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If you know me, you know I am a huge Pizza Express fan. I love their pizzas, those airy, puffy, light, soft like a wad of cotton dough balls with a pat of herb butter to go and God help you if you ever promise to treat me to desserts from their menu because even if I died, I’d rise from my ashes to take you up on that promise. I recently went to the Colaba outlet with a friend in tow for their newly launched Express Lunch Menu for Rs 495. It includes a half pizza, a salad, a soft drink. You can upgrade it to include a starter and/or a dessert and there is an extra charge on that but I’d pay – the food’s that good.

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Needless to say, we did upgrade to this starter – Baked Mushrooms, filled with pesto, mozzarella, served on a bed of rocket, grated parmesan  with airy dough balls. Very rich, and a perfect tease. If I were alone, I’d call for a big plate of these and call it a day. I should probably move to Colaba.

Friend, fellow letter-writer, professor and once upon a time my teacher in my college, Fr. Terry, came along for lunch and called for the Apollo Pizza, which had tandoori chicken, yellow peppers, green chillies, coriander and mozzarella. He quite enjoyed it. I don’t have a photo to prove it but his plate was clean in minutes.

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Here’s a peep at his pizza. On the side, he had a Mixed Salad.

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As tempted as I was by the Giardiniera, I went with the Funghi Di Bosco – I am a slave for mushrooms. Portobello mushrooms, garlic, parsley, mozzarella. A woman asks for so little to be happy.

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Now, not very long ago, I had ranted to Pizza Express about their gorgeous combination of warm dough balls with Nutella – saying it sounded so good that I could take it no more. They remembered! And got me a plate of these. I know they look very pristine and proper here but…

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This probably tells you the story far better. I gave one dough ball to Terry with some Nutella slathered. That was as far as I could go. He happily dug into his Banoffee Pie, which, by the way, you must not miss. So in short, it is time to head to Pizza Express NOW.

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Reema Prasanna is a baking coach, cook, travel & food Writer, blogger, ex-Googler, bathroom singer and wife to the most amazing  man.  More about her here http://about.me/reema.prasanna