Skaapstertjies at Ouma Anna’s

By Phakamisa Mayaba

It’s a frequent coincidence here at Toverview: the team agrees to meet up somewhere in town, but somehow always winds up ‘kicking it’ under the shaded seating area at Ouma Anna. At first it came with the territory, us being backwater journos, and they the latest inkommers into Colesberg’s culinary society — the story simply couldn’t be passed over.

We had to check out whether the joint could stand up to the hype. Ascertain for ourselves that the compliments on social media were genuine and not created by bots, or people with some skin in the game.

When the new owners started last April, they had big shoes to fill. For several years, their predecessors had served good food, maintained a homely ambience, and kept staff who greeted customers by name. They were hard-working, always within eyeshot, and brought your Coke before the ice had begun to melt.

Soon, 1989 – its name at that time — became our de facto boardroom. With each visit, we tried a new item on the menu  and enjoyed them every time. We liked the vibe, and watched the succulents grow on the verandah. Then those folks were gone. No tables on the patio, and a massive padlock on the door. We became stateless, as it were – touching down here and there, but with no place to call our own.

Enter Blanche de la Guerre, who – with her son Divan and son-in law Johan had been running Ouma Anna in nearby Phillipolis. So when the owners of 1989 decided to move on to other things, this threesome decided they would resurrect culinary legacy of Ouma de Villiers (the inspiration behind these eateries) right here. The signage went up, renovations began, to Johan’s interior designs, and new aromas began to waft from the kitchen. Thus Ouma Anna was born.

The stylish Ouma Anna crew outside their equally stylish restaurant.

Reflecting its diverse clientele, the menus is quite diverse as well. There are salads and springbok carpaccio for figure-conscious soccer moms. Thick rump steaks and succulent lamb chops with chips for sun-scorched farmers or plumbers. And how about the smoked trout salad, washed down with a glass of sauvignon blanc, for the those who would rather be living somewhere along the Atlantic Seaboard?

Vegans – once regarded as oddities in this neck of the woods — are well catered for, and so are children. The fresh farm-style bread reminds me of the sturdy women who’ve slaved over aeons over wood stoves and bakoonde from here Rome. Speaking of which, there’s also a mouthwatering pasta dish – here, you’ll find a bit of almost everything.

And then there are the skaapstertjies, prepared with minimal flavourants and no basting, so as to preserve the distinct taste of this our famous bossie-fed Karoo lamb. Even in Colesberg, they are quite difficult to come by, even at the abattoir.  So I order a serving, three tender sheep’s tails falling effortlessly off the bone. Said bones are soft enough to bite into, a decadence known as ukukhukhuza in my native tongue, and best done when eating alone.

But I’m not riding solo. For mains, my companion opts for the golden-fried fish and chips, which he says, are to die for, and drizzled with a jalapeño sauce. When I look again, his plate is clean, and he’s thinking about ordering a slice of the home-baked carrot cake. Would I also like one? But I’m barely halfway through my cheeseburger. With a slice of bacon, cheese, and a soft patty with a unique taste,  it looked great when it was placed before me. The chips were thick but soft. But I remark that I don’t have much of a sweet tooth.

Then my eyes feast on the treats displayed near the reception area, and I order a soft-centered cookie and some fudge – the smoothest and meltiest I’ve ever eaten.  (And no – they haven’t paid me to write that).

A striking table setting for a birthday party at Ouma Anna’s. Image: Ouma Anna Facebook page.

Besides presiding over the kitchen,  Blanche also swings by the table to ensure that everything is to your satisfaction, and sometimes just to share a story about a recent patron who looked eerily like a former sports minister. In her former life she was a provincial netball player, and then an administrator at Netball SA. She’s lived the dream, eaten the caviar, and marvelled at the big city lights.

Now she is whipping up hearty home-style meals in the Karoo. Sundays are laid-back family days, featuring oxtail, lamb curries, and grinning faces fresh out of church. She loves the almost rural quiet, appreciates her customers, and — despite her lanky frame — will bend over backwards to ensure that nobody ever leaves Ouma’s with a complaint.

Divan is a big help when the place is jumping and the waitrons are spinning. He has inherited the desire to please from his omniscient mom – and her broad smile as well.

We learn that the coffee attracts people from as far afield as Hanover. This seems a bit of a stretch. But then we remember that every meal we’ve had here has been well above par, so we decide it might well be true.

FEATURED IMAGE: The elegant, understated exterior of Ouma Anna Coffee Shop and Restaurant in Sluiters Street, Colesberg. Image: Ouma Anna Facebook page.

This is an edited version of an article on Phakamisa Mayaba’s website, Eparkeni. Used with permission.