i. Biography
In Baden-Baden, Maltes “Hidden Kitchen” uses intimacy as a working condition rather than a mood. The cooking stays close to regional flavour, with selected products handled through a fine-dining register of Modern Cuisine and Creative cuisine. The Asian twist is not used as decoration; it gives lift and direction to plates that are reduced until the main elements have to carry the work. Restraint is the operating principle here. At the restaurant, Malte Kuhn’s cooking is described through varied aromas, considered textures, and combinations built for clarity rather than volume. The regional base remains legible, while brightness, finesse, and contemporary handling keep the plate from settling into rustic reference.
Training and Lineage
Discipline in the early kitchen fixes rhythm before style. Malte Kuhn trained as chef trainee at Hotel Dollenberg (2010–2013), then worked as chef at Althoff Seehotel Überfahrt in Lake Tegernsee, a setting where precision and refinement are part of the expectation. The same exacting register continued with his work as chef at Lakeside Restaurant at The Fontenay Hotel in Hamburg. Ownership changes the pressure on a cuisine: the point of view has to hold from product choice through service. Since 2018, Malte Kuhn has been chef and proprietor of Maltes “Hidden Kitchen”, where the cooking can narrow around regional taste, selected products, and a clear personal syntax.
The Current Chapter
The current work is centred on reflecting the taste of the region with enough clarity that each component has a job. Dishes are reduced to the essentials and built around varied aromas from selected products, avoiding clutter so that texture, seasoning, and contrast remain readable. A signature preparation of char poached gently in oil, served with crustacean foam over leaf spinach and finished with fine trout caviar, shows the house grammar. The fish brings soft richness, the foam adds a marine register, the spinach gives green depth, and the trout caviar finishes with salinity. Regulars name it first, and it is described as a dish that shows the kitchen’s restraint. The style depends on controlled movement rather than a wide catalogue of effects. Regional flavour is the base line; the Asian twist gives brightness and another axis of contrast. In Malte Kuhn’s hands, balance means knowing when to sharpen, when to soften, and when to leave space.
Signature
Signature dishes include char poached gently in oil and Beef “Braised & Raw”.
Recognition
Malte Kuhn has received MICHELIN Guide — Michelin Star for Maltes “Hidden Kitchen” (2022).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Malte
What is Malte Kuhn's current role?
Malte Kuhn is chef at Maltes Hidden Kitchen — Modern Cuisine.
Where did Malte Kuhn work before?
Earlier in their career, Malte Kuhn worked at Hotel Dollenberg, Althoff Seehotel Überfahrt, and Lakeside Restaurant at The Fontenay Hotel.
What is Malte Kuhn known for?
Modern Cuisine and Creative cuisine.
