Mario Kotaska

Mario Kotaska (2012)

Mario Kotaska (born November 28, 1973 in Kassel ) is a German chef and television presenter . He became known nationwide through the cooking programs Die Kochprofis - Use at the stove on RTL II and Die Küchenchefs on VOX . He is currently active as a juror and presenter of the program Die Küchenschlacht on ZDF .

Life and career

Kotaska was born as the son of the doll artist Gudrun Kotaska and the board member Roland Kotaska. From 1984 he attended the Kassel Friedrichsgymnasium , where he passed the Abitur in May 1994 . In 1990 he spent an exchange year at Carbon County Christian High School in Palmerton , Pennsylvania .

After graduating from high school in 1994, Kotaska began training as a hotel manager at the Schlosshotel Bühlerhöhe in Bühl, Baden , but broke it off and learned the profession of cook between 1995 and 1998 in the gourmet restaurant Imperial Schlosshotel Bühlerhöhe under the then head chef Wolfgang Müller. He then worked there as a commis de cuisine (young chef) and in October 1998 moved to the 3 Stuben restaurant in Meersburg, which was opened by Stefan Marquard , as a demi-chef de cuisine. In December 1998 he completed an internship with Harald Wohlfahrt in the Black Forest room in the Hotel Traube Tonbach in Baiersbronn-Tonbach . As early as January 1999, he worked as Chef de Partie Entremetier in the gourmet restaurant Imperial of the Schlosshotel Bühlerhöhe . In September 1999 he became Chef de Partie at Hohlbein's restaurant in Frankfurt am Main . From December 1999 he worked as Chef de Partie Gardemanger / Pâtissier in the restaurant Die Quadriga in the Hotel Brandenburger Hof in Berlin . In November 2000 he became sous chef at the gourmet restaurant Andermann Bar & Restaurant Andermann GmbH in Berlin. Here Kotaska acquired the qualification to train . In 2001 he helped the Andermann restaurant to win its first Michelin star.

In August 2002 he did an internship at the Kochende Passion agency in Bad Oeynhausen and took part in the national qualification for the Prix Culinaire International Pierre Taittinger. He took second place with the best fish dish (anglerfish sauerbraten with a truffle lobster and leek cake).

From 2003 to February 2011, he was chef de cuisine (chef) in La Societé in Cologne district Kwartier Latäng . In 2003 the restaurant was awarded 16 out of 20 points by Gault-Millau . In 2006 the Michelin Guide awarded the restaurant one star. The following were also awarded: 2.5 F in Der Feinschmecker ; 2.5 spoons in the Schlemmer Atlas and 2 toques in the Bertelsmann Guide .

A Cologne catering company that works with Kotaska operates two mobile snack stands under the brand name "bratwerk - by mario kotaska" .

From April 12, 2005 to May 20, 2009, Mario Kotaska was part of the team of the docu-soap Die Kochprofis - on the stove at RTL II . Since 25 October 2009 he is in the VOX telecast chefs to see. In the kitchen battle , he has also been a moderator since June 2014, having previously served as a juror.

At the beginning of 2015, the TV channel VOX announced the end of the cooking program Die Küchenchefs . In October 2014 he opened the restaurant "Schmidt Z&KO" in Berlin together with his colleague Ralf Zacherl and the Berlin wine shop Schmidt. In addition, the two chefs offer cooking courses there under the title “Genussschule”. From September 2016 he participated in Dance Dance Dance (RTL) together with Alexander Kumptner as a dance partner . Since January 2020 Mario Kotaska has been cooking alternately with the previous chef Armin Roßmeier for the viewers of the ZDF morning magazine " Volle Kanne ".