Tag Archives: Le Quartier Francais

Meet Chef Jess van Dyk of Protégé Restaurant: 2021 Top 10 Woman Chef!

 

Chef Jess van Dyk heads up the kitchen at Protégé Restaurant at Le Quartier Francais in Franschhoek. She was previously the Head Chef at La Colombe in Constantia, a huge honour, in it being South Africa’s number one restaurant. She is one of our 2021 Top 10 Women Chefs, and has won a bottle of Adhara Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Jess describes herself as follows:  ‘Small town girl, from the Northern Cape, came to study at Silwood in 2010. I finished all three years, my third year being spent at La Colombe in 2012 (Constantia Uitsig). I stayed on at La Colombe, moving from Chef de partie to Sous Chef by the end of 2014. I left to pursue my dream of working on the yachts, but also spent a few months working with a catering and events company before heading to the Mediterranean. After 11 months on the yachts, I came back as Head Chef of La Colombe in 2018, and moved to Franschhoek to head up Protégé at the end of 2019’.

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Meet Chef Charné Sampson of Epice: 2021 Top 10 Woman Chef!

 

Chef Charné Sampson is one of the youngest 2021 Top 10 Women Chefs, and heads up the kitchen at Epice at Le Quartier Francais in Franschhoek. She wins a bottle of Adhara Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I was unable to meet her as she was ill on Sunday, when I delivered her prize.

Chef Charné graduated from Silwood in 2016. She did her internship at Myoga, Woolworths, Waterkloof, The Test Kitchen, and at La Colombe. She stayed on at La Colombe, until 2019, when she was given the opportunity to head up Epice. 

Epice is one of a number of restaurants in the La Colombo restaurant group. Chef Charné took the restaurant to Best New Restaurant in Africa in the inaugural World Culinary Awards.  Epice is a fine dining restaurant, its dishes flavour-filled with spices.

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Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 27 of Level 3, 22 August 2021.

 

Sunday 22 August 2021, Full Moon, Day 27 of Level 3 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#grateful for a second spectacular weekend day; for a Roadtrip with Gary Peterson, to Hazendal which wowed us, to Epice and Protégé at Le Quartier Francais, to Orangerie Restaurant at Le Lude, and to Dieu Donné in Franschhoek, an amazing trip with the fabulous fun company of Gary; for seeing my #Bestie Llewellyn Lambert for the first time in two years, without telling him I was popping in; for a safe trip back home; for Kelly Szabo actively canvassing her friends and their friends to vote for Utopia in the Kfm Best of the Cape Awards (Best Date Night Restaurant); for an amazing sunset to end off this fabulous day; and for being happy, healthy and free. 🙏💙 Continue reading →

Leeu Collection announces latest restaurant news at its flagship Leeu Estates property in Franshhoek!

Yesterday Leeu Collection announced two changes to its signature accommodation and spa property Leeu Estates, located on the outskirts of Franschhoek, with the opening of two restaurants on the estate.  The hospitality company continues with its concept of inviting top chefs to operate the food and beverage offerings at Leeu Collection properties, as was recently announced at its Lakes District Linthwaite House property in the UK. Continue reading →

Chef Simon Rogan to open HenRock restaurant at Leeu Collection Linthwaite House in the Lake District!

The latest news from Leeu Collection is the opening in October 2019 of its new Restaurant Henrock at its Lake District UK Boutique Hotel Linthwaite House, to be operated by acclaimed UK Chef Simon Rogan. Head Chef of the new restaurant, Brian Limoges, has worked at acclaimed Atelier Crenn, a World’s 50 Best Restaurant. 

I’m posting the media release, as received, below. Continue reading →

Is Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient SA’s joint Best Restaurant with The Test Kitchen, despite their ranking drop at the Eat Out Awards 2018?!

The Eat Out judges have a hard time in deciding on the ranking of our country’s top restaurants, especially when our top restaurants are increasingly performing on international restaurant list rankings! This year they seemed to markedly not have considered the top performance of two internationally crowned SA restaurants, The Test Kitchen, and even more so, Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient outside Pretoria. Both these restaurants have just made the prestigious 2019 Top 200 of the La Liste international Top 1000 restaurant List, rubbing shoulders with the world’s top chefs.  Continue reading →