Chef
Alexander Wulf
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Rancho Mirage, California, United States
- Venue
- Verbene · Restaurant
i. Biography
“I was born in Russia and raised in Kazakhstan.” That line sets the frame for the cooking: one set of roots, another set of influences, and a practice that moves memory into form without leaning on autobiography. For Alexander Wulf, the work is not to narrate a life in the kitchen, but to let technique, composition, and control carry what biography can supply.
The Climb
Training at Haus Wilms gave Alexander Wulf a foundation in precision and ambition, the kind of early grounding that carries beyond school into service. From there, the pace tightened at St. Jacques in Heinsberg, Germany, first as Sous Chef and then as Head Chef, roles that demanded control, timing, and the ability to keep a kitchen moving with consistency. The progression continued at TROYKA, where he moved into the Head Chef role and later became chef-owner. The value of that sequence lies in the accumulation of responsibility rather than the titles alone. Each step adds another layer of command over the kitchen’s language: how to structure a menu, how to hold standards, how to keep a line precise under pressure. Since 2018, Alexander Wulf has been chef-owner of TROYKA (since 2018), a position that places the work’s direction and its daily execution in the same hands.
Today
Chef-owner is a practical title. It means the decisions are made where the food is being cooked, with no distance between intent and execution. At TROYKA, Alexander Wulf works from memory, but not as sentiment. The point is not to preserve the past unchanged, but to refine it into something measured, composed, and current. That approach gives the cooking its structure. Russian tradition contributes depth and familiarity; modern haute cuisine supplies polish, control, and a sharper formal line. At TROYKA, those elements are not treated as separate ideas. They are built into the plate together, with technique doing the work of holding memory, texture, and presentation in balance. The style lands with restraint. Personal history is present, but it is handled with the discipline expected of a kitchen that understands proportion and finish. In that sense, the food functions as translation: a remembered flavor remade with more precision, more layering, and a clearer architecture, while keeping its original force intact.
Signature
Alexander Wulf's signature dishes include Poached Beef Fillet, Porcini Mushrooms | Letcho | Vodka | Radish, Milk | Strudel Dough | Elderberries, and Fire Potato 🔥 Caviar | Smetana | Dill. Read together, they show a kitchen that works with recognizable references and then tightens them through composition, texture, and fine-dining restraint.
Recognition
Alexander Wulf's honors include MICHELIN Guide, one star and Gault Millau, 16 points. Those recognitions place the work in a register shaped by precision and discipline, with memory used as material rather than decoration.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Alexander
Where did Alexander Wulf train or study?
Alexander Wulf trained at Haus Wilms.
What recognition has Alexander Wulf received?
MICHELIN Guide, one star.
