Celeb chef Jan Hendrik serves up what to expect as he returns to our screens

Acclaimed chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen is juggling running his Michelin-starred restaurant in France with his new Innovation Studio in Cape Town.

The long-awaited second season of his TV show, JAN, is set to premiere soon.

Oh, and did we mention he’s also setting up a restaurant in the Kalahari?

He tells us more:

When South Africans drop by Restaurant JAN in Nice, France, from the front door I will get a shout passed by the French manager that they are from SA and they know me very well ...   with a pair of shorts and the bag of chutney I get greeted with, that’s what really keeps me going sometimes.

Unfortunately, we are mostly fully booked so we offer a packet of homemade rusks for them to enjoy during their travels as a thank-you.

Restaurant JAN’s Michelin star has been renewed every year for the last four years.

I can’t spot a Michelin inspector a mile off but I can spot a South African dropping a fork (for those who watched the movie Burnt).

The Michelin inspections are anonymous and never by the same person, which makes is so credible.

People dining alone get a red stripe on their docket in the kitchen and will be looked after with a dash more attention — next time you travel use this tip!

The most difficult part of the recognition by Michelin is the pressure of staying relevant, keeping your team motivated and keeping yourself driven.

The team at JAN spend every minute of their day making sure all the food is prepared with precision ... we don’t often have time to work on new dishes at JAN as much as we want to, which is why we opened the JAN Innovation Studio in Cape Town.

This is a support system and also a playground where experiments and the occasional flop is totally accepted.

I always look so calm and cool ... Ha ha, I’m a calm person, I don’t like confrontation and drama.

Three dishes on my menu with South African twists are:

• Braaibroodjie macaroon — the perfect blend of SA and Nice in one bite.
• Pap and snails — the French love their snails, and combining it with rich Parmesan from the borders of Italy and dollops of French salted butter and parsley ... amazing!
• Peaches and custard — a traditional SA dish refined to suit the French palate.

Skaapstertjies are an underrated local SA delicacy.

It’s fantastic when braaied and is a true representation of SA cuisine.

My smoked haddock and camel milk dish with frozen apple sounds totally way out but I’m super- proud of the refinement, textures, temperatures and ingredients I managed to combine in this.

Klein JAN, my new restaurant at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, is my biggest project to date.

Our goal is to create a back-to-the-roots space, an experience where SA, and especially local Kalahari ingredients, will be celebrated for the first time.

Klein JAN will open its doors in November 2020. Follow the journey on Instagram @restaurantkleinjan

The second season of JAN airs on TV in early February.

This season I show my days in France leading up to opening JAN.

I reveal snippets of MARIA (a dining room extension to JAN) and get seriously emotional with the loss of my grandmother and father over the past year ... this over a bottle of Cognac (that I just want to add Coke to).

I share a beautiful chateau, my favourite places to dine and my favourite regions in Italy.

Lastly, a visit back to SA where I share the JAN Innovation Studio and meet up with local friends.

• The new season of JAN starts on February 3 on VIA (DStv channel 147) and Showmax.