indwe magazine – July 2005

Catch it if you can
Text: Jana du Plessis
Images: Getty Images/Touchline Photo
Docked in the middle of Mimosa Mall in Bloemfontein is Catch 22, the first restaurant to bring the secrets from the sea right into the heart of the Free State. Who could have imagined that a seafood restaurant could work so well in a city where the closest thing to the ocean is the smell from the waterfront in the centre of town? Well, Catch 22 is so fresh you can almost hear the waves breaking when you are sitting inside the walls of Bloemfontein’s new hotspot. Jana du Plessis caught up with the owner at the helm of his ship.
John de Jesus is the owner and brain behind Catch 22. He also owns a few other family restaurants in Bloemfontein and most recently came up with the idea of establishing a tasteful venue for seafood dining in the Free State. “A lot of people in the Free State are moving towards seafood,” he says of his choice to open Catch 22 in Bloemfontein. The restaurant is proving to be a roaring success and has already made a name for itself among both locals and visitors from out of town.
The moment you step into Catch 22, you feel close to the ocean. De Jesus and his interior designer, David Campbell-McKay, have transformed a relatively small space into a top-class dining venue. With turquoise colours, Mediterranean undertones and life size fishermen photo’s on the walls, the restaurant successfully captures the calm of the sea and the appetite of the fishermen. The waiters are poised and friendly, and carry a wealth of information about the dishes and wine. The service is quick and effortless, with a gentle buzz keeping the atmosphere upbeat, yet never intruding. For a family get-together, a quick business lunch, or a birthday celebration, Catch 22 is the perfect choice.
The menu proudly announces itself as “The window to your Sole”. It’s a window well worth opening as every item on the menu drips with exotic flavour. “It’s a Portuguese style of cooking with a South African flavour,” John says of the inspiration behind the dishes. “My chefs are Mozambican,” he adds with a mysterious smile.
For starters you can tickle the taste buds with delicacies like fresh oysters. served with a star lemon, Tabasco, vinaigrette and a touch of black pepper, or the Black Mushroom Melt, which comes topped with spinach and bacon bits, covered in cheese and grilled, to create a mouth-watering blend of tastes. Main courses include favourites like grilled calamari tubes, kingklip, and sole, while the more wild at heart will enjoy specialities such as the paella (a traditional Spanish seafood dish consisting of chunks of fish, calamari, mussels, prawns, chicken and rice) or the Kingklip Thermidore (baked in a rich creamy English mustard, black cherry, garlic and brandy sauce, topped with sliced mushrooms and parmesan cheese).
If your ship sails in the direction of the Free State, be sure to catch the freshest seafood and the best company at this quaint restaurant. For more information on Catch 22 and its franchise opportunities go to www.catch22.co.za or call 051 444 6877. Camps Bay, Knysna, Sandton and Pretoria, take note, this little fishy is swimming upstream!
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