Wolfgang Puck may be a household name now, but before he reigned over a culinary empire of more than 100 restaurants, he was just a small boy in Austria, captivated by his pastry chef mother’s cooking. Born in 1949, Puck began formal chef training at 14. He cut his teeth in prestigious French establishments, including Maxim’s in Paris, the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco, and the three-Michelin-starred L’Oustau de Baumanière in Provence, before jetting to the United States in 1974.
It was almost a decade later, in 1982, when Puck launched his first restaurant in West Hollywood. Since then, he’s fueled a fine dining revolution with his open kitchens, fusion flavors, and relaxed yet refined service, finding their way into eateries in cities including London, Budapest, Bahrain, and Bodrum.
So, how many Michelin stars does he have? Two – both for sites in his upscale steakhouse chain, CUT. The first CUT site, at the Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, bagged the award just a year after opening in 2007. The Michelin Guide promises it’s not “pulling any punches when it comes to luxury.” On the menu, you’ll find top-notch beef alongside house-knotted pretzels, chilled seafood, and wagyu tallow French fries – a must order. CUT Singapore, at Marina Bay Sands, received a Michelin Star in 2016 and is recognized by the Guide for its quality steaks and flavors. His flagship, Spago Beverly Hills, had stars at one point but lost them in later years.
A series of achievements
In 2017, Puck received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a rare achievement for a chef, and was named the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association’s Gold Plate Winner a month later. In 2022, he was also recognized as one of the “100 most powerful people in global hospitality” by the International Hospitality Institute. His list of achievements also includes cooking for the stars at celebrity events and scoring the James Beard Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.
While he’s now king of the global culinary sphere, with brands like Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Puck remains deeply connected to his roots. His menus often nod to his Austrian childhood, with dishes like Wienerschnitzel (an Austrian spin on chicken-fried steak) and Kaiserschmarrn appearing alongside modern fare, such as his iconic smoked salmon pizza. He may now be cooking for the whole world, but he has never forgotten where it all began.
