The term hidden gem is often overused these days but when you sit down in the Bosjes Kombuis just outside Ceres it’s the only description that comes to mind.
It’s tucked away off the R43 en route to Ceres and nestled next to an 18th-century, Cape Dutch manor house on the Bosjes farm. The Witzenberg and Slanghoek mountains are the backdrop to the contemporary restaurant space.
Bosjes Kombuis is a contemporary space - pic supplied.
The soup of the day is a great way to start your meal and if you’re lucky you’ll get the sweet potato soup which won’t disappoint. It’s creamy and smooth and the balance of spices are just right.
If that’s not to your fancy Bosjes offers a sesame chicken salad or a farm platter which includes chicken liver pate, cured meats, farm bread and homemade pickles.
Homemade is a feature of the menu and it’s not done in a contrived way but with lots of heart and soul and a nod to the farms in the area.
You have a choice of mains that includes roasted Mediterranean vegetables, marinated chick peas and quinoa, the beef of the day (which is grass fed) or a deep fried mushroom quiche.
But my choice is the pan fried sea bass. The fish is perched atop creamy mash potatoes and there are wilted greens and a mussel veloute on the plate. It’s a tasty surprise on the menu that is well worth it.
I didn’t expect to find a perfectly seared sea bass on a menu at a Kombuis restaurant near Ceres, but that all part of Bosjes hidden gem quality.
BOSJES Kombuis - Chef Kim Cox - Pic Supplied
Chef Kim’s homemade trio of ice creams is a delicious dessert. It was a cinnamon, coffee and vanilla ice cream and to my surprise the vanilla was not so vanilla at all.
It was the star of the ice creams and a joy to the palate because there is a secret ingredient in there that had me scooping up the last of the ice cream and I still couldn’t figure it out.
Other dessert options include local cheese, farm pickles and crisp bread as well as malva pudding with vanilla ice cream and a homemade ice cream sundae.