Pizza Express' Spring Menu is Upon Us: Chicken Wings, Char Siu Pizza, Seafood Pasta

Having studied in London for years, where Pizza Express is an institution, the Beijing branch has become one of my comfort destinations to combat pangs of homesickness. It's not only a remedy for that though, as Pizza Express' delicious, thin, and crispy pizzas make it a destination to fix our seemingly indomitable pizza cravings, too.

Although I tend to settle on the exact same item upon each visit, their new spring menu has some interesting twists and Chinese influences we heartily approve of: think more chili, and Hong Kong-style barbecue meats on pizza.

Pizza Express always had plenty of starters for sharing (the dough balls are a particular favorite), and their new menu is no different except this time it's loaded with a particularly European choice: proscuitto e melone (RMB 68), a fresh salad of rock melon, arugula, parma ham, and parmesan cheese. On the heavier side there is also a platter of (slightly) spicy chicken wings (RMB 48 for four pieces, RMB 68 for six) with a sprinkling of basil and served alongside a small side of roasted potatoes. 

On the pizza front, the char siu pork pizza (RMB 92) seems pretty daring, but the sweetness of the Hong Kong-style barbecue pork meat and the cheezy flavors actually blend fairly well. On top of that, or underneath that, we should say, sits that Pizza Express crust we know so well.

If you are looking for something with a little more pop, go for the Lava pizza (RMB 128), a tomato-heavy pizza with fresh mozzarella, basil, cherry tomatoes, olives, and dashed with chili oil, bringing that kick we have grown to love and allowing for the flavors of the crust to shine through.

For fans of seafood, there'll be no saying no to the new spaghetti ai frutti di mare, a seafood spaghetti with huge prawns (RMB 98, pictured at top).

RELATED: Where is the Best Al Fresco Dining in Beijing?

If the food alone doesn't tempt you then need we remind you that their Solana location has an impeccable al fresco space by the river? That means that the next two weeks are the perfect time to go, before the thermometers explode and Beijing starts to melt into a pile of anger-prone drivers.

More stories by this author here.
Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
Instagram: s.xuagram

Photos: Margaux Schreurs