Tag: Pizza Express

Knickerbocker Glory & Coke Floats

It’s a little hot this summer, to help you cool down Pizza Express’s Lee Tung Avenue branch and Haagen Daz are offering some old-style summer flavours.

Originating in the UK in the 1920s the Knickerbocker Glory ($88) features layers of fruit (banana, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries), crumbed biscuits, raspberry sauce and Haagen Daz ice cream topped with whipped cream and Nutella.

The iconic coke float, created in  1874 by Robert McCay Green, is simply coca-cola and a scoop of ice-cream. Pizza Express have given the float a twenty nineteen twist by blending smooth the ingredients and called the original The Little Kid ($68), to allow for an ‘adult’ version, The Big Kid ($78), which adds Baileys and whiskey…

These summer specials are only available at Pizza Express’s Lee Tung Avenue branch from 19 July to 31 August.

If you’re in the area there are some free Little Kid tasters available on 20, 27, 28 July, 2-6pm; and on 21 July, noon-3pm – while stocks last.

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Calabrese pizza ($188)

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Pizza Express Lee Tung Avenue
G31, G/F, Lee Tung Avenue, 200 Queen’s Road East, Wanchai

Edited: 23 July, to clarify drink details.

Pizza Express Launches Summer Menu

Ahead of summer’s official start Pizza Express have launched a new Summer Menu featuring a wide range of new pizzas and pastas. bc sampled several of the new dishes at the Lee Tung Street branch which – with it’s chilled layout, fresh juice bar, coffee machine and free WiFi – also makes a nice change from your local coffee outlet when looking for a place to hunker down and work or chat.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2019/Pizza-Express-Summer-Menu-2019/i-sb9jPCb

Burrata & Eggplant ($88)

Among the new items on the Summer Menu are three new starters: Burrata & Eggplant ($88), Prawn & Tomato ($58) and Mango Crab Flatbread ($88). The Burrata is rich and creamy complimented nicely by the marinated eggplant.

There are two new salads Watermelon & Feta ($68/$128) and Mango Salsa Salad ($63/$108) available in small and large portions. The mango salsa is nice but like several of the other dishes on the menu it lacks that little extra freshness/ bite that has your tastebuds going… I want more!

The range of new pastas includes, as our waitress informed us, the already popular Baby Scallop Linguine ($143); Omnipork Penne Aglio Olio ($108) made with a plant based ‘pork’ and flavoured with fennel, water chestnut, garlic and mushroom; A Prawn Risotto ($148) cooked in a pomodoro sauce with garlic oil, onion and white wine tossed prawns and clams; Penne alla Norma ($118) a classic Italian pasta with eggplant, cherry tomatoes, basil, ricotta, pomodoro sauce and drizzled with garlic oil.

The new selection makes for a difficult choice when dining solo or in duo as there are several that sound tempting. bc opted for the Penne alla Norma which was filling and tasty.

Pizza Express has a bit of summer fun with it’s customers via the Burger Formaggi ($138) – one of four new pizzas on the menu – which tastes like a burger and is already proving popular. The other new pizzas are the Pancetta Garden ($138) and two vegetarian / vegan options Omnipork Bianco ($128) and Flori ($138).

The one new desert is the light Pineapple Cake with Ice Cream ($73) which is not too sweet and makes a pleasant finale to your meal.

The Pizza Express Vegan Menu has been revamped and offers a wide range of vegan dishes featuring vegan cheese and vegan pork. With an increasing awareness of healthy eating and vegan diners it’s good to see a big chain restaurant offering these options on a regular basis.

bc also likes the Lee Tung Street Pizza Express branch because it has a juice bar offering fresh juice ($68), smoothies ($68) and the new Watermelon Lemonade ($38) and Mrs Peroni ($68).

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2019/Pizza-Express-Summer-Menu-2019/i-g9k7CdG

Penne alla Norma ($118)

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Pineapple Cake ($73)

Zero Waste Cook Off @ Pizza Express – 19 July, 2018

The theme of Pizza Express’s Cook Off 4 was Zero Waste and taking up the challenge were guest Chef Neil Tomes and Pizza Express’s Development Chef Dan Segall.

The cook-off took place on 19 July at Pizza Express’s new Sheung Wan outlet infront of invited guests and friends. First up was Tomes to talk about his Indian inspired creation – a Spiced Spinach and Ricotta Pizza.

Segall in contrast sort to ‘interpret’ the classic Hawaiian – his Beach Picnic Pizza replacing the ham with salami, jalapeños and buffalo mozzarella for a more spicy flavour.

You can try both pizzas at all Pizza Express restaurants from 23 July to 3 September and cast your vote online.

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Vegan Pizza Launch @ Pizza Express Sai Ying Pun – 17 May, 2018

Pizza Express hosted a block party at it’s new Sai Ying Pun restaurant on the 17 May to announce the launch of a vegan pizza and a ‘dine and donate’ program which rewards those who donate dried food goods or unwanted clothes – to help those in need – with discount dining coupons.
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New Spring Dishes at Pizza Express

PizzaExpress has added some new dishes to it’s Spring/Summer menu that feature ‘superfoods’ such as kale, quinoa and plant-based meat alternatives such as Beyond Chicken.

The new dishes include: Quinoa & Kale salad, Bresaola e Asparagi, Kale Pesto Beyond Rigatoni, Pollo Verde (Pizza dressed with béchamel sauce, basil pesto and topped with chicken, wild mushroom, rocket and parmesan), Spaghetti alle Vongole and Bresaola di Lombardia.

