Chef Nicole recently cooked brunch for a bachelorette weekend with 16 guests, and absolutely blew us away. Nicole is incredibly warm and friendly, very professional and communicative, and an amazing chef. The guests from our weekend are still talking about her wonderful raspberry cream cheese stuffed french toast! Our group had a handful of dietary restrictions which required some menu adjustments, and Chef Nicole was able to provide excellent recommendations for substitutions that did not cut back on flavor. Our menu included a vegan strata with mushrooms and veggies, traditional french toast, raspberry cream cheese stuffed french toast (which to the delight of the guests with dietary restrictions, was made vegan), a side of bacon, a breakfast salad, and smoked salmon open faced sandwiches. The food was beyond incredible, and there were absolutely no leftovers at the end of the weekend. Nicole offered clear and prompt communication up to the day of our event and arrived timely and prepared to dominate the kitchen. I would absolutely hire Chef Nicole for another event and cannot recommend her enough. Thank you! read more

My first time here and will be back! JP gave an amazing shampoo and I'm so pleased with the cut I received from Victoria. Everyone is very friendly and does not rush. Highly recommend. read more

Chef Shawna was wonderful! We did a seated dinner for 10 on Friday night and a birthday party for 40 on Saturday night. Both experiences were excellent. Food was great, service was great, cleanup...great! We all really enjoyed everything! read more

I don't have a high opinion of catering companies. They don't ever leave a good impression. I remember sad, bite sized appetizers. I remember chicken that was overcooked, then reheated and covered in a terrible sauce. I remember fish that smelled like cat food. I remember store bought dessert that I gladly ate in an attempt to suppress the memory of the "food" I had to endure. (Suddenly, that frozen pie from Walmart is a godsend.) Best Chef isn't any of those things. Chef Nicole and her trusty Sous-Chef went beyond anything I could've expected. Our appetizers were fried sweet plantains, and puff pastry Jamaican patties served with a red pepper sauce on the side. The beef in the Jamaican patties was nicely seasoned and the pastry was soft and flaky. It was a great take on the Caribbean classic. The main course was a beautifully presented coconut curry chicken served with jasmine rice, green beans, red peppers, and peanuts, then topped with sweet diced mangos. The chicken was flavorful, without overdoing it on the spices and the sweet mango was a perfect touch. Dessert is where the Sous-Chef showed off his specialty as a pastry chef. We had profiteroles filled with cookie dough, then halved and served with ice cream, sliced strawberries, and chocolate shavings. I was blown away by the quality of the meal that Chef Nicole made and especially that it was made from scratch. How do I know it wasn't pre-cooked? Chef Nicole doesn't just bring food to your dinner party, she makes everything fresh on the spot. I'm talking total kitchen takeover and table service. Table service! In my own house! Mind. Blown. I fully recommend the services of Best Chef. It was a wonderful experience and I can tell that Chef Nicole loves what she does and has a team that share her dedication to quality and creativity. Now I just need my wife to invite more people over for another dinner party. Never thought I'd say those words. read more

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Just another update. Chef Nicole took it over the top again recently for a personal dinner with friends and family. Asian Cuisine was served with her own personal touch. Perfection again from Best Chef - thanks for your amazing work! For Austin to be such a culinary hotbed, finding a personal chef that stands out is pretty difficult. I will say that this particular chef really delivers! All the food I have had from her has been delicious and I've been impressed with the variety of dining that she offers. From West Indian to Soul Food, I can tell the food is prepared with love and respect. For the most part, I have been exposed to a lot of different styles, cultures, and flavors and I can tell you no personal chef or catering business has been able to stack up. Outside of the food, the personal touches and professional attitude are world class. Most small businesses have thier own unique attributes and her's is no different. The reason I choose services is the people behind it, so I must say if a personal chef or a catering event is in your future, you would be cutting yourself short by not contacting Best Chef. Just my 2 cents!!!! read more

Chef Nicole is nothing short from amazing! I reached out to her about 3 months in advance to cook for 10 ladies for a bachelorette party in Austin. From the moment I emailed Nicole, she was prepared, responsive, and organized. Nicole came up with sample menus based on our requests and total budget, and created the perfect menu. Nicole made us: Appetizer - Garlic/herb croustades Salad - Mixed greens with honey roasted pecans and pear vinaigrette Entree - Grilled rib eye with fusilli pasta and wild mushrooms and green beans Dessert - Pineapple lush cake Everyone, and I seriously mean EVERYONE, went back for seconds, some even thirds! The dinner was absolutely perfect :) While we were eating, Nicole cleaned the entire kitchen and packaged the leftovers for us. I would highly recommend Nicole! Thank you Nicole for such a wonderful and perfect dinner :) ! read more

We simply loved, Chef Nicole. She made the most beautiful, delicious, bountiful, gorgeous appetizer spread for our cocktail party. Nicole was super receptive to my many emails (organic as possible, can you make this tuna poke?, etc.). She brought her amazing daughters and they worked so hard to create exactly what we wanted. It was a joy to have them in their home. Our guests were so impressed and asked for her number. We will definitely be using Chef Nicole again. read more

