In the Maruapula neighbourhood adjacent to the turn towards SSG, mo tseleng ya Ginger ka kwa, is a bustling and quirky establishment that defies purpose and reason.
They serve some of the best of the Italian oriented and favourite past time of many, Pizza! They are located in kasi, and so it was only appropriate that they would name their joint; PIZZA YA KASI.
The term ‘kasi’ derives from the South African apartheid era, and was coined by the black citizenry to refer to peri-urban settlements or townships. This term has been adopted by BW, as have many other things, because of our close affiliation, down to lineage with SA. Ona Machola, is a busy bee. Getting her on the phone is like winning a gamble.
Their line is, however, always picked up by a friendly voice who then passes it to the head chef/owner. She usually has her hands full as she juggles large orders from as early as 6.30 am.
The establishment began serving Pizza in what many wouldn’t consider the ideal spot for such a business in June 2022. I feel it makes complete sense, because there is no place in the city that you do not hear the rumbling engines of delivery motorbikes, including ko kasi.
So why not establish a place that will serve the people with what they enjoy? Great business move! They predominantly deal with orders for take away but have recently set up a structure adjoined to their busy kitchen for a few patron to sit and enjoy their produce, with plans to expand soon. Their menu consists of two major players in their toppings, Chicken and Beef.
The pizza comes in either large or small at very reasonable pricing and can be accompanied by sweet chilli or barbeque wings and chips. My word! They have nailed the chips.
They are well cooked, sliced thin and generously served with a secret sauce that can stand its own against many off the shelf favourites. One has the option of getting the pizza, the wings and chips, or the famous kasi combo which is what we had. Ona gave us two boxes. One with chicken pizza and sweet chilli wings with chips, the other with beef pizza and barbeque wings with chips.
The packaging is precise and neat. I was taken aback by the chilli in the chicken pizza. Ga ke tshabe chilise but this one definitely caught me off guard. Ke fa ke le ngwana...lol. Once I got over go baba ga teng, the flavours were nothing short of wonderful.
The sweet chilli wings were not hot like the pizza..lol. They were well cooked with a zesty zing that accompanied every bite and such a generous portion too. The chips are to die for!!!! The beef pizza was a top contender as my kids and their cousin Maya dug in along with my husband. He described the pizza as just what you want from a pizza.
You can taste every element, and the thin crust allows for you to enjoy every bite intimately. When we got to the place, there was a line of no less than five people waiting for orders.
Ke gore go busy! On top of that were six other patrons sitting at the dining space also awaiting their grub. It is encouraging to see business people, especially youth, taking matters of their development as well as that of their communities into their own hands. Check these guys out for yourself on their Facebook page of over 17k followers PIZZA YA KASI or simply get a hold of them on +26772301810. Ain’t nothing like a pizza ya kasi, nxu stru!