Chef Spotlight: Executive Chef DANIEL KILL of Paulaner in NYC

For Executive Chef Daniel Kill, both his background and his training contribute to his culinary style. A native of Bavaria who grew up on beer and brats, he rose to the top of his profession at Munich's Michelin-starred Tantris and as Executive Chef of Wallsé, Café Kristall, Café Sabarsky and Blaue Gans. At Paulaner, he creates simple, yet sophisticated fare that tastes better when matched with Paulaner's beers and wines.

We had the opportunity to interview Executive Chef Daniel Kill about his career and Paulaner.

What was your earliest interest in cooking?

I was born and raised in Bavaria, where my grandfather's supreme cooking skills and passion for hospitality inspired me to become a chef. I began taking lessons at age 12 and soon moved on to apprenticing at restaurants and hotels in Germany.

Who were some of your career mentors?

As I mentioned, my grandfather. But then followed mostly by Hans Haas (Tantris) and Eckart Witzigmann, our godfather of Culinary Arts. I was influenced primarily by their use of locally sourced, tastefully combined fresh ingredients.

What culinary styles have influenced your career?

Traditional Bavarian cuisine is easy for me to pair and prepare, as well as traditional Italian and classic French cuisines. However, Asian cuisine, in particular specialized foods of Hong Kong, China and Thailand, are influences that I love to experiment with. Also, my love of seafood is a specialty that I would love to bring more of to Paulaner.

What do you consider the most distinguishing features of your work as a chef?

The use of high quality, locally sourced ingredients for my dishes as well as simple balancing of season ingredients to highlight the natural flavors and taste of the food without adding excessive flavors or fillings. For example, the sausages are a combination of freshly ground meats in natural casings.

What is your favorite meal?

As far as my favorite meals, I would have to consider the seasons and what they bring to my kitchen. For example, spring will bring fresh peas, rhubarb, asparagus, ramps as well as lamb. Moving into early summer, we have delicious cherries, heirloom tomatoes, Wurst Salad with vinegar, pickles and onions. As it gets colder, I look for more hearty foods like braised beef shoulders and pork or veal shank with fall and winter vegetables. The seasons bring an array of delicious assortments to my kitchen and I love the opportunity to pair these seasonal dishes while the harvest is in motion.

Tell me a little bit about your restaurant for our readers.

Paulaner is a traditional Bavarian restaurant with a built in craft brewery and bar. The food is a more sophisticated interpretation of traditional dishes that, paired with our freshly made beer and extensive German wines, provides a truly authentic taste of Bavaria. The setting is vintage New York meets industrial German design. Paulaner is comfortable and spacious, delicious food and always welcoming. We look forward to hosting your readers.

Paulaner is located at 265 Bowery just south of Houston Street in Manhattan (easily accessible by subway, F 6 B M D trains 2 blocks away; N R in Soho). Visit www.paulanernyc.com or call them at 212-780-0300. They serve dinner and weekend brunch. Paulaner is open Sun-Wed from 3 pm to 11 pm, Thurs-Sat from 3 pm to midnight. The space (including a private downstairs party room that accommodates 65 people) is available for private parties, beer classes, brewery tours, corporate team building and other corporate meetings. For more information on special events, please directly contact Maria Cocchiara-Klein at 212-780-0300.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Daniel Kill

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