CHEF OMAKASE

The Luxury Of A Private Chef

By Lillian Langtry

The dream of a private chef cooking for you in the privacy of your home is now a reality with the service Chef Omakase. The revolutionary company has redefined the home lunch and dinner gathering, offering personal chefs preparing meals, of various cuisines, in the intimacy of your kitchen. Chef Omakase creates a fantastic culinary experience that diminishes the perception of a private chef only being attainable by the ultra-wealthy.

This reasonably-priced luxury service is the brainchild of Keiko Ono Aoki, the widow of the late Japanese American restaurateur Rocky Aoki—of the Benihana restaurant dynasty. She masterfully created a website that pairs you with a private chef simply by choosing the style of cuisine and paying a fixed price per person for the experience. During COVID, Keiko became accustomed to working from home and learned that the joy of eating at home in the last year has become even more desirable than ever.

HOW IT WORKS
Chef Omakase connects you with a professional chef to cook a curated menu in your home at your convenience. Then, with graceful ease, the company takes the stress out of dinner parties serving groups of four to eight people.

Private chef booking is easier than ever with this new online service that provides New American, Italian, Asian, Mediterranean, French, international plant-based vegetarian, and kosher cuisines. Fresh ingredients are delivered to your door two days before your house party. Bookings include food prep time for the chef, delivery of grocery supplies, the actual cooking, and minimal kitchen clean-up. The website and chef help you select a menu based on food preferences and the supplies found in your kitchen. The entire experience from start to finish creates a beautiful memory in your private setting.

IT’S ALL INCLUDED
There are two different menus for each cuisine offering: a $90 four-course per person and a $140 six-course per person option. For typical menu for the four-course Italian dinner includes an appetizer of poached fava beans and herbed tomatoes; a salad of tiny burrata with warm Ceci beans, toasted garlic, and parsley; a main entrée of pan-seared crispy chicken breast with lemon reduction and baby greens; a dessert of panna cotta with roasted summer fruit.

Personal chefs are well known and include Danilo Galati, Veronica K. Lindemann, Akiko Thurnauer, Stacy Seebode, and Craig Linthicum. Each chef has been hand-picked to join Chef Omakase. This company creates a positive work environment that results in the progressive and upbeat attitude customers can appreciate repeatedly. The Chef Omakase experience makes for a great gift. Family-style dishes are also available upon request.

The Chef Omakase team is led by the notable chef Tadashi Ono of such legendary restaurants as La Caravelle and Matsuri. Born and raised in Tokyo, he moved to New York City in 1988, thus beginning a 30-year culinary journey. During that time, Ono also authored several cookbooks that included Japanese Soul Cooking, The Japanese Grill, and Japanese Hot Pot.

Chef Omakase not only stimulates the appetite with its creative menus but has added a much-needed aspect in creating a motivating work environment for food professionals. So many times, chefs are typically overworked in the highly demanding industry. Chef Omakase provides the perfect way to set their hours and work with this understanding company.

For more information on Chef Omakase, visit chefomakase.com