We had the most memorable evening at Chef Stephanie Chinchilla's chef's table. The experience was intimate, warm, and beautifully executed from start to finish...every dish told a story and every detail felt intentional. We began with the Aji tuna on crispy rice, topped with a delicate sliver of jalapeño and crispy shallots, a perfect balance of freshness, spice, and crunch. The second course was Stefanie's famous focaccia...one sweet and one savory. The savory version featured parmesan, her homemade bread and butter, pickles from her garden, and a touch of mustard seed. The bread, made simply with flour, water, and salt, takes two to three days to create. The sweet focaccia was equally impressive, topped with brie, honey, and a guava jam made from her own garden-grown guavas... truly special. Next came the sweet potato course, made from her garden's harvest and paired with roasted pine nuts and coconut-shaved gnocchi in brown butter. The flavors were rich yet comforting, and the presentation was artistic and thoughtful. The main course... short ribs with a stunning potato gratin, was a showstopper. The short ribs were tender and deeply flavorful, garnished with delicate edible flowers from her garden, while the gratin was layered beautifully and topped with a fragrant chimichurri. Dessert was one of the best I've ever had: a sticky toffee date cake with a caramel apple sauce made from apples in her garden, served with raw cream vanilla bean ice cream. The balance of warmth, sweetness, and texture was perfection. The wine pairings, thoughtfully curated by Oscar from Sequoia Grove Winery, elevated the entire experience, from the velvety Merlot to the bold Cabernet, every sip complemented the food flawlessly. What makes Chef Stefanie so special is her warmth and authenticity. She shares her passion for food and where it comes from in a way that's engaging and educational, never pretentious. She spends time presenting each dish beautifully, with an artist's eye and a chef's heart. Her artistry, attention to detail, and genuine love for her craft come through in every course. I'll absolutely be attending her future chef's table events, a beautiful evening of intentional cooking, soulful flavors, and gracious hospitality. read more

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I can't speak highly enough of the incredible experiences we've had with Stephanie Chinchilla. She catered our daughter's graduation party, she catered an intimate COVID birthday dinner, and we've taken several cooking classes from her over the years. For Christmas one year, my husband gave me the gift of her recipes. Every experience is top-drawer, from the incredible food, the personal touches, the elegant yet casual atmosphere she creates around every event. Her entire staff has been wonderful. After every event, people flock to us and ask for her number. She's Orange County's number one best kept culinary secret. read more

Such a wonderful evening! Chef Stephanie came out and cooked us a private dinner that was out of this world. She worked us through menus, wine pairings, and everything came out incredible. Thank you and your team so much! read more

We had a team building event with Chef Stephanie and it was so much fun AND so delicious. Chef is so engaging and helpful, she made everyone feel comfortable and confident. I would be remiss if I did not mention the warm chocolate chip cookies....they were the real star of the night. As someone who plans events, her communication and professionalism also earns her five stars. Highly Recommend! read more

Chef Steph provides an awesome environment for a team building event. The atmosphere was fun and relaxed, her coaching was both supportive and helpful, and our team had a great time. Stephanie and her staff gave us the guidance we needed and circulated through our four teams to be available as we worked on our various taco combinations. The food all turned out great and our team is closer for the experience. Her cookies really are incredible...can't overlook that! Finally, our group likes wine and the selections she provided were both excellent choices and reasonably priced. read more

Everything I have ordered from Chef Stephanie has been a 10/10. The quality is exceptional. If you are looking for a unique gift that will impress your friends and loved ones, I recommend the mini loaves. read more

If you're wondering if you should contact Chef, the answer is YES! Team building, private lessons, delicious food- she is your gal! Corporate experience: 5 stars! Super professional and fun! Personal experience: 5 stars! Super patient and instills a passion and respect for food in everything she does. Seriously, just book her already. What are you waiting for?? read more

We had an absolutely SPECTACULAR taco cookoff. Our team of 13 joined with their plus ones and we competed over who could make the best dish. Stephanie was with us every step of the way, from planning our menu beforehand, to giving us pointers on tortilla making day of, to answering all our questions and giving us support as we were racing against the clock! Leaving that night, our team was already asking when the next event would be, and we can't wait to try her sourdough and pastry making class! Stephanie is a super star - kind, talented and dang good at what she does! read more

