On #PizzaiolosFavourites Golden Jubilee Feast!

What?

Tasting of an exclusive #PizzaiolosFavourites menu, curated to celebrate the Golden Jubilee Year of PizzaExpress. 

When? 

Friday, August 28. 

Where? 

PizzaExpress, Ambience Mall, Gurgaon. 

Celebrations are always special. For they commemorate momentous occasions. 

What if I tell you that an exclusive preview invitation had been extended to Yours Truly by the brand that knows casual dining at its finest? 

PizzaExpress wanted me to give them company at the novel Chef's Table which had been curated in the form of a new Menu, #PizzaiolosFavourites - to earmark #50YearsOfPizzaExpress. 

Early Friday evening, I found myself facing the facade of Ambience Mall, Gurgaon. The place was not new at all. I made a beeline for my most favorite Italian Dining Restaurant in the entirety of the complex. 

The said outlet - PizzaExpress - emanated a different glow that day. The excitement of hosting a Milestone Birthday Party, eh Pizzaiolos? ;) 

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Well, be it any restaurant, you take your pick by scanning the menu, right? This time, it was a bit different for me. Since this menu had been specifically curated for the evening, the entire spread was on offer. 

There are some key points to PizzaExpress's popularity and its impressive functioning. 

• Delicious, Fresh Food, Handmade To Order. They take their ingredients seriously, with many of them, especially their signature Tomato Passata, all sourced from Italy. 
• Local Influence. Their restaurants are designed to feel unique and culturally engaged in the community, not being a 'cookie-cutter' chain. 
• Inspired By Italy. They have used the same Passata, sourced from the Greci Family in Italy since 1965 and proudly showcase 'Authentic Italian' in their restaurants. 
• Pizzaiolos Are Their Heroes. Their Pizza Chefs are trained in the art of dough-flaring in their open kitchen, a glimpse of which, Yours Truly was fortunate enough to catch Find it towards the closing of this post, though. :)  

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The evening thus began with a myriad-hued Mocktails Spread, which impressed the teetotaller in me. More so, as those had all fruity and nutritive ingredients. 

Those are Tropical (Watermelon, Mint, Lemon), Zenzero Fresca (Carrot, Orange Juice, Ginger, Lemon Juice) and Ginger Fresca (Fresh Ginger, Mint, Green Lime, Ginger Ale) for you. 

To take the meal forward, I had the Intro Platter, comprising of an assorted mix of salted cashew nuts, smoked almonds and BBQ beans and the Antipasto Starters (Veg/Non-Veg variants). 

All of them had been carefully cooked to perfection. 

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The surprise element for the evening was yet to come in. After all, what's a celebration sans any surprises? 

The Pizzaiolo in action, Pizza Chef Rahul made sure that we were divided into five separate teams and experienced being a Pizzaiolo at PizzaExpress the same evening. 

We were greeted by a hands-on Pizza Making session from the A to the Z. 

Chef Rahul was quick to demonstrate the tricks of the trade. 

And that jar, in the bottom, is the Tomato Passata Sauce being utilized at the outlet. :) 

Would you like to see how Yours Truly and Team made their Romana Pizza at #PizzaiolosFavourites? 

Roll your Dough, Layer the Passata, Top it over generously, 

That's my perfect guide to Pizza Delight, All Heavenly! :) 

Here's presenting to you, All Heaven's Delight, comprising of Chicken chunks, Olives, Mushrooms, Pepperoni, Mozzarella, and Bell Peppers, that earned me the 'Professional' tag at the Chef's Table. I was humbled. :) 

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The only art left to ace, was that of dough-flaring. 

Well, I'd leave that to the Pizzaiolos as that is also one of #PizzaiolosFavourites. ;) 

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Thanks for all the Pizza Love, Team PizzaExpress. 

I had a lot of moments to 'cheese' and to frame in the 'Cheese Your Moment' #PizzaiolosFavourites Photo Magnet. :) 

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