He has been cooking for more than half of his life. And since he is 31 years old, you could say that is quite a long time indeed! He launched his own restaurant, correction, atelier in Amsterdam about a year ago. We are talking about Michael Wolf, who previously worked in the kitchens of Envy, Oud Sluis***, Vila Joya** and Bareiss**. A passionate Austrian who speaks Dutch with a Zeeland accent. 

"Yes, I do sound a little Belgian”, Michael apologizes. “I learned Dutch at Sergio Herman’s in Oud Sluis, which is almost in Belgium. But I am Austrian. When I was fifteen, I began working with a very good chef who, after four years, recommended that  I go abroad. So I went to work for Bareiss in Germany. The restaurant was the showpiece of the hotel: it only had eight tables and dinner cost a fortune. A year later, I relocated to Vila Joya in the Algarve, Portugal, which was a great mix of hard work, sleeping on the beach and partying. There, I fell in love with a Dutch girl. After many wanderings around Gran Canaria, Mallorca and Italy, we moved in together in Vienna. She did her internship for her degree and I cooked.”

“Then she wanted to return to the Netherlands and I asked myself the question: for whom would I really like to work? Sergio Herman or Jonnie Boer? I was allowed to do a test run at Sergio's, and I must say that I have never met anyone so motivated in my life. Oud Sluis came first, second and third. I was appointed sous chef after three months."

"I learned a lot over those two years. His dishes were really refreshing, and that appealed to me. Things such as vinegar and various citrus fruits are now a true part of my cooking style. You pick something up from every chef, something that is right for you. There is no single formula; there are 100’s of ways to get to the top.”

“After working for Sergio it was time to see what I could do for myself. At one point, top chef Michiel van der Eerde had put a note in my pocket that told me to call him if I ever wanted to come to the big city. I called him and became chef at Envy in Amsterdam, run by catering group IQ Creative. Five wonderful years later, I really wanted to realize my own concept, and IQ Creative was quite happy to participate. Together, we found this fantastic site on the railway bridge overlooking the IJ. It goes really well with the metropolitan, rugged look I am going for. I recently added the – perhaps somewhat Austrian – component of wood, which has a warm character. After a major refurbishment we now have wood under the windows, a wooden bar and shelves, and also new chairs, cutlery and glassware.”

“Since our kitchen is very visible to the guests I set high standards for our chef’s clothing. I want my team and I to look smart. We wear the Executive chef’s jackets by Chaud Devant for their stylish high collar and the front fastening with its hidden snaps. Over that, we wear the Regular apron in khaki, adding a bold contrast to the white of the jacket. The clothing I choose for my team is clothing that I find most comfortable myself. I have been wearing Chaud Devant clothing for just about all my life. If you are wearing a chef's jacket for nearly 100 hours a week you naturally get to a point when you want only the best of the best. You will want quality that lasts and lasts.”

“What inspires me when creating dishes? Well, it could be anything: a photo or a picture with an interesting color combination. Or the seasons. When I saw a river of bronze leaves on the road one fall, it gave me the idea to create a chocolate dessert in those colors with leaves of chocolate. I sketch every new dish I create in pencil first. Based on this drawing, I can assess whether it is adequate, whether there are any missing components, and whether it looks attractive enough. So I keep on experimenting, and the result is a very varied menu for Wolf Studio. We have an à la carte menu for those who are a more little reserved. For those who have discovered my refreshing, creamy and acidic signature there is what I call our “permanent collection”: four course menus. For those who want the very latest, there is my “atelier”: a menu with 15 morsels with which I experiment constantly. These morsels may become part of the permanent collection depending on how the guests respond to them.”