Our Evening With a Private Chef From La Belle Assiette

When you’ve got young children and live in an area that is just under an hour away from nearest family members, it can mean that date nights are few and far between. Of course, we do know a few people that we’re happy to have babysit the children that aren’t family, but it isn’t always the case that they are available. So we often have people round to us instead, or just have a date night at home just the two of us.

But you know what, after a while, you just crave that going out or restaurant feeling that you can’t always get yourself (even though we are both pretty good at cooking, if we say so ourselves). Which is where a company like La Belle Assiette comes in. Last weekend we had the absolute pleasure of having a private chef from La Belle Assiette come and cook for us and four guests, so I thought I would share our thoughts on what the service was like.

How it Works

If you were interested in doing it yourself, then you can simply look for chefs in your area that are available on the day you want to do it, and what kind of foods they cook. You can check ratings and reviews on the site too. Then you choose the menu that you want, and go from there. The chef brings all ingredients, prepares the meal in your kitchen, serves each dish, and does the washing up before leaving. It is literally the dream, and such a treat!

Our Menu

AMUSE BOUCHE: Fig, Beetroot & Goats Cheese

STARTER: Taste of the Sea – seafood selection

MAIN: Lamb cooked 3 ways

DESSERT: chef’s version of a Black Forest Gateau

Cheeseboard

I was so pleased with the variety of the food on the menu, with a mix of seafood, vegetarian, and meat dishes. The combination was great and we were all looking forward to it. The guest all got emailed the menu beforehand, which helps to create a buzz around the evening and get them looking forward to it even more.

The Verdict

Nothing on the menu disappointed at all. The amuse bouche to start with was delicious and presented absolutely beautifully. Fig, goats cheese and beetroot is a match made in heaven so it was a winner all round.

The starter, a taste of the sea, was divine. There was nothing that I didn’t enjoy and it was, again, all presented beautifully. It was a nice mix of fish and seafood. The salmon paté and beetroot and salt wafers was probably my favourite, but you can’t go wrong with some caviar thrown on there, right?

The main dish was cooked to perfection! It was lamb three ways, and the chops were perfect. The vegetables had the right ‘crunch’ to them and the red wine jus complimented it all perfectly. It was surprising filling, perhaps as we’d already had two platefuls, but it was so tasty. I think this was the favourite course for the majority of our guests.

The dessert did not disappoint either. A bit like a deconstructed black forest gateaux, it had chocolate brownie, chocolate ice cream, kirsch-soaked cherries, berries, edible flowers and a smattering of chocolate sauce. It was brilliant and so tasty. I liked that it wasn’t too rich as far as puddings go; a good way to end the meal.

Speaking of which, we weren’t even done then. We had a cheeseboard with crackers and grapes for afterwards too, as our chef Kirk was back in the kitchen to do the clearing up. It was amazing!

Overall?

I honestly thought that it would feel a little awkward to have someone else cooking in my kitchen. Especially having a pro do it, I thought they’d be judging my kitchen utensils and my kitchen as it is far from a professional kitchen. Even if he was, I couldn’t tell as he was so friendly and just got on with it all. It didn’t feel awkward at all. Kirk brought things that he wanted to, like fancy plates, and specific utensils, but other than that just used what we had. It felt like a luxury to have someone else wash up for me too! And important to remember that he does this kind of thing regularly, so will be used to working with what he has got.

Kirk came to greet the guests to introduce the menu and he was great; really chilled, cracking jokes, and making everyone feel comfortable. Eating at home and having someone cooking your kitchen can feel pretty intense, but our chef made us all feel at ease. Our guests all commented on it and were really impressed.

So if you were looking to hire a private chef in Surrey (though the site covers all over the UK), then I would not hesitate in recommending our chef Kirk Johnson, as well as the website La Belle Assiette. The whole thing ran smoothly, worked well, and made for a fine dining experience in the comfort of our own home. For a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary, or even just for a treat, it would work perfectly. I definitely want to book again!

Value For Money

We dined as guests of La Belle Assiette, however, from looking at the website you can choose what menu you want. The standard menu runs at £39 per person, but there are options that go to £59 per person for a gourmet experience and then from £89 for a Michelin-starred experience. So there is something for all budgets and occasions. Plus, bare in mind that you can have your own drinks. So when you think of what you spend in a restaurant for a date night or birthday meal, for instance, it is totally comparable.

Have you ever had a chef cook for you in your own home? Would love to hear what you think!

*our evening was courtesy of La Belle Assiette. All opinions are our own.

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