The biography of Konstantin Ivlev can serve as a guide to action for those who want to build a brilliant career from scratch with their own hands. Having begun his professional ascent in the canteen at the institute, Konstantin Ivlev within a couple of years reached the rank of chef.
Today he is a recognizable media personality. Ivlev successfully worked in a number of the most prestigious Moscow restaurants, became the host of such television programs as “Eat This Immediately”, “Ask the Chef”, “Wednesday of Taste”, “On the Knives” and other equally successful projects.
Over the past few years, the famous chef has been involved in a number of television projects. In them he acts as the author and presenter. The chef's culinary shows are a huge success among viewers.
Childhood
The future famous chef was born into the family of a KGB officer. From the age of 7, Konstantin lived with his family abroad, where his father’s work brought her. After a five-year stay outside the USSR, the family returned to their native Moscow.
The boy wanted to share his experience with his peers and show the things that were brought from the trip, but his father categorically forbade this and taught twelve-year-old Kostya modesty.
During his school years, Konstantin was not a high achiever, which often gave his parents cause for concern. In addition, while still in school, Ivlev began getting his first tattoos on his body.
He proved himself to be an excellent assistant in the school canteen, where he helped cook. Therefore, after graduating from school, Konstantin decides to devote his life to cooking and enters a vocational school to learn this specialty.
Childhood, study and youth
Konstantin was born on January 12, 1974 in Moscow , but since the boy’s parents worked abroad, he spent his entire childhood there. The family returned to the Russian capital when their son turned 12 years old. The boy always differed from his peers in his modern imported clothes, which did not affect his communication with friends.
But he had big problems with his studies. The chef himself recalls that he was a poor student who decided that moving to 10th grade was simply pointless for him. Deciding which path to take into the future, Kostya chose cooking . Since childhood, he really liked to cook, he helped his mother in the kitchen every time. After 9th grade, Ivlev entered a vocational school, where Kostya’s future colleague Yuri Rozhkov also studied.
After graduating from a vocational school and serving in the army, Kostantin began to climb the career ladder. To begin with, the young guy decided to gain experience, so he began working in the institute canteen. There he had to serve more than a thousand people in one hour shift. After a while, Ivlev received a chef’s jacket and began working in prestigious restaurants. Konstantin’s actively growing skills were appreciated by real professionals, and in 2000 he received three awards at the Russian Culinary Championship, and after some time the guy became “Chef of the Year” three times according to the following publications:
- Time Out;
- "Kommersant-Weekend";
- "CHEF".
The chef never stopped developing. He regularly participated in thematic seminars , various master classes, which were held in different countries:
- France;
- America;
- Spain;
- Sweden.
Today, Konstantin is a member of the Guild of Gastronomers (France), and is also the head of the Federation of Professional Chefs and Confectioners of Russia. More recently, he decided to open a culinary school called “Ask the Chef” together with Yuri Rozhkov. Anyone can get very important knowledge there. Ivlev is also a brand chef (“Ginza Project”).
The beginning of professional ascent
Ivlev’s career as a chef began after his military service, which he entered after graduating from vocational school in 1993. His professional growth, thanks to work in various restaurants in Moscow, was rapid. Two years later, the chef becomes a sought-after specialist and begins to cook for the best establishments in the capital.
Despite his successes in the profession and career ups, Konstantin Ivlev strived for development, so he attended many master classes both in Russia and abroad. The teachers were representatives of the culinary arts from the most famous schools and restaurants in the world.
Recognized Talent
The beginning of the 2000s was marked by recognition in Ivlev’s career. So, in the spring of 2000, he participated in the culinary championship in Moscow, where he managed to take bronze.
2001 brings glory to the most famous chef in Russia; in 2007, this title is assigned to him thanks to the magazine “Chef” and the famous English publication
In the early spring of 2004, Ivlev’s first literary work was published, in which he presented to the general public his culinary philosophy, the formulation of the concept of highly professional cuisine, relevant in modern conditions.
2008 brought recognition from French culinary experts, who also appreciated Ivlev’s undeniable talent. After 2 years, the “Ivlev School” opened its doors in the capital, and already in 2011, together with Rozhkov, the famous chef published a book of recipes that are adapted to products that are considered traditional in the Russian expanses.
A significant event in Konstantin’s biography takes place in 2014 - he becomes not only a chef, but also a co-owner of one of the most luxurious restaurants in the capital. On the restaurant's menu you can find dishes prepared exclusively according to the author's recipes. The restaurant is extremely popular, and you can wait in line for a table for weeks.
Chef career
In 1993, having received his education and served in the army, Ivlev began working in his specialty in restaurants in Moscow. The talented young chef quickly began to move up the career ladder - just a few years later, Ivlev was already working as a chef in the most prestigious restaurants in the capital, including the GQ bar and Ginza-Project restaurants.
