At the ground floor of Emirates Financial Towers along Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, United Arab Emirates lays the KIZA Restaurant and Lounge popularly known as the only pan African Restaurant in the Middle East. To a new visitor, the premises adorned with map of Africa immediately reminds one of the African continent, right from the entrance to the varieties of authentic pan-African cuisine.
A recent visit to KIZA shows that the cozy and large restaurant has become a platform through which premium African artists like David Adedeji Adeleke, aka Davido Innocent Idibia, popularly known as Tuface and many other African celebrities have performed in Dubai. Apart from mere eating and drinking, KIZA equally offers best-in-class pan-African hospitality and entertainment services, spanning across dining, music, fashion, art and entertainment. Speaking during a chat on Emirates Airlines Familiarization trip to Dubai recently, CEO and Managing Partner of KIZA, Joseph Osawaye informed that KIZA brand was established in 2012 as a casual dining and entertainment brand, quickly developing a unique market position across all of its segments. “ Based in Oud Metha Dubai, KIZA’s following grew exponentially and captured a wide demographic across the UAE. KIZA has also been a platform through which premium Africa artistes have performed in Dubai”, he said.
In 2015, KIZA’s management said to have remodeled as an upscale restaurant and lounge. According to the management “our flagship restaurant, based in the Dubai International Financial Centre, cleverly harmonizes all aspects of our operating model. In addition to our organic growth, we have also expanded geographically with the opening of KIZA Nairobi in the last quarter of 2015”. In further stated that “our new DIFC venue offers a unique multi-sensory experience, intertwining food with art and music performed by our resident DJ’s The venue is highly sought after to host a range of events including corporate and social functions, with the option of a closed space for groups up to 30”
Also receiving the Emirates media team at KIZA was the Operation’s Manager, Glen Vambe who urged the visitors to experience KIZA’s warm African hospitality. To Vambe, KIZA is the first authentic pan-African restaurant in Dubai, just as he pointed out that their menu consists of a selection of popular dishes from across the continent.
“This is the only pan African restaurant around. We try to offer cuisines that encompasses African choices and options”. According to Vambe, KIZA is a multi-cultural outfit as they have been able to employ workers cutting across Africa nations like Nigeria, Cameroun, South Africa, Ghana and even non Africans. Others who were at the dinner at KIZA restaurants were Emirates PR team, including Smita Natalia Deans, Bardees Badr amongst others.
Delicious African cuisine such as pounded yam with egusi soup, Ghanaian kele wele, goat meat pepper soup, special BBQ chicken wings, peppered chicken, beef or gizzards, dulet, Sudanese Tamiya. All these were complimented with KIZA wide range of African inspired cocktails and mocktails. There were also peri-peri prawns, tilapia fillet, princess KIZA, KIZA BBQ ribs, red snapper fillet and others.