One of the most popular stories on my Blog currently is one I wrote just over a year ago, announcing the planned opening by Chef Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen of Restaurant KLEIN JAN, the baby brother restaurant to its well-known and Michelin one-star JAN Restaurant in Nice in France.
Last week Restaurant KLEIN JAN opened its doors in the Tswalu Private Game Reserve in the Kalahari Desert, between Hotazel and Vanzylsrus in the Northern Cape. It plans to showcase the food highlights of the Kalahari.
The restaurant building Boscia House is almost a hundred years old, lovingly restored for this restaurant project. Adrian Davidson was the project architect.
‘Kleinjan’ was the name given to Chef Jan-Hendrik by his grandmother Maria.
At R2500 per person for an eight-course Tasting Menu Restaurant KLEIN JAN must be our country’s most expensive restaurant!
In his JAN Journal Chef Jan-Hendrik describes his new baby:
‘I realise what an impact the last year has had on our industry. Restaurant JAN in France has been closed for nearly 8 months now. But so many restaurants in South Africa and across the globe have had to close their doors permanently. Over the last year, my team and I have been working hard to sustain our love for this industry and our passions. I am humbled to be creating something new, sustainable and innovative in this time with a team that knows how important it is to hold on to hope and to look to the future to make our dreams a reality. Klein JAN – a celebration of the Kalahari’s untapped culinary potential – is undoubtedly one of the biggest achievements of my career, and I cannot be prouder of what we have created. Bookings for Restaurant Klein JAN are now open for day visitors and guests of Tswalu.’
The restaurant is open for Lunch on specific dates, with reservations taken up to three months in advance. Exclusive Group bookings of up to 20 persons can also be made. Entrance into Tswalu is open to day visitors. Reasonable dietary requirements can be accommodated with notification in advance.
The JAN website provides further detail:
‘RESTAURANT KLEIN JAN IS SITUATED ON ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S LEADING PRIVATE GAME RESERVES, TSWALU KALAHARI, A REFUGE – UNTAMED, UNTOUCHED, UNSPOILED – THAT CELEBRATES THE SIMPLE, AUTHENTIC SPLENDOURS OF THIS MAGICAL REGION. KLEIN JAN TELLS THE STORY OF SOUTH AFRICAN CULTURE THROUGH FOOD, FROM THE WAYS OF OLD TO THE NEW.
Restaurant KLEIN JAN has opened to exclusively serve guests of Tswalu Kalahari during April. From May onwards local day visitors are welcome to book and visit the new restaurant.
POSTSCRIPT 9 April: Chef Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen provided more information today about the Root Cellar which he has had built at his Restaurant KLEIN JAN, as well as about the sourcing of his ingredients :
’Creating a new culinary experience in a place as remote and untouched as the Kalahari requires great sensitivity. Every ingredient must be carefully considered. Where it comes from, how it gets to Klein JAN and how it is stored and preserved, are all-important — not only for the sake one’s conscience, but because in the vastness of the desert we depend on the land to survive — far more so than in the comfort of the city.
Restaurant KLEIN JAN, Tswalu, Kalahari, Northern Cape. www.janonline.com Reservations via @dineplan_app Twitter: @janhendrikvdwes Instagram: @restaurantkleinjan
Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.whaletalesblog.com www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein @MyCapeTownGuide
A NO NO for many to ever visit .. The introduction of your wonderful restuarant states “Oppenheimer Prices” , so sad, that only the wealthy can afford to visit. My aunt, who was a PRO for a large firm once said .. compare the income of .. 100 mega wealthy to 2000 ‘not so wealthy’, a smaller profit margin, (affordable, & not Oppenheimer prices), but a FAR greater turnover & income. Food for thought.
Food and accommodation