The news is in: Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen’s restaurant at La Motte in Franschhoek will be back.
JAN Franschhoek first opened for a summer run with a firm start-finish date. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the venue was fully booked just days into the season and no doubt motivated the decision to make a return in September.
It was at the tail end of the first run that I had the chance to dine there. Most people will know that the South African chef rose to major acclaim when he claimed his first star from Europe’s Michelin Restaurant Guide. Now, a string of openings have taken place. They include Klein JAN at Tswalu Kalahari and the JAN Innovation Studio on Kloof Street, Cape Town.
Months prior to my own visit to JAN at La Motte, I encountered Jan-Hendrik’s name as a contributor to Jos Baker’s book, Preserving a House (2009). It’s a marvellous account of the time she – a writer and food critic – and husband, David, spent as owners of a historic, 18th century cottage on what was then the outskirts of Cape Town. The book includes the story of an intimate dinner the Bakers and friends conceptualised in the tradition of the earlier era. The menu featured dishes like pens-en-pootjies (tripe). Topsi Venter brought “ship’s cheese”, a variation of the delicacy as it would have matured on the ocean voyages of early explorers.