On Trend: Personal Chefs

Today's Chicago Woman, January 2014
Wednesday, January 1, 2014 - 1:00am

On Trend: Personal Chefs

by Irish Mae Silvestre

Some people instantly panic at the thought of hosting a dinner or large cocktail party. If that’s you, thankfully salvation appears at your doorstep in a white chef’s uniform. The popularity of private chefs is quickly gaining momentum, and the variety of customizable options that suit every budget will have guests asking for the recipe for those yummy canapés. Some of the city’s top private chef services – like  My Private Chef, Inc. – take care of every aspect of food preparation, freeing up your time to mingle with guests.

Christopher Tong, owner of My Private Chef, Inc., got the idea while cooking for a friend. “It was to impress his girlfriend,” he shares. “He asked me to cook a three-course dinner. After that, I started the business.”

Having worked in restaurants for many years, Chef Tong has the skills to cater (literally) to every client’s wish. “They like to customize their own menus, and when they want something special we try to provide it,” he affirms. “I specialize in seafood, but one of my clients wanted kangaroo! So we seared it and served it with a parsnip puree and jalapeño sauce.”

Chef Tong says hiring a private chef is as simple as planning your menu and letting the chef handle the rest. “Our company can even set the table, provide coat check, bartenders, severs, security, valets and clean up the kitchen like we were never there.” Sounds like our kind of party!

http://www.tcwmag.com/on-trend-personal-chefs/