Pizza Express Delhi vs Pizza Express London

It’s raining Pizzas in Delhi and how! Last month Skeets visited Indigo Delhi, then came Tonino and Pizza Express. The buck stops at Pizza Express for Skeets as they make another foray to the Pizza market in Delhi. 
It is one hell of a task for Skeets to write about Pizzas as she is extremely biased towards orginal/classic Margherita pizzas. There’s no looking beyond for her. But she shall try. Skeeter’s first tryst with Pizza Express was in London and that was an overwhelming experience. So, she was looking at a repeat experience at Pizza Express, Delhi, very reluctantly. 

Live kitchen and some take away boxes

The signature dough balls (Rs 165) were mopped up with garlic butter and this, Skeets must warn is an addictive combo at Pizza Express. One can opt for the dough balls with a trio of dips and a larger portion. Skeets then proceeded for the Bruschetta Con Funghi (Rs 385) which was a mini meal in itself. The golden bread was crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and came topped with baked button mushrooms, bechamel sauce, red onion, chopped parsley and a drizzle of balsamic. Pizza Express has loads of salads on offer but Skeets skipped them to do justice to Pizzas and dessert.
(Left: Dough balls and garlic butter. Right:Bruschetta Con Funghi )

The Pizza tossing spectacle at Pizza Express, Delhi

(Left:Proofing of the dough at Pizza Express, India. Right: Pizza base with tomato sauce from Parma )

The Giardiniera Pizza (classic base) is topped with mushrooms, mozzarella, leeks, cherry tomatoes, artichokes and olives on a tomato and pesto base drizzled with fragrant garlic oil and comes at Rs 510. The Pizza Express classic base has its own fan following but if one wants they can upgrade it to the thinner, crispier Romana base for Rs 100. Extra toppings for any pizza come at Rs 45 a pop; choose from char grilled veggies, eggs, sweet peppadew among others. There are some non-veg toppings available too but that was not Skeets’ area of interest. Skeets moved on to the Padana pizza (RS 595) on a Romana base. It came topped with Goat’s cheese, mozzarella, spinach, caramelised onions and a drizzle of garlic oil. This sublime Pizza was Skeeter’s personal favourite and she recommends you must try the Padana at Pizza Express. Oh and do drizzle some extra garlic oil for enhanced flavour.

 Padana pizza on Romana base

On to desserts, Skeets is happy to report that the Pizza Express Cheesecake did not fail her. The baked vanilla cheesecake (Rs 295) is served with your pick of cream, gelato or mascarpone cheese and fruit coulis on the side. It did justice to the chain and lived up to Skeeter’s expectations. There are a few other desserts and Dolcetti on the menu, but Pizza Express is all about classics for Skeeter.

Baked Vanilla Cheesecake with mascarpone and fruit coulis

London vs Delhi

The few branches of Pizza Express in London that Skeeter likes are the Bromley and Bloomsbury ones. The ambience of Pizza Express, Delhi is pleasant and inviting with comfortable seating. The decor of every Pizza Express branch represents something from the area in which they open shop. This one has painted plates on the wall to represent ceramic pottery of the area. There is a splendid rooftop seating coming up soon too and the liquor license is awaited.
The wait staff are very well trained. Full marks for that! The menu in London is a little more elaborate with a few extras in each section. Am sure the Pizza Express, India people will up their game with time and add more from the London favourites.
The Pizza standards are up to the mark as there is a taste tester who is flown from London for quality maintenance. The tomatoes comes from a region near Parma in Italy, a tradition being maintained by the chain since 1965.
There was a drizzle of cream that dressed the Cheesecake at the London branches. Skeets prays the Pizza Express at Delhi incorporate that and make Skeety happy.

A meal at Pizza Express would be approximately Rs 2000 for two people. A must try Pizzeria, this.

Dilli meets London @ Prezzo (from the London Diary)

A shopping spree at Harrow led the girlies to St. Georges Shopping Centre for a much needed lunch at Prezzo (serving Italian cuisine). For vegetarians it is rocket science to read through that menu and stay sane to order.
The girlies managed. (These girlies o’course are Skeety and the Nuttiest Nut)15 minutes of consultation and contemplation later they ordered some fries and Mozzarella in Carrozza with Podomoro sauce. Mozzarella in Carozza is essentially Mozzarella cheese deep-fried in breadcrumbs served with a tomato-based pomodoro sauce. And ofcourse coke.
The Mozzarella in Carrozza was a bite of heaven! It was made to perfection and served at just the right tempature.
They then ordered a Margherita Pizza for the main course from the Calzone menu which Prezzo offers. The Pizza was nice and that’s about all Skeety would like to say about it.The array of sinful desserts they serve could not tempt the two tummies to overeat after stuffing in the above.
As for the service, the staff were a little indifferent even when the restaurant had only three tables occupied at that hour.
When the food is excellent, ambience a classic and staff resembles a mouth blister, it seems as if the cake has been robbed of that fabulous piece of decor. Sigh!
P.S.: This is one of the few posts from Skeety’s London Diary which may be written about here when Skeety so desires.