Konstantin Ivlev was a chef in fashionable metropolitan restaurants
At the beginning of his career, Ivlev attended many master classes and seminars in Europe and the USA. The training took place in special schools and restaurants awarded 2 and 3 stars in the Michelin guide. Konstantin Ivlev about modern chef education In 2000, Konstantin took 3rd place at the Russian Culinary Championship, and also became the only Russian chef at the Haute Cuisine Week in Russia. The following year, Ivlev received the title of “Chief of the Year”. In 2007, Konstantin confirmed his title according to Time Out and CHEF magazines.
Time Out recognized Ivlev as the best chef of 2007
In 2004, Ivlev wrote his first book, “My Kitchen Philosophy,” in which he formulated his own gastronomic philosophy and expressed his thoughts about professional cuisine.
Konstantin Ivlev is also known as the author of popular cookbooks
In 2008, Ivlev became a member of the French gastronomy association Chaine des Rotissers and later headed the Federation of Professional Chefs and Confectioners of Russia. Two years later, Konstantin, together with chef Yuri Rozhkov, opened the “Ask the Chef” culinary school in Moscow.
In 2011, Konstantin, together with Rozhkov, published the book “Kitchen for Real Men,” and two years later, the book “Russia Cooks at Home,” in which chefs shared proven recipes based on Russian products.
Tour of the Wicked restaurant In 2014, Ivlev became co-owner and chef of the Wicked restaurant in Moscow. Czech footballer Martin Jiranek was also at the helm of the establishment. The restaurant, completely renovated, abandoned the high-flown dishes and offered visitors classic “Ivlevsk cuisine” with familiar recipes in the author’s refined style.
Author of printed publications
The name Ivlev is mentioned in many printed publications. His most famous works as an author are “Russia Cooks at Home” and “My Kitchen Philosophy,” written by him in collaboration with Yuri Rozhkov, a long-time friend and partner.
Another co-authorship was successful - together with his 11-year-old son, Ivlev published the book “Cooking for One, Two, Three,” in which they selected recipes together. On the pages of his books, Ivlev reveals recipes for various dishes - from soups to drinks, diluting them with interesting cases from personal experience.
Among the chef’s upcoming projects that are preparing to be published is a work with promising content, “The Bible of New Russian Cuisine.” Professional notes and photographs with family can be seen on the chef’s social media pages.
Activities on television
On television, the chef acts as a popularizer of original cuisine and the art of cooking in general. He has many loyal fans. Konstantin Ivlev is not only a competent cook, a good presenter, but also an attractive man. Weighing 104 kg. He is tall, athletic, and takes good care of himself. According to him, the plump and rosy-cheeked chef is just a myth.
Nowadays, Konstantin Ivlev’s videos from the show “On Knives” are very popular. The “war” against unprofessionalism in the catering sector is broadcast on TV screens and is loved by Russian viewers. Reality tours expose the true state of affairs in the Russian restaurant business and encourage restaurant owners to develop and regularly “work on mistakes.” The TV show “Ask the Chef” will appeal to those who love to cook. The chef shares the secrets of dishes that can be easily mastered at home. The target audience of the project is cooks of any level of training (both beginners and professionals). You can also find various materials and original recipes from a talented gastronome online.
For book lovers, Konstantin Ivlev has prepared several printed publications. The most popular books are “My Kitchen Philosophy” and “Russia Cooks at Home.” Other books were co-written with the chef’s colleague and friend, Yuri Rozhkov. Active educational activities contribute to the prosperity of the chef’s personal projects - in particular, Konstantin Ivlev’s restaurant in Moscow enjoys constant popularity.
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Personal life
He is in a long and strong marriage. Together with his wife Maria, he is raising a son, Matvey, and a daughter, Masha. The son has adopted his father's passion for cooking and plans to follow in his father's footsteps.
Career success did not prevent Konstantin Ivlev from building personal happiness
Wife of Konstantin Ivlev
Maria Ivleva, the wife of the famous chef, is his faithful companion. Their marriage has been around for about 20 years. According to both spouses, their meeting radically changed the personal lives and priorities of both; the romantic relationship quickly led them to marriage. An atmosphere of love and respect still reigns in the family, in which the couple’s children are raised.
In addition to her role as a faithful life partner and loving mother, Maria Ivleva is an active participant in the professional activities of a cook. Konstantin claims that it is his wife who is the engine of progress in his activities, and she was the author of the idea to use ultra-fashionable steamers for preparing restaurant dishes.
Since Ivlev spends a lot of time at work, all everyday life rests on the shoulders of his wife. Maria meekly accepts her role and frees her husband from cooking at home. Together, they happily pamper their guests with interesting dishes and surprise them with a unique selection of doll chefs and a collection of rare foreign wines.
