Zacharie KRAEMER

Chef : Villa K After working at Yoann Conte and L’Arnsbourg, Zacharie Kraemer opened Villa K in Oberlauterbach, his hometown in Northern Alsace. He received the “Terroir d’Exception” award from the Gault&Millau Tour Grand Est.

Presentation

A “true-blue” Alsatian, Zacharie Kraemer grew up in the great outdoors, with parents who tended a large family vegetable garden. It was on this land that he opened Villa K, one of this year’s newest restaurants in Alsace.

Early Days in La Wantzenau

As a teenager, he wasn’t quite sure which path to take. He enjoyed cooking and took on a few part-time jobs in restaurants to test his commitment. He then joined the Relais de la Poste in La Wantzenau as a commis, where he spent two years learning the basics under Laurent Huguet.

Three Years on the Shores of Lake Annecy

“I then spent a few months at Le Crocodile in Strasbourg before being hired by Yoann Conte in Veyrier-du-Lac. I spent three wonderful years working with this truly great, highly creative chef. ” Homesickness brought him back to Alsace. He first worked with Olivier Nasti in Kaysersberg, then spent a year with Jean-Yves Schillinger in Colmar.

“And then I had the opportunity to take on the role of sous chef under Fabien Mengus atL’Arnsbourg. I loved the years I spent there, cut off from the world in the village of Baerenthal, focused on cooking in a superb, unspoiled setting. And that gave me time to develop my plan to open my own restaurant.”

He set up shop in his hometown of Oberlauterbach, in a contemporary house built next to his parents’ orchard. The chef cooks at the counter, in the center of the dining room, facing the guests. A few months after opening, Villa K was awarded two toques.