Location: St Georges Shopping Centre, St Ann’s Road, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 1HS0208 4279588

On Google Maps for St.Georges Shopping Centre

Spaghetti has a House

Skeets was eyeing Spaghetti House (like she eyes so many other places), since the few times that she went past it. And while she was on the Open Bus Tour of London and was hungry like crazy she RAN to Spaghetti House before anyone could stop her. The Little One was accompanying her 🙂 Rare moments those.
The Little One and Skeety have varied choices. The Little One mostly plays it safe while Skeety experiments.
So, this time round, they ordered two dishes, one each to suit both tastes. There was no time for a full course meal, so only the main course and drinks (soft) were ordered.
The Little One ordered a stone-oven baked Margherita Pizza (Le Pizze Stone) and Skeets ordered Formaggi (Italian Cheese platter).

The Pizza was a simple yet flavourful treat. It made Skeets wonder yet again, that why do people prefer to top this delicacy with so many vegetables and season it with Paprikas and Oreganos of the world. Skeety’s take: Keep it simple, enjoy the cheese, the crust and the flavour of the wood (that it has absorbed ) in which it has been baked. Simple sins are what her gourmet senses protest earnestly for (most of the times).


So much for the slice.
Now Formaggi.
The Formaggi was something The Little One laughed at. Gorgonzola, Bella Paese, Provolone cheese served along with biscuits/crackers. Not the Little One’s cuppa T you know…

Now the Formaggi tasting notes:

Gorgonzola – The soft blue-veined cheese (texture may vary to be crumbly as well). Skeets does not like this one in its solid form, she prefers it in spaghetti and the likes…
Bella Paese/Bel Paese – A semi-soft cheese which went good with the biscuits/crackers…The word means “a beautiful country” (in Italian)
Provolone – A hard, slightly pungent cheese…best had with wine.

The meal ended with a cup of Illy Coffee with Italian raw cane sugar added to it. Perfect cuppa!
Service was prompt but the staff were not very attentive.

Where:
66 Haymarket SW1Y 4RF
Tel: 020 7839 3641
London.
(Near Cupid’s bow)
Nearest tube staton: Piccadilly

Hare Krishna Hare Ram!

Ah so Skeety is back with another experience to share with friends….Oops she means quite a few of them….only that all will take some time to post. Before we move forward, this is to tell you that Skeets is taking a break from Delhi, and is in London visiting Nearly Headless Nick. So we shall have some foodie delights from London 🙂
One of the best gifts of the ISKCON- International Society for Krishna Consciousness to Indians (or for that matter to all vegetrians and Vegans) in London, is Govinda’s restaurant.
Govinda’s do freshly cooked meals and call them what is known as the ‘Karma free diet’ (For details click HERE). Onions, garlic and mushrooms are completely off the ingredients used in cooking. And so are eggs, meat and fish!

Skeety along with Nearly Headless Nick shared a Thali which contained Rice -cooked to perfection, Whole wheat buns, Rajma -with rai/black mustard but tasted fine, excellent yellow and green lentils/dal with a strong hint of hing, side salad with dressing, Broccoli and potatoes – variation of the famed Gobhi Aloo (funny innit?), Koftas (suspected gobhi again) and fried papad or popaddum, all this for a reasonable 6.95 Sterling Pounds. A very sweet foodie who visited the same place about 20+ years back tells Skeety that the price of the same Thali was 1 Sterling Pound, back then!!! 😀

The Apple Crumble is recommended (it looked DELICIOUS). And some other items on their menu are samosas, strawberry lassi (was delicious but nowhere near the Indian lassi), pakodas, cheese burger, Lasagne, Kulfi, Gateaux et al.
Noticed: There are separate prices (read cheaper) if you choose to dine at the tables placed on the sidewalk outside the restaurant.
Also noticed: The customers are very very very very pleasantly looked after (a delight), but the staff is a bit too slow. Good and not-so-bad make it fine, Skeety guesses.
Location: 10 Soho Street, London W1D (The central line of the London Tube takes you to Oxford Circus from where you have to take the bus and get down at Soho and go asking for Soho square on foot).

Reception phone: +44(0)20 7437 3662

To have a look at the Take Away Menu click HERE.