Chef Stephanie did a wonderful job preparing our meal for our dinner party. She helped plan a thoughtful menu. She and her team arrived on time and made a wonderful meal. They provided phenomenal service and left our kitchen spotless. I would highly recommend their service if you are looking a special culinary event. read more

Such a great experience and great food. Thank you for hosting our team building event. I will say it would be better to not have it after a really long work day since you're on your feet but definitely a fun activity. Thank you! read more

I recently attended a baby shower that was catered by Chef Stephanie (Penny). She did a fantastic job, everything from the elaborate and large charcuterie boards to the delicious pasta. Everyone was taking about how beautiful the presentation was! I especially enjoyed the homemade (I believe it was Rosemary) bread! It was melt in your mouth, amazing! read more

Chef Stephanie Chinchilla - Personal Chefs Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I coordinated a company wide team building event complete with wine tasting and cooking class for Avanti Restaurant Solutions. I worked with Chef Stephanie Chinchilla from the initial planning to the final clean up and was impressed with her thorough approach to our event. The day of the event, Chef Chinchilla brought her crew in and went to work setting up for the perfect event right in our own space. Not a single detail was overlooked from the wine and cheese tasting menu to the vegetarian cooking option for a small group of employees. A highlight was definitely the chicken deconstruction tutorial, this very much caught and kept the attention of our employees who were mesmerized by the process. Overall, the wine tasting and cheese pairing was a lot of fun and the cooking class was a hit with our employees. People really enjoyed having the opportunity to try a new dish and cook with their coworkers, while enjoying a glass of wine. I would highly recommend Chef Chinchilla for your next cooking experience. read more

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While in California for business, my team and I participated in one of Chef Stephanie's cooking class "battles" as a team building event. This was quite literally one of the best experiences and events that we have ever planned. Chef Stephanie and her team provided not only a fun, inviting, and delicious event - but the attention she gave to our team is worth more than 5 stars. If you are looking for a fun activity, great coaching, and good food - I 100% recommend Chef Stephanie for your next event. Can't wait to come back next year for another amazing cooking experience. Thank you so much for everything Chef Stephanie!!! read more

Hiring Chef Stephanie was the BEST DECISION we made for hosting a dinner party for 10 guests. She was fast to communicate with, professional, flexible, and creative. Having a stranger enter your home might feel foreign, but it was natural and very professional. But let's talk about the food! She planned a FIVE COURSE meal of AMAZINGNESS. We crafted a menu that my guests would like and she made the entire night so incredibly special. We cannot wait to hire her again! We can't recommend her enough. read more

Chef Chinchilla was wonderful to work with! I had a team building event for about 30 people and had to find something fun and exciting for a group of sales and marketing folks. They had a blast making empanadas, I have never seen my team so enthusiastic and wanting to win the team challenge. Stephanie was great to work with the whole process. She walked me through the menus and what to expect. On the day of the event, she was right by our side helping us every step of the way as none of us were real cooks. Thanks for a great team building event! read more

Chef Stephanie Chinchilla - Boral Roofing team building event. - Personal Chefs Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Prior to attending several cooking classes with Chef Penney (to impress my fiance) I was able to make mean perfectly golden brown toast and a bowl of cereal with honey on top if I was feeling fancy. My fiance would always tell me she wished I could cook and I would always get terrified of even attempting anything other than my two go to meals above. I secretly attended several cooking classes to learn how to cook starting with how to turn the stove on (I was that bad). I learned how to make an amazing Filet minion with blue cheese crumbles and a nice homemade side salad!! I decided to suprise my fiance with this amazing meal so when she comes in the door from her 12 hour nursing shift she would be blown away and I would be romantic! Chef Penney even told me a perfect wine to pair with this meal! I have since started cooking more with the confidence I learned from Chef Penney and even went to one of her cooking classes as a date night with my fiance. Highly recommended for anyone especially guys trying to impress their partners. read more

I took a cooking class in February led by Chef Stephanie. I've taken other cooking classes but Stephanie adds a magical touch! She explained the science behind proper technique and truly made a great effort to ensure her students were learning to cook the right way. I am a vegetarian, and she made sure to have alternate options for me. An added bonus is that her lovely husband led a wine tasting session within the class! He is a knowledgeable sommelier, and his suggested wine pairings for the meals we were prepared was the cherry on top of the decadent class. :) I can't wait to take another class with Chef Stephanie soon! read more

