Although pizza originated in Italy, it was popularized by the Americans. In its original form, pizza is a flat, simple circle of wheat bread topped with nothing more than tomato sauce and cheese. You won’t be having that at the California Pizza Kitchen; you’ll be having “gourmet” pizza, that brand of pop-savvy Californian fusion pizza with non-traditional toppings. This does not necessarily make the pizzas any less appetizing, but the kitchen staff sometimes far exceeds the limits of taste. Amalgamations such as the BLT pizza, the Thai chicken and the Peking duck are hit and miss (BLT hits; Thai chicken is way off the mark), but you’ve got to hand it to them for making something for everyone (and keeping them affordable). The menu also features imaginatively fused pastas and salads as well (Kung pao spaghetti and Thai linguini, to name two). The atmosphere is open and friendly enough, with the Causeway Bay location decked out with mirrors, bright wooden paneling, palm trees, a high bar and a view of the pizza ovens. Speaking of the bar, it has a quaint little drinks list, with various standard beers and wine, and a pretty decent strawberry daiquiri. But it’s crowded – especially at primetime on a Friday night, when it starts to feel like an industrial factory line