Michelin Star-winning Chef Joël Antunes: Rooted in the farm, seasoned by the world

When Chef Joël Antunes talks about food, he speaks the way an artist does about color: with admiration and joy. His culinary journey began in the south of France on his grandparents’ farm, where his earliest lessons in cooking started in his grandmother’s kitchen.

"When I was a kid, I spent most of my time with my grandma in the kitchen," Chef Antunes said.

“She made everything from scratch.” Each day, she cooked for the 15 to 20 people who worked on the farm. “I loved it,” Chef Antunes said. “And I think that was the beginning.”

His humble beginning led him far beyond the fields of France. Over the next four decades, Antunes worked his way through some of the world’s most established kitchens, including the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok; the Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, now known as The Whitley; and Capital Hotel’s restaurant, One Eleven, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Chef Antunes also opened his own restaurant in Atlanta, Joël, for which he earned a James Beard Best Chef of the Southeast Award.

“When I was young, I spent 10 or 11 years working with the best chefs in Europe,” Chef Antunes said. “With Bocuse, Robuchon, and Troisgros. These people are legends.”

Although this experience paved the way for his astounding career, Antunes explained that it was not easy working in such demanding kitchens.

“It was tough because it was 14 hours a day, six days a week,” Chef Antunes said. “You have to push, push, push.”

His hard work paid off in ways he never expected. Today, Antunes holds multiple Michelin stars. He compared the honor to winning an Olympic gold medal, something that requires extreme effort and determination. Antunes said success in the culinary world takes relentless drive and, above all, a strong, dependable team.

At 1856 – Culinary Residence, Antunes brings that same passion for partnership to his work. He shared that he has a great team working with him in the kitchen and values the diversity they bring.

“To have people from everywhere in the world in the kitchen, from the Philippines, Korea, Mexico, and more. It’s nice diversity,” Chef Antunes said.

The team consists of both Ithaka Hospitality Partners staff and students in Auburn University’s Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management program. Antunes said he enjoys teaching and shared that it is one of his favorite things about working at 1856. He feels that teaching young professionals in the industry gives him purpose, and he loves it when they are curious and ask questions.

“It makes me feel like I’m here for something,” Chef Antunes said.

After decades in kitchens around the world, Antunes remains both humble and hungry to learn.

“I think to be a good chef, you have to be open to learning every day,” Chef Antunes said.

"I learn from the young people in the kitchen because they are from different cultures, from the Philippines, from Korea, and I like that.”

The restaurant, a teaching space for Auburn University’s Hospitality Management program, sources as much of its herbs and produce as possible from the rooftop garden and university horticulture fields.

“When you have good produce, it’s easy to make good food,” Chef Antunes said, a lesson he learned long ago on his grandparents’ farm.

What can’t be grown in-house is sourced from other organic farms, ensuring everything on the menu is fresh, never frozen, and of the highest quality. Antunes emphasized that the restaurant uses only top-quality fish, meats, and vegetables.

Antunes prioritizes the palates of his guests, highly attuned to the community he serves. The menu at 1856 reflects Antunes’ humility and willingness to prioritize and understand the customer

“I don’t cook for my ego,” Chef Antunes said. “I try to understand what the people want.”

For example, Chef Antunes noted that he includes Caesar salad on the menu because his guests enjoy it.

“I want the restaurant to be busy,” Chef Antunes said. “I’m not going to cook some crazy things they don’t like.”

Chef Antunes has lived and worked in Africa, Asia, Europe, and America. He curates the menu to be a balanced composition of flavors and dishes from across the world, incorporating a taste of each place he’s been.

To accommodate guests’ busy schedules, 1856 offers a Kaizen Lunch, which is a $25 experience designed for timeliness and elegance, inspired by the bento boxes Antunes saw during his years in Asia. It includes a carefully curated selection of dishes: a soup, an appetizer, a choice of protein, a French baguette, and dessert.

“You get your food in five minutes,” Chef Antunes said.

The concept was born from Kaizen, the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement through small, meaningful changes, a reflection of Antunes’s own approach to both cooking and teaching. 

"Eat well, think well," Chef Antunes said.

After 45 years in the kitchen, Chef Antunes is still driven by the same love and passion for learning that started in his grandmother’s kitchen.

“I don’t say, ‘I’m the chef, I’m the best. I don’t want to learn anything,’” Chef Antunes said. “I’m very open.”

And while he’s worked in cities like New York, Bangkok, Tokyo, London, and Paris, Auburn holds a special small-town charm that he loves. “It’s nice to see young people, full of life and happy,” Chef Antunes said.