Satisfy your taste buds the Belgian way
Do yourself a favour and go try them out. You will definitely be going back for more.
BARBERTON – Stylish and with lots of ambience, the new Belgian restaurant, Josephine’s, opened its doors on Thursday evening to a few privileged guests. Barbertonians who were fortunate enough to be invited to the opening were in for the feast of their lives.
From the moment they crossed the threshold, they were made to feel very welcome and treated to wine of their choice. After socialising for a while outside on the veranda and in the garden, everyone was seated and Elsabe Jacobs, principal of Realty 1, made the opening speech, giving background on the owners and the path they had travelled before deciding to embark on this venture.
Nearly five years ago, a Belgian couple, Josephine Laporte and her life partner Danielle Vermeeren, fell in love with Barberton on one of their numerous visits to sunny South Africa. They owned a restaurant in Belgium and while on their visit, they began contemplating about opening one in our town. This was when they approached Jacobs.
Jacobs set about finding a suitable premises to show on each visit, but none were to their liking. “What I always looked forward to was the Belgian chocolates they brought along whenever they paid us a visit,” she said jokingly, but later on the invitees found out exactly why she so looked forward to these delicacies.
Since they met Jacobs, they have been back and forth to South Africa several times, looking at various premises in Barberton, but could find none that took their fancy. On being questioned about why they chose Barberton, they said that whenever they searched for anything about South Africa on the Internet, the town would pop up on Google, so they decided it must be a good place to invest.
Eventually Jacobs handed the account over to one of Realty 1’s estate agents, Madelein van Rensburg. They have been corresponding ever since and, when the premises in General Street became available, they decided to buy then and there.
The big work, however, was still to come and together with Strauss Development the construction of the new building got underway.
It seems that Laporte and Vermeeren have a soft spot for charity and children. Jacobs spoke about how they would bring along boxes full of clothes and such for St Johns Mission every time they visited. “Thank you to everybody from our hometown, Blankenberge, for the donations of clothes for St Johns Mission,” they added.
Jacobs thanked everyone who helped to make the couple’s dream come true as well as those who attended. She also conveyed a special word of thanks to Van Rensburg who had been at the beck and call of the owners throughout the whole process, and afterwards.
The feast then began in all earnest and with Vermeeren acting as Maitre’D and Laporte managing the kitchen staff. The diners were treated to the following:
Pumpkin soup, cheese puffs to die for, steak tartar, chicken Vol au Vent (Koninginnehapje), bobotie with pineapple, special french fries with a delicate mayonnaise sauce, curry scampi, chicken livers and potatoes with a twist, Belgium chocolates and waffles and chocolate mousse. All of these came in sample servings, just enough to get the taste buds begging for more and to introduce new varieties of flavour with a Belgium twist.
Although Barberton has other restaurants residents love to visit, this one is in a league all of its own. If you seek special treatment and that something extra money can’t buy, attention to detail and efficient staff, Josephine’s comes highly recommended.
On Wednesdays between 13:00 and 17:00 you can join in their Crazy Wednesday’s special where you buy one waffle and get one free – and this is not just any waffle. Do yourself a favour and go try them out. You will definitely be going back for more.
Josephine’s is situated in 40 General Street. Currently they seat 60 and venue bookings can be done on 013-712-3543.
Barberton Times wishes Vermeeren and Laporte all of the best with their undertaking.
