It all started at the Romantik Hotel Kleber Post in Bad Saulgau where Kempf started his apprenticeship as cook. It is at this two star restaurant that he learned to perfect fish dishes. At restaurant Fischerzunft in Schaffhausen Kempf advanced to the rank of gardemanger, entremetier and saucier. In 2001 he started working for three star chef Dieter Müller at Schlosshotel Lerbach in Bergisch Gladbach as saucier and entremetier. In the year 2003, The Mandala Hotel became the home of this culinary master. His lifetime accomplishment thusfar was winning his first Michelin Star at the young age of 26. In 2008 the award "Rising star of the year" by Gault-Millau followed, and in 2013 the second Michelin Star.
Manuel E. Finster initially took a completely different path, as he is a trained bank clerk. His passion, however, lay in gastronomy and so, after training as a bank clerk, he decided to train as a restaurant manager at the Hotel Bristol in Bad Kissingen. After this second apprenticeship, he spent a good year at the luxury Dorchester Hotel at Hyde Park in London. In 1997, he was part of the service team at the restaurant in the Tigerpalast in Frankfurt am Main. In 1998 Manuel E. Finster started as Chef de Rang at the Restaurant Portalis in Berlin. In 2001, he found his place at the FACIL restaurant at Potsdamer Platz, where not only his colleagues have come to love and appreciate him, but also his guests.
The likable Austrian started his career in 2000 in Switzerland as gardemanger, entremetier and saucier at the five star hotel Grand Resort Bad Ragaz. In 2003 he moved to Germany's capital. He started at the former star-restaurant Quadriga as poissonier, saucier and sous-chef. Since 2006 he is part of the FACIL family and demonstrated his skill as sous-chef. He is know the head chef of the two star restaurant at The Mandala Hotel.
Felix Eckehard Voges discovered his love for fine wines during his apprenticeship in Düsseldorf. Since its opening in 2001, he has been the curator of the FACIL's wine selection. Guests credit him for his spot-on suggestions for accompanying wines during a set menu. Nevertherless, the guest is always the focus of his attention. It is this balancing act that awarded Voges, born and raised in Bremerhaven, the title "Darling of year", by renowned newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine.
Yoshida started his career in 1993 at Restaurant Torso. Afterwards, he continued on the the Blue Goût. In 2000, he worked for a year for the Portalis and dicovered his passion for the sweeter things in life. Since 2001 Yoshida is part of the team at Restaurant FACIL at The Mandala Hotel, where he started as gardemanger and changed to the position of patissier. Today, he is head patissier and has been awarded mulitple "Patissier of the Year" awards by Gault & Millau, Rolling Pin and other prestigious publications.
From chef to sommelier - From the very beginning, Maximilian Schmidt focused with passion on the subject of wine and food. His experiences in his first positions as a chef and apprentice in the star restaurants of Kolja Kleeberg's Vau and with Tim Raue in Berlin, allowed his passion for wine to grow much larger.
For his training as a sommelier, he went to the IWI International Weininstitut Ahrweiler in the Ahr region. He is a certified sommelier WSET Level 3.
Maximilian Schmidt immediately seized the opportunity to prove himself at FACIL. He has already been a creative part of the FACIL family for 3 years. For himself, "gastronomy in the combination of food and quality wine, is the absolute experience".