What is a Personal/Private Chef?
Personal vs Private Chef
The truth is these 2 terms or synonyms, they are essentially the same thing. If you look up this exact topic on google you will find people of results discussing the tiny differences between them. However in reality they are basically the same thing.
So why am I a Personal Chef and not a Private Chef. Truth be told. I just prefer how it sounds. When I rebranded myself to be by Chef Dan, I decided that I needed to become more personable. My entire concept revolves around me taking care of my guests. From prep to cleanup; this has become my motto because I do litterally take care of everything so that you, can enjoy your event with any of the stress.
Here I am, Chef Dan, catering for a family of 20.
My team and I spent a week with said family in a beautiful house in Camps Bay, Cape Town. There we completely took care of everything so that they never once had to stress about the food for their kosher vacation.
What does a personal Chef do?
I offer complete catering solutions from prep to cleanup. My job, when you hire me, is to take care of you as if you were eating in my own home. I usually start by creating a personalized menu, just for you. I will work together with you to ensure the menu meets your dietary requirements (Vegetarian, Vegan, Allergies etc) as well as maintaining the theme of your function. I can offer you anything from high-end fine dining experiences to “heimish” home-style food and everything in between. From there I will be responsible for everything. I will go all over to procure the best ingredients, spend time pre-preparing, preparing food on site, table setting, tableware, serving and cleanup after the meal is concluded. All you have to do is sit back and relax while Chef Dan crafts you an exquisite dinning experience.
How does hiring a personal chef work?
Firstly you can contact me by clicking below.
Then we can start discussing your menu. I will personalize a unique one of a kind menu, just for you. I will work together with you to discuss what exactly will be on your menu based on your preferences, allergies, dietary restrictions and theming.
Check out this Korean themed menu.
I themed the entire evening on the clients love of Korean Food.
Once we set a date for your function, I will start preparing. I will travel the bredth and width of the city, the province and even the country, if necessary, to find the highest quality ingredients. I have access to a swath of Kosher imported asian products as necessary for the menu above. I have farmers that I buy only the best fresh produce from. I have good relationships with kosher butcheries and dairies in order to get the highest quality ingredients that might not be available to the public.
I then proceed with preparing whatever may need to be made in advance. For example baking breads and other pastries or fermenting things like kimchi. Whatever prep needs to be done, I’ll take care of it.
On the day of your function, I will arrive a few hours before it begins in order to prepare the food on-site. Plating and the cooking of proteins for example. I will also take care of table setting as well as providing hard-copy menus for you and your guests to keep as a souvenir of the event. I will also be in charge of serving the food, explaining the dishes and components as well as clearing the table. Then I will cleanup, wash the dishes, mop the floors and leave your kitchen or even spotless. Like magic, like I was never there. The only lingering memory of my pressence being your full stomachs and hunger for more culinary wizardry.
How much does a personal chef cost?
Costs depend on you. Your personalized, one of a kind, menu will be priced accordingly. Of course more eleborate, complex menus with many different course and dishes will be much more expensive than a simpler more home-style menu. However all of my charges will be included in your price per head. The package on offer is my undivided attention to detail.
How do I know everything is Kosher?
Check out my page Kashrut to get all of the answers regarding the Kashrus of the food. However to sum it all up, I am one of the only professional chefs in Johannesburg who is a religious Jew. Additionally I have also completed a Mashgiach certification through the Kosher Institute of America. If you wish to find out more or get references in regards to my standard of Kashrut, I encourage you to reach out to me here.
No matter how hectic the kitchen might get I always make sure to daven and thank Hashem for the experiences he has helped me to create.