There’s also a couple of new desserts, a Summer Meringue and Torta al Limone. While the Giardiniera (top photo) has a very tasty new recipe that includes asparagus, roasted pumpkin, mushroom, roasted pepper, cherry tomato, olive, garlic, basil pesto.

Pizza Express are looking to reduce waste so plastic straws and individual wet wipes are now only available on request.

From now until 13 May 2018 take a photo of any of the new dishes and post to Instagram with the hashtag #PizzaExpressHK and receive a 15% discount coupon for any vegetarian items on your next visit.

Christmas Pizza Anyone?

Looking for something different this festive season? Perhaps Pizza Express’ Christmas menu which includes two festive pizzas and a range of themed dishes might interest you.

The seasonal a la carte menu features a baked cheese melt starter ($65), a turkey Caesar salad ($128), Farfalle con Tacchino ($133, turkey pasta with a white cream sauce) and Pumpkin Cannelloni ($138) – this is ok, the pureed pumpkin, spinach and cheese filling is tasty but it perhaps could have been delicious if the pumpkin had been in chunks to give the filling some texture and substance.

There are two festive pizza: Tacchinao Rosmarino ($153) – a thin crust pizza topped with turkey, cranberry and sweet peppadew sauce, pancetta, mozzarella, tomato sauce, a sprinkle of rosemary and pine nuts.  The Cicciolo e Fontina ($153) features pork, pork shin, fontina, mozzarella, Parmesan with caramelized onions, garlic oil, béchamel sauce and thyme served on a thin crust pizza.

Strange sounding combinations they may seem, but they’re both not bad.  The turkey one, perhaps a little sweet to eat a full pizza yourself. But Pizza Express allows mixing and matching so we sampled a half/half combination which was delicious.

Dessert options are Apple Tortino ($88, a baked apple, cinnamon  and puff pasty combination topped with vanilla gelato) and a Snowy Date Pudding ($88) which is rather nice. The warm pudding in a sauce of honey yoghurt and raspberry coulis topped with vanilla gelato.

The festive menu is available at all Pizza Express outlets until 1 January, 2018

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Christmas-Menu-Tasting-Pizza-Express-Wanchai-9-December-2017/i-cx5Ntpc

Hilda and Sophia Talk Pizza in Pink October

In this the final round of the Cook Off 2017, PizzaExpress collaborated with the Hong Kong Cancer Fund to raise awareness of breast and prostate cancer as part of Pink October.

As Celebrity Chef & Founder of Flavor Mart Hilda Leung took on the winner of the last Cook Off round, Chef Sophia Cheng, Product Development Manager of PizzaExpress in a challenge to create three innovative dishes including one pizza for the “Pink Menu” we spoke to both women about their love of pizza and cooking.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Pizza-Express-Cook-Off-3-Times-Square-28-September-2017/i-V9k5Znp

What for you makes a great pizza?
Hilda: Fresh ingredients come first! Crunchy crust topped with colourful ingredients combing with perfect sauce, simply tasty and attractive.

Sophia: Freshly baked pizza with right combination of fresh ingredients will certainly bring out the best flavour in a harmonizing way.

What’s your favourite pizza style: Romana, Neapolitan, Sicilian, Deep dish/Chicago and why?
Hilda: I always love thin and crunchy crust, with a perfect balance of thin tomato sauce and LOTS of grated mozzarella cheese.

Sophia: Depending on the toppings. If it’s seafood toppings, I will go for Romana style’s thin & crispy crust, while for burrata mozzarella I prefer the Neapolitan style.

Best combination of pizza toppings?
Hilda: Tomato, cheese and basil.

Sophia: Burrata mozzarella, basil, olives and cherry tomatoes.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Pizza-Express-Cook-Off-3-Times-Square-28-September-2017/i-Rkk8DJh

How would you describe your approach to cooking?
Hilda: I focus on flavour matching, I love trying different combination of ingredients, fresh herbs and spice together. I have no boundary in using food elements, if it goes along, I will put them together and use the most perfect cooking method and create a perfect dish.

Sophia: Based on the seasonality, I will choose different ingredients and cooking methods. For example, I tend to create warm dishes with chilli, cheese and fulfilling ingredients during Winter, while I will use more seafood and fruits to create refreshing dishes during Summer.

For the PizzaExpress Cook Off 3, how did you go about creating your pizza?
Hilda: Using healthy and fresh ingredients that are suitable for everyone and the cancer patients. I’ve used lots of vegetables and fruits, as they are colourful and full of nutrients.

Sophia: Matching the theme of Pink October, I blended beetroot with béchamel sauce together and graced the pizza with a pinky look. Together with buffalo mozzarella, capers, cooked salmon chunks, fresh cucumber shreds and lemon oil, I want to add more vibrant colour and flavour to the pizza. So, people can enjoy the pizza when looking at it as well as tasting it.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Pizza-Express-Cook-Off-3-Times-Square-28-September-2017/i-59VnQNf

Hilda v Sophia Superfood Pizza Cook Off @ Pizza Express – 28 September, 2017

In conjunction with the Hong Kong Cancer Fund, Cook Off 3 – the ‘superfood’ pizza contest between celebrity chef Hilda Leung and PizzaExpress’ Sophia Cheng took place at Pizza Express Times Square. Hilda’s Superfood pizza and Sophia’s Salmone e Cetrioli will be onsale throughout October and part of the price of every pizza goes to fight cancer.
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