FIVE STARS. Chef Stephanie Chinchilla and her team are AMAZING! I've done three team-bonding cooking classes with Chef Stephanie and all of my attendees rave about the experience. Her genuineness towards her clients and her passion for cooking set her apart from all the rest! She is so flexible and will work with you to plan your event according to how you see fit. You won't be disappointed. I'm currently planning a catered brunch with her and I know that's going to be successful as well! Words don't express how awesome she is! read more

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My family and I had the pleasure of trying Chef Stephanie's catering services for my sisters baby shower. I had heard from a close friend she was amazing and was capable of catering any cuisine of our liking. Let me tell you, I fell in love with her Mariners sauce on the pasta- made from scratch. Another of my favorites was the largest charcuterie board I'd ever seen!!! It was amazing, she had several dishes that everyone loved including a pasta salad. I will for sure take one of her classes or participate in the group classes she teaches. Overall, the experience was five stars. Definitely a returning client. read more

For my best friend's birthday present, I got us a private cooking class with Chef Chinchilla and it was seriously the most fun experience! Chef Chinchilla is extremely knowledgeable and amazing at what she does. We learned how to make a caprese salad along with spaghetti, meatballs, pasta sauce, and garlic bread, which all turned out incredible thanks to the guidance of our Chef! We had so much fun and I am so happy to have met Chef Chinchilla because I would love to take more classes in the future! read more

Chef Stephanie Chinchilla - Personal Chefs Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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AMAZING!!!! I planned a dinner party with a few close friends, I had no clue what I was doing. I hired Chef Chinchilla as my private chef, let me tell you the food was the talk of the evening. Not only was the food a hit, she took the time to tech my guests and I a few things. I would highly recommend Chef Chinchilla, she was very professional and friendly. I am definitely looking forward to hiring her for my next event. read more

My first ever cooking class and it was truly such an amazing experience!! I look forward to taking more cooking classes (especially since I'm a beginner) and Stephanie was able to explain everything with detail and it was all very fun and easy to follow along - so i definitely would take classes with her again! Definitely recommend checking her and her husband out!! read more

Chef Stephanie goes above and beyond to make your food and event a success. Love is all in the details. Trust me! You want Chef Stephanie. You will not regret your decision. read more

Hosted a Birthday cooking party for 10 gals at my home. Chef Stephanie did such a fantastic job. She is so pleasant to work with and she gives amazing instruction and great cooking tips. She brought absolutely everything needed, and we had a ball making yummy Mexican food including making our own tortillas! Can't wait to do another class or party soon with her!!!! read more

Chef Stephanie Chinchilla - Personal Chefs Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I've worked with Chef Stefanie on multiple corporate virtual events. She consistently produces fun and engaging experiences which is so impressive due to the temptation to multi-task we all face when we're in front of a screen. Attendees often stay on much longer than the original duration because they are genuinely having fun. Our virtual events consist of some technical content that can be dry but Chef Stefanie takes the time to understand the objectives and audience to create one cohesive experience. She's super quick to respond, very organized and a dream to work with as not all event vendors are created equal. I really appreciate the creativity, flexibility and professionalism Chef Stefanie brings to the table and hope to work with her over and over again! read more

One of the most amazing experiences ever! I scheduled a private cooking class here for a corporate event we were having and Chef Stephanie was phenomenal. Not only does she work with you closely to guarantee that the class runs smoothly, she will cater the food to the class and make sure that there are no allergies/aversions for everyone in attendance. The food was DELICIOUS and the portions were generous for everyone as well. Would highly recommend for anyone who is considering doing an event with her!! What a night to remember! read more

Ease, grace, and flexibility mixed in with superb knowledge, creativity and kindness. Chef Stephanie brings all of those elements to her events. Here's my story - I was in the middle of planning a live event with Chef when the pandemic closed the world. I came to her with a dash of desperation and she dove into her creative brain and created an incredible virtual wine tasting experience for my group. That was the beginning of countless virtual events, happy customers, increased sales, and a trusted relationship. Chef understands the balance between running her business, knowing that we are working to keep ours afloat, and just doing what's best because she's a good human being with a good heart. Thank you, Chef, for all that you've done and continue to do for the hospitality and event industry. read more

Chef Stephanie is great! I took one of her classes with some friends and it was a blast! I loved the experience so much that I hired her to cater a private event. She is very kind and professional and her food is DELICIOUS! Highly recommend her for events, you won't regret it! read more

Chef Stephanie or as they call her, Penny is amazing! She helped cater a baby shower I threw in my home. She is so well organized and clean!! She even went out of her way to help me set up. She made Italian food for the shower and EVERYTHING she made was incredible!! She did a cheese board for us that was Pinterest picture perfect. She's very personable and kind. Her meatballs and HOMEMADE bread and appetizers were a hit! Definitely going to use her again for more events. She's a party planner and chef in one. Very glad I decided to go with her! read more

We had an amazing 8 course meal/wine pairing with chef Stephanie. Every course was absolutely amazing!