Chef Nicole was very professional and easy to work with. I reached out to her to provide food for my future daughter in law's bridal shower. Nicole listened to what we preferred and provided lots of really fun and tasty food for the crowd. She arrived exactly when she said and stayed until all food was prepared and everyone was set. Much appreciated. I'd hire her again. read more

I wish i had more stars! We rented a house on Lake Austin for a family vacation with 9 people (1 was a toddler) and contracted with Chef Nicole to cook our dinners...and we had some limits: the big one was no dairy. She didn't miss a beat and served up amazingly simple, refreshing (hey it's 99 degrees and humid everyday) and waaaaaaay tasty meals!!! Duck breast, braised pork tacos, baked ziti..all with awesome salads and fresh veggies..topped off by deserts that tasted like they had dairy but didn't. She's organized, respectful (the kitchen in our house was open to the living room so all conversations were well heard) and her clean up was magnificent. Chef Nicole will be our go to when we come back to Austin!!! read more

If you're looking for a professional chef with amazing food. Nicole is the Best Chef in the ATX area! I celebrated my birthday in a vacation home in Buda, Tx. Chef Nicole came prepared for any mishaps (Like the oven in the main kitchen not working). She was able to improvise and use the grill and the guest quarters kitchen without causing in delays in serving. Everything was plated beautifully and tasted great! read more

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I had the pleasure of hosting a dinner catered by Best Chef the other night and it completely exceeded my expectations. What got me really interested in Best Chef is that Chef Nicole and her team actually make the dinner at your house so you and your guests receive it hot and ready. This sounded great compared to the catering I'm used to where I have everything delivered and then have to reheat it. Chef Nicole was very attentive and considerate about the food preferences we discussed before the dinner since we had some food allergies in the group and delivered something spectacular we could all agree on. We opted for three courses so believe me, no one went hungry. We had Jamaican patties and fried plantains with a red pepper sauce to start, coconut curry chicken with rice as our main, and profiteroles with ice cream for dessert. The Jamaican patties were my absolute favorite. They were really different from the Jamaican patties I usually get in that they were small and very light and flaky. After all this food, you can imagine I wasn't jumping out of my seat to clear plates and start cleaning... but that's the beauty of Best Chef. They also handle all the serving and clean up. I got my kitchen back exactly how it was before and I got to sit and chat with my guests instead of worrying about dirty dishes and the like. Great job from the team at Best Chef, I will definitely be using them again in the future. read more

Nicole is professional, competent, organized, and an excellent chef! She was punctual, arriving with all of the groceries she needed to cook a delicious meal for 20 people. She and her assistant prepared grilled rib-eyes, garlic mashed potatoes, green chile mac and cheese, and red pepper asparagus. She made chicken strips for the kids, which the adults loved as well. She even converted my nephew, who disliked steak into a steak lover! I can't say enough great things about Nicole. Thank you for making our celebration fabulous! read more

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A few months back, Nicole at Best Chef handled a bachelor party catering for us and she was just as advertised - EXCELLENT! Nicole was extremely professional, showing up on time with everything she required to complete our meals. You can imagine that a bachelor party can have tons of moving parts and she worked with me to adjust head counts at the last minute showing her flexibility. She prices her service very well making it affordable for all budgets and the food and presentation are off the charts. I can't say enough good things about her service, food, and price. If you have a chef or catering need, make sure to call and inquire. She will not disappoint!! Jose Salazar read more

Chef Nicole & her best chef team was exactly that...the best!! I was in Austin running a bachelor party for my brother & chez Nicole delivered big time time! She arrived at our house early & did a wonderful job prepping & preparing for our brunch feast. The agreed upon huevos rancheros with a side of pulled pork & hash browns was on the menu & I was the BEST I've ever had!! After one plate came out there was a line of dudes salivating for the next plate! They couldn't come out fast enough, but yet they did & each plate had a wonderful presentation & tasted absolutely delicious. I recommend Chef Nicole & Gus wholeheartedly for not only their delicious food, but also b/c of their professionalism & friendliness. They handled themselves so well (espec. with 17 hungover hungry dudes waiting for food) & I look forward to seeing them again at another engagement (perhaps my bachelor party)! Best of luck with your new additions Nicole!!! read more

Nicole was awesome! She provided dinner 2 nights in a row for our wedding weekend and everything was delicious, fresh, and on time. Communication was great. Everyone loved the food, but most importantly we loved the food. It was the first time she had made vermicelli and OMG...the pork was amazing! Thank you Nicole! read more

