For the seventh year running, Restaurant JAN in Nice has been awarded one Michelin star. The restaurant owned by Chef Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen is the first South African owned restaurant to achieve this international recognition.
More recently the Restaurant Interlude in West Sussex in the UK, owned by Benguela Cove in Hermanus owner Penny Streeter and headed up by Chef Jean Delport, has also gained a Michelin one star, for the third year running. Continue reading →
Hazendal Executive Chef Michelle Theron is a busy lady, running five restaurants on the spectacular Stellenbosch wine estate, which I visited for the first time last weekend. Unfortunately I was unable to meet Chef Michélle, as she had already left after preparing breakfast for guests renting the Hazendal Homestead. I left her prize of a bottle of Adhara Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil with her colleague, in recognition of being selected as a 2021 Top 10 Woman Chef. Continue reading →
Tuesday 9 March 2021, Day 9 of Level 1, Day 349 of Lockdown 😷
Corona Gratitude 🙏
#Grateful for another good day, grey and cool at 19C; for a good working day; for an energetic walk through Bakoven, up the lanes and steps, connecting to Camps Bay Drive, passing the Camps Bay Primary School, and gaining 300 Discovery points, having got my energy back, having lost some of it last week; for looking forward to the heavy rain ☔️ coming; for lovely Dansdag music on Kfm; and for being happy and healthy. 🙏💙 Continue reading →
I saw an Instagram Story by JAN Restaurant Head Chef Scott Armstrong this morning that the restaurant was awarded a Michelin Star for the sixth year running. Congratulations to Executive Chef and owner Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen and his team for this huge accolade, our country’s first South African owned restaurant to have been awarded a Michelin Star.
JAN restaurant was first awarded a one-star by Michelin in 2016, seven months after I ate at the restaurant for the first time. Since then it has been awarded a Star each year, making this the sixth year running that the accolade has been received. Continue reading →
The Michelin Guide has introduced a worthy new symbol to restaurants which care about the environment. Using a five-leaf clover, it was introduced in France on 27 January 2020 for the first time, when the new symbol was awarded at its annual star event to 50 restaurants out of a total of more than 3500 Michelin-recognised restaurants. The Sustainable Gastronomy symbol will be awarded to Michelin restaurants internationally as and when the new 2020 Michelin Guides are published this year. Continue reading →
Whilst visiting Rio de Janeiro at the end of August, I booked a table to eat at Lasai, the 74th Best Restaurant in the World, and one Michelin star rated. The name of the restaurant is Basque-Spanish, meaning relaxed or informal. It was too relaxed to my liking, preferring the 100th ranked Oteque in the same city. Continue reading →
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 →
I had not heard of the Mercado San Miguel Food Market in Madrid until the Hotel receptionist Davide told me about it, he not knowing of my interest in food. Compared to the TimeOut Market in Lisbon, the Madrid market is smaller, has less seating, but its food is more beautifully presented. Continue reading →
When I walked past Restaurant Casa Rita in Baiona in Galicia, Spain, on my Camino walk at lunchtime last week, and I saw a chef placing fresh fish and shellfish on ice into the display window, I had to photograph it. When I saw that the restaurant has a Michelin knife and fork accreditation, I went inside to book for that evening. Chef Sefi Brea promised me that a waiter would be able to serve me in English. Continue reading →
The Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl was the epitome of hospitality many years ago, German-owned and with cigar-smoking Hotelier Horst Frehse at the management helm. Its Bosman’s restaurant was our country’s number one for many years, until its star faded, Frehse left, and For Sale signs were seen for many years. Now the hotel is in new local hands, the name of the restaurant has changed, and it has a new Chef Patron to redevelop it! Continue reading →