Just had an amazing cooking lesson with Chef Steph! She created an ambiance for my wife and I that I could never replicate! Bacon wrapped scallops, sweet mashed baked yams, asparagus, beet salad,and a complimentary pumpkin roll! Even though the foods didn't match, she was ok with my choice! I will Be recruiting her for Valentines!! If she hasn't already been booked!! read more

Chef Chinchilla was amazing!! Hired her for a private dinner party and the professionalism was outstanding! She was so nice and helpful and the food was even better... especially the bacon wrapped cheese stuffed dates. Please do yourself a favor and ask her about those. Highly recommended! read more

We did a cooking class with Chef Stephanie and it was so much fun. We learned how to make empanadas with a variety of fillings. I'm not generally much of a cook but her class inspired me! I bought a food processor that same night and have started doing a lot more cooking. The empanadas are a favorite whenever I serve them! Go do a class! read more

I've had the pleasure to experience the many talents of Chef Stephanie's cooking. From her handmade tortillas for grilled fish tacos, amazing salsas that have the perfect amount of flavor and spiciness, to her well-prepared charcuterie boards, freshly made bread, delicious pastas, fresh salads, and so much more. She does such a great job of finding ways to involve everyone in the cooking/baking process. At our last gathering she taught my five-year-old daughter how to make bread. Watching Stephanie in action is so impressive, she makes it all look so easy and anyone can see how passionate she is about it. Thank you Stephanie for always welcoming us into your space with warmth and feeding us delicious food. read more

Stephanie came to my apartment with all the fresh natural ingredients for the BEST spaghetti and meatballs, with a caprese salad on the side. It was a cooking class for my friend and I. She is amazing and so sweet! We were very hands on and she let us be part of each step! I would recommend Stephanie any day for small or large group classes. She answered any questions we had about the meal and cooking in general and made us feel so comfortable in the kitchen! Thank you Stephanie!! read more

Chef Stephanie organized a great team building event for us at her location. She guided us through the entire planning process, helping us decide on a menu, communicating event details to team members, and provided an engaging and fun environment. After spending all day together in a conference room, we were ready to break out and get creative making tacos and our own tortillas. Chef Stephanie provided the perfect recommendation for the level of effort needed to make it fun without getting in too deep. She provided appetizers and dessert so we could focus on the main course. Thank you, Chef, for a great event. We will be back!! read more

Fabulous food. Great service. On time. Caring and thoughtful. Chef Stephanie is professional through and through. She thought of every detail and considered all food allergies. She made our dinner party extremely special. In fact, she and her helpers did such an amazing job that one of my guests wanted her information for a 50th birthday party. I would recommend her for any event big or small. read more

My boyfriend and I bought a groupon on for a cooking class and used it this past Sunday. The theme was seafood and we made the most delicious lobster bisque and mahi mahi with a sage butter sauce, asparagus and rice. The food was so flavorful and it was fun to learn to make something as seemingly complicated as lobster bisque. The owner coordinates her classes so well. We had a great date night! read more

Stephanie was amazing! She is very responsive, took the time to talk through a menu plan, suggested wine pairings, and is just generally a lovely person! My company hired Stephanie for a private dinner party and everyone was well-fed, she even accommodated someone with many allergies by making a special portion for him! I was very impressed and extremely happy. I could not recommend Chef Stephanie and her skills more! read more

I have taken two of Chef Stephanie's cooking classes as well as attended a few events she has catered. I learned some great tips that make my meals much tastier and easier to prepare. Easier to impress guests when I know what I am doing :) The food was also super yummy and you never got a skimpy portion at the cooking classes (which i have experience elsewhere) highly recommend for a fun girls night or date night. If you have a party or special event you can count on Steph to have great food and a friendly demeanor - not pretentious at all! read more