The Monts du Lyonnais on your plate
Semo, what is it? A term that means "seed" or "germ" in Esperanto. It was all in the title from the beginning! (Revelation...) In this new restaurant located in Croix-Rousse, the vegetables and herbs mainly come from the permaculture field cultivated by hand by Raphael Quentin, in the Monts du Lyonnais.
© Doriane Ayache
The name of the game: Semado, of course. (Sowing, always in Esperanto.) Need a breath of fresh air? The kingdom of freshness, indeed! And local. As for the menu, although the restaurant is very veg-friendly, the menu also offers a selection of meats and fish. But not from just anywhere, as you can imagine.
Ethical and authentic cuisine
All fresh products and fish come from the Rhône Alpes region. As for the meat, it is the Lyon butcher Tête Bech who supplies Semo with the utmost care. To help reduce meat consumption, the animals are used in their entirety, ensuring no part goes to waste. Finally, "dust, you become."dust shall return to dust"... In this case: "green waste, you will return to green". All the green waste from the restaurant goes back to the field! What's more, thanks to the concept of lacto-fermentation (an ancestral preservation tip, and very eco-friendly), the vegetables that have not been used transform into pickles or preserves.
Ready for a magic trick? No ladies and gentlemen, it's the power of agronomy! Semo brings the art of permaculture directly to your trough. (A bit crude, but used with a lot of affection when growing up in the countryside like me.) In terms of taste, the flavors are as fine as they are delicious. It feels like enjoying a homemade dish with freshly picked vegetables from the garden... not too far from reality after all! However, don't be mistaken, the rural tone doesn't prevent a delicate and contemporary cuisine.
A well-oiled team
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© Doriane Ayache
In the kitchen: Fanny Duranton, who previously worked with Anne-Sophie Pic. (Not to be confused with Anne-Sophie Lapix; Anne-Sophie Pic is a French chef and restaurateur, and she is the most Michelin-starred female chef in the world! Just like that.) Fanny Duranton is a very experienced chef at Semo. The restaurant offers an unbeatable formula menu Starter-Main-Dessert for 26€, or Starter-Main/Main-Dessert for 20€. Among the very appetizing dishes offered on the day of our visit, we are eyeing some country bread toast/cow curd cheese/fresh chard & roasted hazelnuts, a kebbeh with cockerel bread/pumpkin puree & tomato ketchup from the field, a leek risotto, a shredded trout/young spelt/siphon potato & broccoli...
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