Krafted Krust, Lenasia

Updated: 19-05-2021

Lenasia, often called Lenz, as one of the oldest and biggest Indian areas in Johannesburg is meant to be a Mecca of halaal food. So on a recent trip out that way, we decided to get a quick sample of the food scene before heading home.

Due to the Group Areas Act of the Apartheid regime Indians of the then Transvaal, were designated to live in Lenasia. What started out as a humble suburb, is now a sprawling town with extensions and subsections. While the surrounding area does not make it a covetable place to live house prices have soared as established Indian families have invested their wealth in their homes.

The type of eateries in the area are the names many people have grown up with, the likes of Akhalwayas and Delhi Delicious. A few franchised sit-down restaurants such as Ocean Basket, Spur and Panarottis and your local fast food spots like KfC and Mcd’s. Then there are a few hidden gems that you will only discover if you know someone from there or go digging around on the internet.

Krafted Krust is a spot that was recommended to me via the Halaal Food Establishments Gauteng Facebook group. It’s part of a small complex with Creme Cafe which an indulgent ice cream and dessert shop, Golden Foods Express, which stocks frozen savouries as well as a range of gourmet and artisinal sweets and confectionary. Do not wander in here while you are waiting for your pizza order. Unless you want to come out with a much lighter wallet. You have been duly warned.

Back to Krafted Krust, this is a small pizzeria serving Neapolitan style pizzas with a twist, all their pizzas are rectangular. The menu is not huge. They have a list of Rustic flavours which are fairly common and then they have the list of artisan which includes the likes of Peri Garlic & Prawn Artisan Pizza – Thin Krust, layered with mozzarella & topped in flash-fried peri garlic butter prawns and finished off with fresh lemons or the CHIPPANAISE – Choice of steak strips or chicken, topped with oven-baked french fries, peri whip, peppers and layered with crispy thin pepperoni. They also have a small range of interesting burgers including a Wagyu option, but the real focus is the clay oven pizzas.

We ordered a Nachos Chicken pizza with a Mexican Salsa base topped with Tortilla chips, spring onion and green peppers. I loved the eat-in presentation where they spike the tortillas into the pizza and serve it with dozens on chips standing upright. Our’s being a takeaway just got spread over the top and drizzled with sauce. We also took a classic Margharita for the munchkin. The Margharita is also the true measure of a great pizza, and this would be the litmus test.

It was 45 minutes to Benoni so we would have to wait and endure the heady pizza smells all the way home. At home we reheated the pizzas briefly in the oven. I’m glad to say the tortillas were crispy again even if they had softened a bit on the way home, and reheating did not seem to take anything away from the pizza. The flavour of the Nachos pizza was good. Suitably spicy and tangy with a delicious crunch from the chips. The Margharita was not bad having a good thin Neapolitan style base. But I thought the cheese was a bit generic and too much, and the tomato base did not come through as well as it could have. It also missed the puffier crusty edge. Prices are on par with Col’cacchios and our pizzas were in the range of R140 and R70 each.

There are a few tables inside which could seat a small handful of people and they have a small outside section with a few more tables. The decor is modern and fresh and it’s not a bad spot for a quick sit down but it seemed like most orders were for takeout. Next time you’re in Lenz, hit them up for some good pizza.