Son
Matvey, the cook’s son, is also going to continue his father’s work. His father not only supports him in this idea, but also allowed him to participate as a partner in the “On Knives” project. In this show, father and son cooked dishes from a restaurant menu together.
Matvey happily absorbs all his father’s professional secrets and receives great support from him, which is also evidenced by the fact that Ivlev Sr. involved his son in filming a television culinary show and writing a book.
Daughter
It is too early to judge the life plans of Ivlev’s daughter, Masha. She was born in 2014 and became the second child in the family. Despite his busy work schedule, the father finds the opportunity to spend time with his children and prepare healthy treats for them. Parents try to surround their children with care and attention.
In general, Konstantin Ivlev’s personal life is hidden from outsiders; he does not please journalists with scandalous news and does not allow outsiders into his family.
Konstantin Ivlev: biography, personal life, wife, children
Today he is a famous culinary specialist and restaurateur in Russia, known to millions of TV viewers around the world. For many he became an idol. The chef was born in Moscow and is Russian by nationality, but for some time his entire family lived abroad due to the work of the father of the family.
In his youth, Kostya was known as a spoiled child, he did not like to study at school, he dreamed of creating a business, he dreamed that his restaurants would be known throughout the world. He received a secondary education and entered college, after graduating from which the young man was immediately hired as a chef in one of the elite establishments of the capital. Thanks to his talent and desire to improve himself, he decidedly and quickly began to move forward up the career ladder. In 2004, despite such a young age, the future chef published his first book on cooking entitled “My Kitchen Philosophy.” After a while, the young man went to study in Europe, where he took many master classes from famous specialists of the highest level.
“My parents were happy with my achievements,” says Konstantin Ivlev in an interview. “I was proud that I lived up to my mother’s expectations.” After appearing on television in 2014, the host of the “On Knives” program repeatedly surprised viewers with harsh expressions, but they are ready to forgive him a lot for the sake of Kostya’s next culinary masterpiece; the Friday channel’s rating has increased tenfold thanks to live broadcasts with the celebrity.
Today the restaurateur is known as the author of a popular project for Russian celebrities: “Say goodbye to excess weight.” Konstantin starred in the TV series “Kitchen”. Later, together with teacher Yuri Rozhkov, he published the book “Russia Cooks at Home,” where he decided to show Russians that delicious dishes can be created from a standard set of products, adding only a little imagination.
In the period from 2014 to 2020, Konstantin worked as a presenter in several culinary programs at once: “Taste Affordable”, “Ask the Chef”, “Eat This Immediately!”, as well as “Wednesday of Taste” on the radio “Silver Rain”. In 2020, he headed the “Association of Professional Confectioners and Chefs of Russia.” In the future, Ivlev plans to launch a “fast food chain called Chick-pork,” where the entire menu will be based on meat. He is preparing to publish his fourth book, entitled “The Bible of New Russian Cuisine.”
Cook Ivlev Konstantin: height, weight
When asked whether he adheres to proper nutrition, Konstantin replies that he really loves meat and everything connected with it. My height is 190 cm and my weight is 104 kg and I do not chase imposed weight standards. As long as I’m comfortable eating, the cook smiles, when I feel like it’s getting hard to walk, I cut down on my diet, but in general I try not to eat sweets at night.
Ex-wife of Konstantin Ivlev - Adeline
During his student years, Konstantin became interested in a young applicant. She was the first beauty of the university, their romance developed rapidly and soon the young people decided to get married. Ivlev does not like to remember that time. “This is the past, I can only say that these were pure, tender feelings that were interrupted only because I was young and did not compromise, each of us tried to defend our opinion.”
At that time, the young man chose freedom and education, rather than the role of a caring husband burdened with family life and responsibility. A few years later, fate gives him a second chance, and Kostya meets Maria.
Maria Ivleva - Konstantin's wife
When asked by a journalist about how the future spouses met, Ivlev replies that he liked the young, cheerful and energetic girl at first sight. “During the first meeting, I casually mentioned that I was not married and now my heart was waiting for my chosen one,” the restaurateur smiles. “Looking at Maria, I realized that she was the woman with whom I was ready to live my whole life, I can’t explain where this understanding came from, because I didn’t know the girl at all,” recalls the chef.
The young couple got married in 1997; it was an ordinary wedding, which even their parents did not know about. The father was offended by his son for a long time because of such an outburst. Konstantin did not want a loud party, but Maria supported him. After the registry office there was an ordinary evening with friends, who only learned the secret of the newlyweds during the feast. Later they went on their honeymoon and had an incredible time, enjoying every new day.
Today, Konstantin Ivlev’s family is almost exemplary; in all the years of their marriage, husband and wife have not had a single serious scandal. Perhaps the whole point is that Mary really is the standard of femininity and beauty for her husband, as well as the keeper of the hearth.
