JAMPACKED LIFESTYLE: 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.