The Next Chapter of CPK
While the holiday season is a time filled with fun and joy, it can also get hectic and overwhelmingly busy. Now that Christmas is over, there are no more parties to attend and no more fancy meals to prepare… for a few days at least. During this downtime, might I suggest dining at a nearby CPK and let them do the cooking from their “Next Chapter” menu.
For us Hawaii residents, the Next Chapter offerings also include a few Oahu-only dishes. That would be the Crispy Ahi Tuna Egg Rolls, the Wild Caught Sesame Seared Ahi, and the Poke Chop Chop Salad. Thanks to the generosity of karsha chang public relations, I sampled a few of the Hawaii-only ahi dishes along with other Next Chapter items. Here’s how our meal looked.
We started with the Crispy Ahi Tuna Egg Rolls which was an awesome start. The healthy portion of avocado brings a balance to these rolls. Paired with ginger and Srirachi dipping sauces, these appetizers are hearty.
Then the flat breads came. We couldn’t decide between Smoked Ham + Swiss and the Brussels + Bacon, so we got one of each. Good choice! The Ham and Swiss is named accordingly, tasting just like ham and swiss. The Brussels and Bacon is a good change and with bacon, you can’t go wrong.
For the salad course, I went with the Poke Chop Chop Salad and we also ordered a Harvest Kale. The Poke Chop Chop is a Hawaii exclusive, and it’s an interesting combination. I think this salad could be turned up a bit more for the local palate. Kimchi pears could have more zing, and while the consistency of the ahi is nice, I would prefer a shoyu poke to add a tinge of saltiness.
Where there’s salad, there’s soup, so we sampled a small Baked Potato soup. Aptly named as it felt like I slurped down a molten baked potato with fixings.
Of course, we went to CPK to order pizza, and we went for the obvious, ordering the seasonal Sunny Side Up Bacon + Potato pizza. Yes, there are two sunny side eggs topping the pizza along with bacon and potato. I don’t know what sunny side eggs has to do with the season, but let me tell you, it works. At first the eggs seemed a little odd, but then the flavors combine and your slice is gone, reaching for another. The eggs aren’t the only highlights with the potatoes adding subtle texture and taste.
By now, we were fully satiated, but we had to try the new S’mores dessert. To be honest, this dessert needs some work or at least, more practice with preparation. Our marshmallow topping was a little torched and didn’t look like the sample pictured in the menu. And it’s a mix of hot and cold with the warm top layer over the cold pudding. The taste is okay, but for me, the dessert is not a must-have.
Now we were done. Really. Really, really done, and with leftovers to spare. Thanks to Frank and Nanette of CPK Ala Moana for their hospitality and again, special thanks to karsha chang public relations for this dining opportunity. For more information about the CPK Next Chapter menu along with Hawaii exclusives, here’s the press release.