What Ivlev's wife looks like
Compared to her husband, Maria looks like a small and fragile woman, she has an ideal figure, and the gray-eyed blonde is always in a positive mood and is ready to share her emotions with others. Looking through photographs of the chef's wife, followers noticed that Ivleva's appearance looked changed and suggested that she had undergone facial plastic surgery. The woman refrains from commenting, but does not hide the fact that she visits a beauty salon weekly, where she undergoes cosmetic procedures.
Maria also says that she starts the day with a forty-minute run, and then does yoga. Among the secrets of youth for the wife of a fashionable restaurateur are proper nutrition, the gym, and swimming, where Masha goes with her friend, overcoming her own laziness. On the Internet you can find photos before and after plastic surgery, but if you look closely at them, it becomes clear that this is an installation.
Healthy lifestyle enthusiast
The Ivlev family tries to leave the noisy capital every year and go to different countries in search of exotic things. It is also worth noting that Ivlev has been leading a sober lifestyle for more than 20 years, giving up alcohol while still being little known.
Konstantin is a fan of a healthy lifestyle, as evidenced by his refusal to smoke and his passion for running and swimming. He considers scrambled eggs with rice porridge to be his favorite breakfast.
In general, the eminent chef prefers simpler food: cheesecakes prepared by his mother-in-law, doctor's sausage with bread, a simple omelet, buckwheat porridge with sausages
Ivlev considers ladies with curvy figures and older than himself to be the standard of female beauty. However, his wife Maria is four years younger than her husband, which did not prevent them from living a happy marriage for 20 years.
Family
Together with his wife Maria, Konstantin Ivlev is raising a son and daughter. The Russian chef recalled their first date that he was late, but came not with the usual bouquet, but with pies.
The lovers formalized their marriage in the late nineties; it was just a wedding that even their relatives did not know about. Ivlev’s father was offended by his son for a long time because of this. Konstantin did not want a loud celebration, but his wife supported him.
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After the registry office there was an evening with friends, who only learned the secret of the lovers during the feast. A little later they went on their honeymoon and had a wonderful time.
Konstantin Ivlev today
Starting from the third season of the show with the working title “Friday”, which is an analogue of the American “Hell'sKitchen”, Ivlev is involved as the main cook and host. A project called “Hell's Kitchen,” released in 2020, brought together 18 culinary specialists under one roof who competed for a place on Konstantin’s team in his restaurant and a cash prize. Lena Letuchaya became Ivlev’s partner on the set and a judge in the show.
Artem Korolev joined the team of the fourth season of Hell's Kitchen, which began broadcasting in 2020. Chef Ivlev still takes part in culinary competitions, receiving awards, while he is already an established member of the French Guild of Gastronomers and is the head of the Federation of Professional Chefs and Confectioners of Russia.
The beginning of the way
Konstantin Ivlev’s path to high-class restaurants began with a European-level establishment, “Steak House,” where he ended up after the army. The skill of the cook in the 80s “perestroika” years is difficult to overestimate. There were no places where you could eat delicious food. Konstantin Ivlev found himself offering customers unique dishes for that time. The path to the restaurant business turned out to be accidental. The future hero of culinary programs Konstantin Ivlev entered a specialized school for the company. He considered it pointless to continue his studies in the 10th grade: he was unlucky in his studies, but he managed to create something interesting in the kitchen. The master’s first experience was related to serving visitors to the institute’s canteen, where up to a thousand people came per hour. Having graduated from the institution with honors, he rapidly gained “points”, constantly improving his qualifications.
Chef Ivlev’s series of restaurants included the most famous places, the “Rublev” entertainment complexes “Karo” and “Razdory-2000”. Chef Ivlev considers the legendary “Nostalgie” to be his life and professional school. In 1996-1997, the restaurateur worked here as a sous-chef and adopted the experience of the famous Frenchman and master of culinary art Patrick Pages.
Konstantin Ivlev received the high-profile title of “chef” at the age of 24, when he headed the “Reporter” restaurant.
Returning to Nostalgie in 1999 in a new capacity, he worked in tandem with Yuri Rozhkov.
The most important
The famous culinary specialist has become a real TV star, his talent is recognized not only by restaurant visitors, but also by viewers who watch programs with his participation. In addition, author's books about one's own vision of cooking and unique recipes are also very popular.
Having become a real guru of the culinary arts, Konstantin Ivlev proved by his own example that performance at school is not so important if you develop talent and steadily move towards the goal. The doors of his restaurant in Moscow are cordially open to admirers of culinary talent.
Ivlev bears the title of culinary master with dignity, his professionalism deserves respect, and his life path deserves admiration. For many, Konstantin Ivlev has become a real culinary icon.
