California Pizza Kitchen can’t boast of the best pies in most cities, but what makes this place so popular worldwide is its consistency. You go here when you’re looking for the comfort of cheese and sauce and black beans, of a space that’s well-appointed and familiar, of dishes that you know will always, always taste the same.

Clone Ranger

Would this hold true for Mumbai? It is with some trepidation that we walked into the yet unopened outpost at BKC, countless miles away from the restaurant we had known and loved in New York. On the surface at least, it looked the same: cheery yellow colour scheme offset by dark wood, comfy booths, pizza boxes painted with cloves of garlic and cauliflower stems on the wall. Maybe there was hope.

The menu too, is a dead ringer for the original, displaying all of the “fusion” dishes CPK specialises in: Mediterranean Spring Rolls, pizzas topped with red curry and tostada strips, linguini in Thai peanut sauce, Kung Pao spaghetti. They also offer more sedate options, pasta in red sauce and Margherita pizza, but you’ll find better versions of these at your normal Italian joint. Here, bizarre is your best bet.

Life of Pie

Because we were attending a training tasting, our orders were limited. Still, between four people we managed to hit on all our favourites, starting with the abovementioned spring rolls - delish soft taco skins stuffed with cheese and Portobello mushrooms, served with two kinds of salsa. The Baja Chicken version featuring beans and shredded chicken is also a winner.

But pizza is the star here. If you have to pick one from the exhaustive list, get the Tostada, a corn-mixed base slathered with black beans instead of tomato sauce and piled with a riotous salad of lettuce, crunchy tostada strips and lemony chicken, all of it drizzled in creamy southwestern dressing. As opposed to what we’re used to, this branch serves the pie with coarsely chopped tomato salsa on the side – add generous portions on each slice, and don’t be shy to ask for more dressing. A thousand Italian chefs must be rolling over in their graves as we sing praises for the fusion pie, but reader, this is one of the best pizza experiences in Mumbai.

The Greek option is yum as well, made salty with feta cheese and black olives. Get this one on a thin crust instead of the regular. If you must order pasta, pick the Kung Pao spaghetti, which instead of drowning in bright red Schezuan sauce, comes slicked with a subtle mixture of sweet, spicy and salty (reminiscent of al olio) and studded with peanuts, juicy shrimp and dried red chilies. For our final act, we had red velvet cake, moist but over-sweet.

Back to Bases

Notwithstanding our nostalgia, California Pizza Kitchen, brought to Mumbai by the guys behind Hard Rock Café and Shiro, is at par with its international counterparts and makes for a terrific meal. The location may seem like a bummer, but we suggest you bite the bullet and drive out for a working lunch, leisurely dinner or like us, to be transported to a place far, far away. 

Getting there: 3, North Avenue, Maker Maxity, Bandra Kurla Complex, Rs 1,800 for a meal for two without alcohol, visit the Facebook group here.