I recently surprised a group of 8 girls at a bachelorette party with brunch made by THE BEST CHEF (no pun intended...) Nicole! The food was absolutely incredible. Nicole showed up at 7 AM to begin prepping the meal with everything she had bought from the store herself. She had everything ready to go on time at 10 AM right as the girls woke up and came downstairs to see the surprise. The food was delicious - fresh fruit, stuffed French toast, vegetable strata, opened faced smoked salmon and avocado sandwiches, and a granola & yogurt. She even made us mimosas! Many of the girls (some of which are very picky eaters from California) said this was their favorite part of the bachelorette trip to Austin. We could go on and on about Chef Nicole - so I highly recommend her! read more

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Wonderful experience! Not only did Chef Nicole cook a delicious dinner for all 18 of us at a bachelorette party but also prepped our breakfast for the following day... total rock star! The food was super tasty and she puts her heart into her work. She was professional and very responsive when it came to planning for the event. read more

Chef Nicole is amazing! Nicole came over and cooked me and my 10 friends dinner after a long day out on lake Austin. From the minute I reached out to Nicole she was very responsive and organized. She worked with me to come up with a menu that worked for our group. She showed up on-time, made amazing food and did all the clean up! The food was amazing! I literally smelled it before I walked in the door. Everyone in our group had seconds and thirds! It was a pleasure having Nicole with us that night. Another Yelp reviewer put it perfectly - Nicole was professional, lovely, and unintrusive. I highly recommend her and would definitely work with her again. read more

Chef Nicole recently catered an event I attended and all the food was delicious. The standout was the pork medallions. They were so moist and flavorful. She also went around and greeted everyone which was a nice and friendly touch. I would recommend her to anyone in the area and look forward to hiring her myself. read more

Nicole did an awesome job with the food that was prepared for my 40th bday dinner. We had 2 different entrees, Rib-Eye and Salmon. Both were excellent. The steak was marinated really well! And the lemon tart that we received for dessert was simply divine! I am extremely appreciative of her efforts in working with me to stay within my budget to complete an awesome dinner for me and my friends. read more

I recently surprised my husband by having his best friend from college come over for dinner with her husband. My husband loves meat, she is Hindu (vegetarian) and is allergic to gluten, and her husband is Muslim (no pork). I had already had nicole over and although she did a wonderful job I couldn't even begging to imagine what she was going to serve this hodgepodge of people without making separate dishes!! I clearly had nothing to worry about because -Of course -everything she made was absolutely delicious and I'm pretty sure she has won them over for life as customer as well! They were so impressed! Thanks again, Nicole! read more

Nicole from Best Chef was terrific! I worked with her to custom design a three course menu for a bachelorette party. She arrived on time, was very professional and the food was fabulous. We had a citrus orange fennel salad, ginger teriyaki glazed halibut and a raspberry lemon parfait. Highly recommend - thank you! read more

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Chef Nicole was amazing! We rented a home on Lake Travis for a bachelorette party of 13 girls. We thought it would be fun to have someone cook for us at the house instead of venturing into the city. She made a great meal that everyone loved! Everything from the appetizers down to the dessert was well thought out. We had some vegetarians as well and sometimes veggie dishes can be underwhelming. However Chef Nicole put together this fabulous risotto that had everyone asking for some. She was very punctual, professional and accommodating to all of our requests! I will definitely use her again in the future!! read more

Chef Nicole prepared dinner for my husband's 40th birthday for about 20 people. It was absolutely amazing! She came fully prepared and was so organized with the meal prep. It was impressive to watch. We did it buffet style and she did a great job setting it up and making it look nice. We had fried chicken as the main dish and honestly, we agreed as a group that it was some of the best chicken any of us have ever had. I couldn't be happier with how everything turned out and we would recommend her to anyone looking to create a special evening! read more

Amazing experience with Chef Nicole!! She was incredibly helpful in planning a delicious dinner for a bachelorette party - great experience from the start of creating the menu through the execution of the event - very flexible, creative and professional. Highly recommend! read more

Chef Nicole was outstanding. I hired her to come in and prepare dinner for one evening of a girls' weekend in Austin, TX. Through and through, excellent service-- prompt and professional communication leading up to the event, flexibility with the menu, and absolutely delicious food that all the women loved. It was a pleasure having Nicole in our home, so professional, lovely, and unintrusive. I highly recommend her and would definitely work with her again. read more

Chef Nicole prepared heavy appetizers for a business wine tasting event. She was very courteous and easy to work with and the food was good. I would certainly recommend Chef Nicole and use her again. read more

My family and I rented a gorgeous home in Austin, Texas in the hills of West Lake. We hired Chef Nicole to cook a holiday dinner for 25 people. Everyone agreed that it was the best holiday meal we had ever eaten and one of the best meals period, we had ever eaten. Her recipes are unbelievably delicious! The aroma from the kitchen was mouth-watering and we were in heaven when it came time to eat all of her specialties. My family has not stopped raving about her and the entire experience. I almost hate to share this secret, as I want her to be available everytime I need her. (I already have a future booking!) But, she deserves to be highly successful as she is so very talented! read more