Larry Flax, the co-founder of California Pizza Kitchen (CPK), paid a visit to Shanghai earlier this month to open up his first company-owned restaurant in mainland China. I met with him at the Peninsula Hotel on the Bund (where I swear even the air smells expensive) for CNNGo (click here to read the post) to discuss his ideas on how to galvanize interest in pizza in China.

Flax is hoping that the casual-dining atmosphere and range of quality pizza that CPK is known for will draw out Shanghai’s pizza lovers as well as create new fans of the popular Western food.

Whether customers are accustomed or familiar with pizza, the Shanghai location will offer several completely new flavors, such as roast duck pizza, Korean toppings (kimchi), and lily bulb salads.

Fans of CPK will be happy to know that Flax plans to eventually put “a lot [of the new flavors] back into the US.”

As long as there isn’t any corn or mayonnaise (toppings that seem to magically materialize on Asian-style pizza) I’ll be hankering for a bite these new creations.