The well-loved British pizza chain – PizzaExpress – has finally arrived in Manila, and you can finally get to know what the fuss is all about as it's set to open in Uptown Mall tomorrow, January 31! Now isn't that a good way to end the (ridiculously) long month, huh?
Brought by Tasteless – the same group that gave us concepts like Kushikatsu Daruma, Hole in the Wall, Freezer Burn, and more – PizzaExpress is a brand that started back in 1965 because owner Peter Boizot felt unhappy on how pizzas in London tasted like. He decided to bring the Italian pizzeria and the whole pizza experience in the area, opening a store in the Soho area which quickly became a hit among Londoners. Its success led to opening up more branches all over the world, eventually finding its way to the Philippines.
For those familiar with PizzaExpress outlets around the world, the Philippine outlet will have a menu that is close to the offerings of the Hong Kong branches. It will soon expand its current lineup, and perhaps in the future incorporate special Filipino inspired pizzas like how PizzaExpress Singapore offers their very own Chilli Crab Pizza. One of the crowd-favorites that they brought to the country is the Baked Dough Balls (P195) which is just as soft and chewy as their pizza dough, and is served with garlic butter, pesto Genovese, and pesto Rosto. There's also the Mozarella Tomato Salad (P275) which has cherry tomatos, huge chunks of mozarella, basil, and pesto Genovese.
For the ultimate salad lovers who need something healthy, but is packed with everything you need to give you energy for the day, a must-try would be the Leggera Superfood (P395) which has mixed leaves, pine nuts, baby spinach, green beans, basil, lentils, beetroot, mozarella, avocado, pumpkin, and drizzled with balsamic syrup.
PizzaExpress serves two different kinds of pizza. First is Classic which is their 10-inch pizzas with regular crust, and Romana which is their 13-inch thin crust pizzas. No matter what you choice is, though, you're sure to get something that's chewy, something that's light but would definitely fill you up after a slice or two.
For those who want something simple and familiar, you could never go wrong with their Margherita (P350), but for the ones who just love cheese, they should never miss their Lava Pizza (P695) which is topped with cold burrata cheese, olives, basil, and cherry tomatoes.
Le Rose is PizzaExpress' offering for those who likes their pizza with lots and lots of meat as it's topped with Pancetta, chicken, Calabrese sausage, prosciutto, and basil. Enjoy seafood rather than meat? Then Liguria would be something that you must have to try. Instead of tomato sauce and cheese, it has bechamel sauce topped with mussels, clams, shrimp, squid, capers, olives, garlic, and breadcrumbs which gives the extra crunch you'd enjoy in every bite.
Aside from their pizza, PizzaExpress also offers two pasta dishes which you can try if you want more carbs in your system. A serving is already good for sharing, but if you're that hungry – and because it's really good – you could finish it all. No one's judging!
Their Penne Pollo Ricante is both creamy and spicy, with chunks of marinated chicken, spinach, and cherry tomatoes. Meanwhile, their Spaghetti Fruitti Di Mare is more tangy, as it's made with spiced pomodoro sauce, cherry tomatoes, and various seafood.
Their pizza and pasta may have already filled you up, but make sure you always have room for dessert! In PizzaExpress, they have Chocolate Fudge Cake (P260) which they also serve with a scoop of their Gelato (P95), giving it the contrast between the cake's fudginess and the ice cream's smoothness.
If you're more of a brownie than a cake kind of person, there's the Big Bad Brownie (P260) which has huge chunks of brownies, vanilla gelato, crushed Italian biscotti, vanilla, wafer, caramel and pistachio packed in one cup of goodness!
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PizzaExpress is at the Ground Level of Uptown Mall in Bonifacio Global City. For more information, you may visit their official Facebook and Instagram page.
