Halaal Col’Cacchio at Eastgate Mall – Restaurant Review
Col’Cacchio EASTGATE MALL – The New Halaal Italian Pizzeria in Johannesburg
For years, The Aroma of a Wood Fired baking pizza. wafting out of a Col’Cacchio franchise, made me wish they were HALAAL. NOW… My wait is over, As I can comfortably walk into this restaurant, at the EASTGATE Mall, and enjoy the taste of these Italian pizzas. The EastGate mall Col’Cacchio, in Johannesburg, as well as a few other of the Col’Cacchio restaurants around Johannesburg and Cape Town, Are now SANHA CERTIFIED AS HALAAL. #HappyDance
The Col’Cacchio Menu is jam packed with artisanal wood-fired pizzas, gourmet salads, delicious pastas and so much more. I swear, One of their tag line “ COME HUNGRY… LEAVE HAPPY”, was made for us, on a recent visit to this Halaal restaurant.
Having left home in a hurry recently , I had not even had time to quickly down a cup of coffee. Finding ourselves at the Eastgate Mall, I noticed the SANHA CERTIFICATION On the door of the restaurant, and mentally did my happy Dance. The Halaal restaurants, have a whole separate menu that was designed especially to cater for Halaal requirements. What’s more exciting, is that Col’Cacchio has invested in keeping ahead of the latest trends, and boasts a good few dishes that are low carb, or vegetarian and also vegan suitable.
Walking into the Eastgate branch of Col’Cacchio, we found a Spacious set-up, that was airy and vibey at the same time. A place that would be perfect for larger families, as well as for professional meet-ups. The warm and friendly staff immediately, made us feel comfortable, as we were seated in a comfy ‘corner booth’.
I needed coffee 1st…and if that was all I had opted to have, I would be glad. The Cappuccino was oh so heavenly, Perfectly brewed as per my specifications, whilst My husband opted for a glass of freshly squeezed Orange Juice.
But…We needed some yummy food as well. To begin with, our waitress, Shantel, warmly acknowledged we needed time to decide as we scanned the menu. She suggested we start with an ANTIPASTI (Italian Starter)..which is a flat italian bread/pizza base with different toppings, without cheese. And we settled for the Feta and Onion version. It was delicious, to say the least, a soft bread base with just the perfect amount of warm melty feta and onions. Sprinkle on some of the fresh ground Green Chillies, and Ground Garlic, add a Good drizzle of Olive oil and slight dash of Balsamic Vinegar, and this alone would be feast.
At the moment, Col’Cacchio is running a limited edition pizza promotion,that had 3 celebrity chefs, square off, to produce their favourite pizzas. Selling at R119, for a large square pizza, A portion of which (R5) going towards The Children’s Hospital Trust charity. These Pizza toppings all sounded decadent, with a SOUTH AFRICAN FLAIR.
We were drawn towards the “ JOU MA SALA” Pizza, which was put together by Nadia Jafta. Impressively, this pizza had just the right amount of spiciness to it, combined with a fragrant Coriander Chutney and Topped with the earthy tasting black mushrooms and cheddar cheese. A combination that resonated with us, as that created a well rounded INDIAN INSPIRED flavour. The pizza base is light and crispy, which didn’t leave us feeling heavily stuffed.
I had also ordered a TOASTED PIADINE, which is a Thin Italian flatbread(A WRAP), folded and toasted. I choose the “makhani”, which consisted of a creamy butter chicken, caramelised onions and mozzarella cheese. This was served on a large plate, It did however, look a little drab, being an ‘eat with your eye 1st, kinda woman” I would have loved to see some greenery plated as well, and/or a garnish. But overall, the piadine, was what it claimed to be, a light meal. These light meals, are served until 4pm.
I am so glad that this restaurant is now Halaal, and I will most definitely be dropping by again. The Salads, Pastas and those unique mocktails, all have my name on them.
COL’CACCHIO, EASTGATE MALL, gets a FOODEVA MARSAY RATING of…
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 out 5 stars.
Don’t take my word for it…go experience this Italian Flavour explosion, for yourself.
Disclaimer… This IS NOT A SPONSORED POST, all that is written is purely my own opinion, and my own experience*