Josef Meneder has a magical empire. At 1,800 meters, on the Jenner above Lake Königssee, the trained chef and master chef is the master of two restaurants in a prime location, including a panoramic terrace with views of the peaks of the Berchtesgaden Alps and into Salzburger Land.

Every morning, the 41-year-old Austrian looks forward to his journey to work. Together with his kitchen and service team, he enjoys the view from the gondola and the early morning sun. The JENNERALM, a state-of-the-art restaurant, was built at the mountain station in 2019 with the construction of the new cable car, where high-class events are also held in addition to catering for day guests. “Then I can show that I can also do award-winning cuisine,” says Josef, who can look back on many years of experience in upscale restaurants. The 4-star Hotel Edelweiss in Grossarl and the Oberforsthofalm restaurant in St. Johann i. Pongau, which has won Falstaff awards, are just two of the renowned establishments where Josef has put his heart and soul into his cooking. A year in New York also gave him culinary cosmopolitanism.

Keep delivery routes short

“The JENNERALM and the HALBZEIT at the middle station are of course something completely different. They are my babies, I was there from day one and was able to play a decisive role in the processes and the concept. We pay attention to regional purchasing and short delivery routes, source our dairy products from Milchwerke Berchtesgadener Land and from Salzburg and get our game from local hunts. Of course, we always offer something delicious for vegetarians and vegans.” The classics remain popular dishes: schnitzel, currywurst, snacks, Kaiserschmarren and yeast dumplings, “you have to have them on the menu,” says Josef.

More salt in the soup

Cooking at this altitude is a special feature, as the boiling point of water is reached more quickly at an altitude of 1,800 meters. This is due to the lower air pressure, but does not mean that the cooking time is also shorter. On the contrary: as the water boils at a lower temperature, pasta, for example, takes about 1 minute longer than usual. The dishes also need to be seasoned differently. “The smell and taste perception in the valley is different, on the mountain you need a little more salt and more herbs to achieve an appealing taste and a spicy aroma. You know that from the airplane,” explains Josef.