) you order.
