An Austrian-born chef who reinterprets classic dishes with a modern twist
Born in Austria, chef Michael Quendler started off his career with an apprenticeship at restaurant Landhauskeller in Graz. As he began feeling more and more confident about his cooking skills, he approached Michelin star chef Johann Lafer at a trade fair in Munich. Quendler applied for a job under Lafer’s guidance and got hired. In 1998, he joined Johann Lafer's one-Michelin-starred restaurant Stromburg. Around that time, he met his wife Brigitta and eight years on Sylt followed. Here, Quendler first worked at the Munkmarsch ferry house and then became head chef at the Kampen storm hood. He made his next career move in 2007, when chef Michael became the patron of restaurant Die Mühlenhelle in Gummersbach. Together with Brigitta, he transformed the former Gutshaus Mühlenhelle into the culinary hotspot it is today. Quendler has been holding a Michelin star since 2013.