Pizza Express- They Are Doing It Right

Making a Thin Crust Pizza is not difficult in today’s time. But doing it right, is. And Pizza Express has nailed it. I have tried its Pizzas when it opened at Ansal Plaza in South Delhi and at that time it used to serve the finest pizzas in Delhi. Today every second eatery is serving thin crust pizzas, so it was necessary to test whether this place still has the zing and whether it can stand up to the competition.
So we decided to visit its outlet, opened just few months back, at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj. The interiors are casual, modern and inviting. The bar is beautiful and the walls are decorated with ceramic plates showing the entire process of pizza-making by their celebrated chefs. They have launched their new summer menu mostly consisting of some innovative cocktails, mocktails and a few pizzas, pastas and desserts. We started with the mocktails Mango Berry Smoothie and Ginger Mint Mojito. The smoothie was a perfect blend of mangoes and strawberries. None of the flavor dominated the other and the sweetness was just perfect. Ginger Mint Mojito was not how I expected it to be. It lacked the flavor of ginger as the slices of ginger, though added to it, were not crushed. The best drink I tried was Cucumber Cooler. It’s a vodka based cocktail consisting of cucumber, mint, lime and soda water. It did not contain any sugar and was practically a calorie free drink, but that doesn’t mean it was devoid of flavor. It was too refreshing and I found it excellent for this weather.In appetizers we tried Spiedini di Gamberro and Bruschetta Piccante from their regular menu. The former consisted of big, juicy prawns grilled to perfection. I really liked the flavor of the spices they were marinated in. They were served on a bed of watermelon, rocket leaves and black olives. We were so indulged in them that it wouldn’t have made any difference if any sides were served with it or not. Now coming to the Bruschetta Piccante that consisted of Fontal Cheese and Jalapeno topping, let me make a disclaimer that this was nothing like the traditional bruschetta that we are used to eating in Italian restaurants. The bread used to make these bruschettas was made from the basic pizza dough and from the appearance they seemed like mini Naans. They tasted ok and the toppings of cheese and jalapenos could have been more generous. They were further topped with rocket leaves and shavings of parmesan cheese which added to the flavor.We also tried their mini dough balls which they call their star dish. The dough balls, again prepared using the pizza dough, were really soft from the inside but still fully cooked. They were served with pesto sauce, garlic butter and sundried tomato dip. All the three accompanying dips were good and went well with the hot dough balls. We also tried an Intro Platter from their summer menu. It consisted of assorted roasted nuts and tangy sweet peppadews stuffed with a creamy mix of button mushrooms and goat cheese. Peppadews are a smaller sibling of red peppers and are slightly tangy in taste. They, combined with the mushroom and cheese filling, tasted brilliant. It is something really out of the box and is definitely recommended.Generally they do not serve a half n half pizza, but on our request they served us a half n half pizza of American Hottest and Pollo Coriander Pesto, both from their summer menu. American Hottest is simply the best pizza I’ve ever had in Delhi NCR region till now. It had the toppings of Pepperoni, Jalapenos, fresh red chilli, N’duja sausage, torn mozzarella, fresh parsley and chilli oil. It tasted as if it was sent straight from heaven and at the same time it was so sinful as if it was sent straight from hell. Not to mention it was hell spicy. Pollo Coriander Pesto pizza had an Indian twist to it. Its toppings included Chicken Tikka, onion rings, green chilli, olive oil and coriander pesto. I found it just about ok, largely blaming on my tastebuds being overwhelmed by the previous pizza’s taste. We also tried a vegetarian pizza Margherita Bufalo. It looked really pretty with the toppings of torn mozzarella, fresh basil leaves and cherry tomatoes, and tasted nice too. We then tried Spaghetti Aglio e Olio. It is one of my favorite pasta dishes and is prepared using nothing but garlic flakes, chilli flakes, parsley and olive oil. It is much lighter as compared to the creamier versions of pasta. They prepared it well but a little more garlic could have really enhanced the flavor.Then came the best part of our meal- the Dessert Platter, which consisted of Cheesecake, Chocolate Fudge Cake and Tiramisu. The cheesecake was simply brilliant. It was a New York Style Baked Cheesecake, definitely one of the best I’ve tried in Delhi. My favorite is the one served a Big Chill but this one exceeded its taste. We liked it so much that after finishing off the platter we ordered a full serving of the cheesecake. It was moist from inside, had the perfect thickness and the perfect sweetness. Chocolate fudge cake was also moist and tasted good, nothing extraordinary. The Tiramisu was also very soft and fluffy but somehow lacked the flavor of coffee, which is supposed to be the main ingredient in a tiramisu.Overall this place is highly recommended not only for their pizzas but also for a wide range of other delicious offerings they have on their menu. The summer menu is great, having an interesting variety of cocktails, mocktails, a few pizzas, pastas and desserts. If for no any other reason, do pay a visit just for their Hottest American Pizza and Cheesecake as they are one of the best in town.
Pizza Express011 331057913rd Floor, Ambience Mall,Vasant Kunj, New Delhi
AND 011 33105154T-317, 3rd Floor, Ambience Mall, Gurgaon
Meal for two - 2000(Approx)Disclaimer - This review was done on an invitation from the establishment. Views expressed in the review is entirely ours and without any bias. Pictures of the dishes are not the standard portions, they are sample portions.