{"id":76562,"date":"2016-02-01T21:26:19","date_gmt":"2016-02-01T19:26:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whalecottage.com\/blog\/?p=76562"},"modified":"2016-02-17T10:00:48","modified_gmt":"2016-02-17T08:00:48","slug":"jan-restaurant-in-nice-first-sa-owned-michelin-star-restaurant-creates-sa-culinary-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/cape-town\/jan-restaurant-in-nice-first-sa-owned-michelin-star-restaurant-creates-sa-culinary-history\/","title":{"rendered":"JAN Restaurant in Nice first SA-owned Michelin star restaurant, creates SA culinary history!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"JANMichelinaward\"<\/a>Last June, whilst on holiday in Europe, I made the spontaneous decision to fly from Munich via Dusseldorf to Nice, for a lunch. \u00a0The lunch at JAN Restaurant was the highlight of my eating career to date. Today JAN Restaurant,
\nand its owner Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen, made culinary history in our country, in receiving its first Michelin star, the first such honour to go to a South African chef-owned restaurant.<\/p>\n

The Michelin inspectors had eaten at JAN Restaurant just a week prior to my visit, and Chef Jan-Hendrik must have had an inkling of what was to come, as the feedback to him after their lunch had been ‘impeccable<\/em>‘, he told me.<\/p>\n

JAN Restaurant opened with 28 seats in 2013 near the port of Nice, in a renovated motorcycle outlet, with a stylish interior decor, including chandeliers from the Metro in Paris, and chairs made especially in Paris. Just eight months after opening, they were awarded two knives and two forks in the 2015 Michelin Guide. The accolades followed quickly, including a Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler<\/strong> World’s 15 Best Restaurant, and inclusion in the Gault et Millau guide.<\/p>\n

JAN Restaurant serves a fusion of Jan-Hendrik’s South African food roots going back to Middleburg (e.g. mosbolletjies, biltong dust, Malva pudding) with the freshest herbs, vegetables, and fruit available to him from around the corner in Nice, a shop Jan-Hendrik introduced me to after the lunch. \u00a0Front of house staff are \"JAN<\/a>French, while the chefs in the kitchen with him are both from Delaire Graff in Stellenbosch, namely Kevin Grobler (whom I met at JAN last year) and Rutger Eysvogel, a more recent addition.<\/p>\n

Chef Jan-Hendrik published his first cook book ‘The French Affair’<\/em> in the year of his restaurant opening, and from it is clear that his beautiful grandmother was an important influence on his culinary career. I was lucky to meet his mother Hester too, who was visiting Jan-Hendrik last June, and who must be beaming with pride today.<\/div>\n

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Chef Jan-Hendrik’s second book ‘A Breath of French Air<\/em>‘ will be published in March. In addition to being a busy chef and book writer, Chef Jan-Hendrik organizes Food Tours in Italy and in France. I was extremely fortunate to accompany him and his mother to his favorite escape, a little village called Apricale<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, just across the border from France into Italy.<\/div>\n

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Forbes<\/strong> reports that the 2016 France Michelin Guide contains 600 Michelin-star restaurants, and JAN Restaurant is one of 42 new one-star Michelin restaurants featured. \u00a0JAN Restaurant rubs shoulders with Chef Gordon Ramsay’s Le Pressoir d’Argent restaurant in Bordeaux, receiving its first star too.<\/div>\n

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Chef Jan-Hendrik wrote on Facebook<\/strong>, making the announcement: ‘Today a dream has become a reality. JAN has received a ONE MICHELIN STAR. Accepted the ultimate culinary award this morning in Paris. First South African in Mic<\/em>helin history to receive a Michelin star. Here is to my team and everyone that believed in me and my dreams. To hard work and dedication. I am speechless.\u202a#\u200e<\/span>michelinstar\u202c<\/span><\/a> \u202a#\u200e<\/span>firstforSA\u202c<\/span><\/a> \u202a#\u200e<\/span>fortheloveofsouthafrica\u202c<\/span><\/a> <\/em>\u202a#\u200e<\/span><\/em>JAN<\/em>\u202c<\/span><\/a>‘<\/span><\/div>\n

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\"JAN\"<\/a>Read our Review of JAN Restaurant<\/a><\/strong>.<\/div>\n
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POSTSCRIPT 16\/2<\/strong>: \u00a0This fantastic video captures the spirit of JAN<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n

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Jan Restaurant<\/b>, 22 Rue Lascaris, Nice. Tel +33 04 97 19 32 23 www.restaurantjan.com<\/a><\/strong><\/span> \u00a0Twitter : @JanHendrikvdWes Tuesday \u2013 Saturday Dinner, Friday Lunch.<\/div>\n

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Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog:\u00a0www.whalecottage.com\/blog<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0 Tel 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@WhaleCottage \u00a0<\/strong>Facebook: \u00a0<\/strong>click here<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Last June, whilst on holiday in Europe, I made the spontaneous decision to fly from Munich via Dusseldorf to Nice, for a lunch. \u00a0The lunch at JAN Restaurant was the highlight of my eating career to date. Today JAN Restaurant,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[7,11198,3,124,6924,266,20,32565],"tags":[33325,31875,369,32378,207,1736,24821,33322,997,33320,31874,31366,22831,33321,651,14175,14174,2847,33323,33319,33324,1528],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t