Tuesday, June 6, 2017

CPK PIZZA WARS

CPK Pizza Wars is an annual event by California Pizza Kitchen which is on its 3rd Year Run! Its  legacy and brand promise of a culinary  adventure  with  the  3rd  run  of  CPK  Pizza  Wars,  its  annual  in-house  Pizza  Chef competition.  “California  Pizza  Kitchen  has  distinguished  itself  as  a  pizza  authority  attributable  to  its  wide selection  of  innovative  and  artisanal  pizzas.  But  more  importantly,  the  secret  behind  the success of CPK here is, of course, the people behind it. Which is why, apart from showcasing the talents  of  our  pizza  chefs  who  are  equally  passionate  about  food  as  we  are,  we  wanted  to challenge  them  to  take  their  culinary  skill  set  to  new  heights.    And  sure  enough,  they  have proven  to be up to that challenge,” said Bob Vallar, Marketing Manager  of Global Restaurant Concepts, Inc. (GRCI).  

Bob Vallar, Marketing Manager  of Global Restaurant Concepts, Inc. (GRCI).  

The  competition  went  through  several  rounds of  heated competition, beginning with in-store elimination rounds. Each branch sent their own pizza champions to the semifinals, to compete with  each  other  for  the  approval  of  judges  Robert  Vallar,  Marketing  Manager  of  GRCI,  Chef Aldrin  Ortille,  GRCI  Executive  Chef,  and  KJ  Calsarin,  GRCI  Training  Manager.    Of  the  semi-finalists,  only  three  chefs  were  chosen  to  compete  in  the  final  round  of  competition. 

The finalists were: Danny Fernandez of CPK  Greenbelt 5 with his original Thai Beef Pizza creation; Jay  Mar  dela  Paz  of  CPK  Promenade  Greenhills  with  his  colorful  Chicken  Banh  Mi  Pizza;  and Rommel Panaligan of CPK Alabang Town Center with his Garlic Cream Cheese Pizza.


“Aside from receiving a cash prize, the winning pizza will be featured in August 2017 as part of the 4th year Anniversary of our National Pizza Day. Eventually, it will be a mainstay in our new menu  for  roll-out  by  next  year,”  Vallar  adds.  “Win  or  lose,  we  will  continue  to  encourage  & nurture their passion for keeping the spirit of California creativity and adventure alive!”   For  more  information,  visit  www.cpk.com.ph,  follow  them  on  Facebook  &  Instagram @cpkphilippines,  or  visit  any  of  their  following  branches:  2nd  level  Alabang  Town  Center; Ground  Level  W  Global  Center,  BGC;  2nd  level  Greenbelt  5;  Ground  Level  Promenade  3, Greenhills; Ground Level SM Mall of Asia; Basement Level Century City Mall; and at the 2nd level Shangri-La Plaza Mall East Wing.   About California Pizza Kitchen In 1985, California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) opened its first restaurant in Beverly Hills and introduced diners  to  innovative  California-style  pizza.  Since  then,  CPK  has  launched  what  has  become  a global brand known for creative California cuisine. Today, CPK is approaching 300 restaurants in 16  countries  around  the  world.  Dedicated  to  a  unique  dining  experience,  CPK  is  now introducing  its  Next  Chapter  featuring  reimagined  menus,  open  kitchens,  and  unique renovations  in  all  restaurants  across  the  country. For  more  information  on  California  Pizza Kitchen, visit cpk.com. 


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1.  When did the CPK Pizza Wars start?  Pizza Wars started at CPK in the United States. Being the first location outside the US, it is only fitting  that  California  Pizza Kitchen  Philippines  is  the  first  international  franchise  to  carry  out this  Pizza  Chef  competition.  The  first Pizza  Wars  competition  in  the  Philippines  was  held  last June 2015.

2.  Are there any restrictions in terms of recipe or ingredients in their entries for Pizza Wars?  There are no restrictions as each contestant is encouraged to be innovative with their entries. However, it’s best if they can predominantly utilize some of the ingredients that are currently readily available in the restaurants while introducing  at least  one new  ingredient that will set them apart from the competition.

3.  What will the grand champion of Pizza Wars receive? The Pizza Wars winner will receive a Php 25,000 cash prize. Aside from this, the winning pizza will  be  featured  in  August  2017  as  part  of  California  Pizza  Kitchen’s  annual  celebration  of National Pizza Day. It will also be included in CPK Philippines’ new menu which will be launched by next year.  4.  How was the pizza chef representative selected per branch? There  were  in-store  elimination  rounds  wherein  two  representatives  per  branch  were selected. These two pizza chefs then presented their creations to their regular guests for taste testing. The winner of that round in each of the branches won the privilege to compete in the semi-finals and from there, the top three entries moved on to the final round. 

Judges  Archie  Rodriguez  (CPK  President  &  Chief Executive  Officer)  and  Griffith  Go  (CPK  Chief  Financial  Officer),  joined  by  Celebrity  Chef  & Philippine  Culinary  Icon,  Sandy  Daza  and  Social  Media  Guru  &  Foodie  Extraordinaire  Spanky Enriquez.   

Thai Beef Pizza creation by Danny Fernandez of CPK  Greenbelt 5


Chicken  Banh  Mi  Pizza by Jay  Mar  dela  Paz  of  CPK  Promenade  Greenhills 

The winning pizza, Garlic Cream Cheese Pizza by Rommel Panaligan of CPK Alabang Town Center



With Spanky Enriquez

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