The great German chef Holger Zurbrüggen was born in the city of Greven in North Rhine-Westphalia on January 21, 1966. His father ran a restaurant, his brother was a trained chef. Holger was supposed to begin an apprenticeship in the hotel trade (Hotelfachmann), but managed to convince his father to train as a chef instead. A wise decision.
From 1982 until 1985, Holger Zurbrüggen made his first steps in the kitchen of Restaurant zum Voßkoten in Greven. In 1985-86, he served as commis de cuisine at Hotel Mercure Atrium in Braunschweig. In 1986-87, he worked as a chef at his parents Restaurant Siedlerklause in Berlin. In 1988, he moved as sous-chef to the Restaurant Ruby Swiss in Freeport on The Bahamas.
In 2013, Holger Zurbrüggen told me (German article) that the German chef Artur Bukallo was the first to have a long-lasting influence on him. As a saucier, he worked for Bukallo at Restaurant Zum Hugenotten at Hotel Intercontinental Berlin. They served French cuisine and, from Bukallo, Zurbrüggen learned to be disciplined and calm. He was told that a chef could only be as good as he managed to be focused. Therefore, until today, unlike some other famous chefs, Zurbrüggen does not shout at people in his kitchen.
In 2013, he told me that he had his best time as private chef on board the sailing ship Anny from the port of Hamburg, from where he sailed to Paradise Island, Puerto Rico and New York City, to mention just a few memorable journeys.
From 1994 until 1996, Holger Zurbrüggen was in charge of the cuisine from Tuscany at the Berlin Restaurant Bacco. From 1996 until 1998, he worked at the German capital’s restaurant Carpe Diem. From 1998 until 2001, he cooked in the same city at Restaurant Langhans at the Gendarmenmarkt where, together with a female Japanese chef, he dedicated himself to Euroasian cuisine.
In 1999 in Turin, Italy he won the “Risotto World Champion” title, which made him international famous and allowed him many stints as guest chef in restaurants and hotels around the world, including at Singapore’s legendary Raffles. Incidentally, Zurbrüggen won the Risotto World Champion title with a spring chicken (Stubenkücken), accompanied by a ginger risotto on a Suki-Yaki sauce.
A view of restaurant Balthazar 2 at Spreeufer 2. Photo copyright: Holger Zurbrüggen / Restaurant Balthazar, Berlin.
In the year 2000, Holger Zurbrüggen finished second in an olive oil world championship. Nobody talks about second place, but its not easy to finish as the runner up in an international cooking competition.
From 2001 until 2005, he worked as head chef at the gastronomic restaurant Louis at the five-star Steigenberger Hotel Berlin. It was his most ambitious project. That is where I first enjoyed one of his dinners. He dedicated himself to Italian-Japanese fusion. It was one of my best dinners ever. Shame on Michelin not to have awarded him one, even two Michelin stars! At least the German capital recognized his talents and, in 2002, awarded him the title as “Rising Star” in Berlin.
In 2006, inspired by a visit to New York’s legendary Restaurant Balthazar, Holger Zurbrüggen became independent and opened his own Restaurant Balthazar at Berlin’s famous Kurfürstendamm. His idea was to bring the Metropolitan culinary feeling to Berlin. Check my 2013 review in German.
Back then, Holger Zurbrüggen told me that the Swiss chef André Jaeger, one of the forerunners and mentors of Eurasian cuisine, was one of his great idols.
A highlight of Zurbrüggen’s career came with the sixth anniversary of his Kurfürstendamm Restaurant when, for two days, he cooked together with Dieter Müller, one of Germany’s most iconic chefs ever, rewarded three Michelin stars from 1997 until 2008 at his restaurant in Bergisch-Gladbach.
In 2007, Holger Zurbrüggen was one of the chefs invited to open Zurich’s new Letzigrund. There, sporting world champions met their culinary counterparts. He was invited as former Risotto world champion. Other culinary stars included the Hörnli and the Kaiserscharrn world champions.
From 2007 onwards, Holger Zurbrüggen became known to a wider public thanks to several cooking shows, including the Kocharena on the private TV channel VOX as well as shows, several times regarding risotto, on the private German TV channel Pro Sieben.
In June 2017, I asked the great chef about the developments since 2013. He told me that, after 12 years, he decided to close his Kurfürstendamm restaurant because, in October 2015, he had opened a second restaurant, Balthazar 2 at Spreeufer 2 in Berlin, and it was simply too much work.
Among the highlights at Balthazar 2, he pointed out to the fact that, for eight consecutive years, he had hosted the after shows of the Berlin Fashion Week, were he entertained some 400 guests (until 2018). In 2018 and 2019, he cooked for famous Berlinale (the film festival) guests, including the actors Joaquin Phoenix and Mario Adorf.
In June 2019, Holger Zurbrüggen was one of the 16 Berlin master chefs to present a dish commemorating the 30-year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Restaurant Balthazar 2, Spreeufer 2, 10178 Berlin.
Review of an aspargus dinner at Restaurant Balthazar 2.
Books about Berlin and Berlin restaurants at Amazon US
Photograph of chef Holger Zurbrüggen. As all photos on this page: photo copyright Holger Zurbrüggen / Restaurant Balthazar 2 at Spreeufer 2, Berlin.
Article added on January 17, 2019 at 17:52 Berlin time. Two additional photos added at 19:20 Berlin time.
