Le Kolo

To sample Asafumi Yamashita’s pampered produce, you can either book a three-star table (L’Astrance, Pierre Gagnaire) or head directly to the source. After a tour of the vegetable patch, guests at this communal table in the countryside sit down to share 6-10 small plates. Weekends only.

Practical information

Address: Chemin des Trois Poiriers, 78130 Chapet (Yvelines)
Nearest transport: By train: Gare des Clairières de Verneuil (from Gare Saint-Lazare, take 31 minute train MALA in the direction of GARE DE MANTES LA JOLIE, €6) then walk 15 minutes through the Bois de Verneuil to reach the farm.
Hours: Lunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday
Reservations: Book a week or two in advance
Telephone: 01 30 91 98 75

Average price for lunch: 35€
Average price for dinner: 50€
Style of cuisine: Japanese
Special attributes:small plates, market-based cooking, prestige ingredients, vegetarian options, outdoor dining, good for groups, communal table, open Sunday
Type of crowd: foodies
Interior: charming & traditional
Atmosphere: casual

Reviews of interest

• Paris Notebook (2010) “He pulled his prized white turnips from the ground and plucked eggplants and corn from their stalks before walking us back past the Bresse chickens to his beautiful country house for the ten course lunch his wife was cooking, based on everything we had just seen. The cuisine was simple but beautifully prepared.  The non-foodie of our group called the tastes “ahurissants” (astonishing) and said it was the best meal he had ever had.
• John Talbott’s Paris (2010) “…a place where the Bresse chicken is raised and every part used, the vegetables each watered according to their roots’ needs and picked when small, and the Yamashitas are wonderful folk.”
• François-Régis Gaudry for L’Express (2010) “Ah oui, il y a aussi un poulailler avec une quarantaine de volailles de Bresse. Stratégique: les fientes des poules servent d’engrais naturels aux légumes et herbes, qui eux-même servent ensuite à nourrir les poules. Un cercle vertueux, à l’origine des “meilleurs oeufs du monde”, dixit Pascal Barbot. Bon signe : des orties et des mauvaises herbes partout…”
• TF1 television (2009) A video featuring Yamashita and the chefs who use his products.

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