The first inquiry & your quote
It starts with a simple message. You tell me the occasion, a rough date, how many guests, and where you are — I cook across San Diego, La Jolla, Del Mar, Coronado, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Rancho Santa Fe, and Carmel Valley. You don’t need to know what you want on the menu yet, or even which service fits. That’s my job to help with.
From there I give you a clear, honest quote. A private dinner starts from $650 per event, or from $140 per guest all-inclusive for up to twelve people. Family-style service starts from $650, or from $100 per guest. If you want a week of cooking done ahead, meal prep runs from $650 per week plus groceries, and for a multi-day stay I travel from $800 per day. Everything is “from,” because the final number depends on your menu and your headcount — and I’d rather quote you the truth than a teaser. If you’d like to compare options, the services page lays them out side by side.
The menu consultation
This is my favorite part. Before I cook a single thing, we talk. I want to know what you love and what you quietly never order. I ask about allergies and dietary needs — vegetarian, gluten, shellfish, whatever it is — and I take them seriously, because one overlooked ingredient can change someone’s whole evening.
My background spans nineteen years and several cuisines: French technique, Japanese precision from my years at Nobu, Asian fusion, plant-forward cooking, and my signature La Russe menu rooted in Russian tradition. I cook with organic, seasonal ingredients, so the menu also bends to what’s actually good that week. By the end of this conversation, you have a menu that feels like yours — you can browse sample menus beforehand if it helps you find your direction.
Confirming the date
Once the menu and date feel right, a $200 deposit secures your evening on my calendar. It’s not an extra fee — it’s credited straight to your final bill. That’s the moment your date is truly yours, and I begin planning sourcing and timing around it. When you’re ready, you can start the whole thing from the booking page.
What I need from your kitchen
People often worry their kitchen isn’t “good enough.” It almost always is. I cook in real homes, not test kitchens, and I’ve worked in tight galley layouts and grand island kitchens alike. Here’s what genuinely helps:
- A working stove and oven, and a clear stretch of counter to prep on.
- Basic equipment — pots, pans, a few mixing bowls. I bring my own knives and any specialized tools.
- A little fridge room cleared ahead of time, so I have somewhere to stage ingredients.
- Trash and recycling access, and a sink I can use freely.
If you’re unsure whether your setup works, just tell me about it during the consultation. I’ve almost certainly cooked somewhere similar, and I’ll adapt.
Arrival & the day itself
On the day, I arrive with enough lead time to settle in and prep without rushing — usually a couple of hours before your first course, depending on the menu. I bring the ingredients, do the heavy preparation, and keep my footprint quiet and contained. You don’t need to entertain me or hover. This is your evening; I’m here so you can actually be in it.
The real luxury of a private chef isn’t the food alone — it’s that you get to be a guest at your own table.
If you have questions while I set up, ask away. But if you’d rather pour a glass of wine and forget I’m there until the plates arrive, that works too.
How service flows
Service is paced to your gathering, not a stopwatch. For a seated private dinner, courses come out in a natural rhythm — I read the room rather than forcing the next plate before you’re ready. I’ll often introduce a dish in a sentence or two, then step back. You can read more about how a seated evening unfolds on the private dinner page.
Family-style runs warmer and looser: platters arrive at the table to pass and share, which suits relaxed nights and bigger groups. Either way, you set the tone — long and lingering, or moving briskly toward dessert. I follow your lead, and I keep an eye on every guest so no one’s plate or glass sits empty for long.
Cleanup & gratuity
When the last course is done, so is the work — mine, not yours. I clean as I go throughout the night, and before I leave I return your kitchen to the state I found it in, or better. Counters wiped, pans washed, ingredients stored or taken with me. You shouldn’t wake up to a sink full of someone else’s mess.
As for gratuity: it’s genuinely appreciated, and just as genuinely never expected. The quote I give you is the quote, and nothing about your evening changes whether you tip or not. If a night moved you and you’d like to, wonderful — but please don’t feel you must.
That’s the whole journey. No mystery, no stiffness — just a careful, seasoned chef cooking something memorable in your home, and leaving it exactly as he found it. When you’re ready to begin, I’d love to hear about your occasion.