Chef Alvin Yu and his Executive Chef Rodrigo prepared an extraordinary 5-course birthday dinner for a dear friend of mine and made it a truly special night. We were so impressed by the thoughtful combinations in every course, and the incredibly high attention to detail throughout the meal. Our group has been to multiple Michelin rated spots in Chicago and elsewhere, and this dinner was on par with or exceeded those experiences. As one example, one of our party members casually commented about a preference with shrimp preparation, and they took the time to adjust his servings to accommodate him. The Old Fashioneds they made were also extraordinary - charred orange peel and all! The servings were far more generous than we expected and they even upgraded our steak selection to a wagyu within our price point. This was a dinner we will be talking about for months, if not years. We are already looking for our next opportunity to bring Chef Al and his team back for our group! Photos: Stuffed Shitake Japanese radish, espagnole, seasonal vegetables, Mexican spicy Vegetables Chinese Shrimp and Crab Fritters Garlic Aioli, cornmeal masa Surf & Turf Chimichurri Wagyu NY Strip, shrimp, garlic Chimichurri, crispy potatoes, bread pudding, crispy shallots Not pictured: White Bean Soup with Shrimp, tomato base, spinach Avocado Ice Cream, Lime shortbread cookie read more

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We hired Chef Yu and the team at Fyusion dining for a Halloween themed dinner in our home for a group of 12. Everything was absolutely fabulous! From the team's professionalism, cleanliness, and high quality skill to the artful presentation and unique dishes, it couldn't have gone better. All of our guests were raving about the portion sizes, taste, and special thematic touches. Chef Al had a detailed call with me in advance and worked to design a custom menu fitting my guests tastes as well as our budget. We wouldn't hesitate to hire them again in a second! read more

Fyusion Dining - Caterers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My husband and I hired Fyusion Dining for our May wedding and we couldn't be more happy or grateful for Al and his phenomenal team. When we first started looking for catering companies, we were presented with quotes that were way over our budget and unable to accommodate our unique requests: a Filipino-Chinese inspired brunch menu. Al, however, responded quickly to our initial inquiry and scheduled a phone call and a coffee meeting to meet us, note our personalities, and figure out how his company could best serve our event. He took time to get to know our story, was upfront about costs, and unrestrained in his creativity. The initial menu suggestions was 9 pages long and we wanted everything. However, under Al's guidance, we crafted a menu that was budget friendly, tasty, and hit all the flavor highlights. At the tasting (which took place at our home!), he walked us through all the possible changes, shared really interesting food history facts, and pampered us. One of the most important and meaningful things that Fyusion did was accommodate my extensive food allergies and the unique allergy combinations of our guests. Everyone had food that was delicious and clearly prepared with care. If you're looking for a chef that genuinely cares about his food and his clients, look no further than Al and Fyusion Dining! read more

Chef Al and his team are incredible! I have now had the pleasure of having him cook for me during 3 separate dinner party occasions. Each dish was impeccable and his range of cuisines is superb. Some of the best food I've ever had. The experience is incredible as well. Highly, highly recommend Chef Al! read more

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Absolutely Amazing Dining experience for my husbands 50th Birthday. Intimate at hone dinner for two with Chef Brad! Our Creole Infusion meal was delightful. read more

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This was such an amazing experience. Alvin customized an Asian/Mediterranean fusion menu that was so incredible and creative. His menu options were innovative and original, all while staying within budget. He was responsive and punctual, and he's a very talented chef. The food was absolutely delicious and beautifully plated. He also made a vegan option that mimicked all the non-vegan dishes, which also tasted amazing. Overall 10/10 experience and will definitely be booking with him and his team again! read more

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Chef Alvin Yu is quite nice. I met him at a designer event, and he explained that he travels everywhere and anywhere. He can sit and talk with you in regards to what you expect at your next biggest event in terms of menu, ingredients, and the courses available for your guests. There is something about his bacon-wrapped dates with a droplet of miso that is unbelievably divine. I could literally eat those 24/7. From business meetings, wedding receptions, having a personal chef on vacations, to grocery-shopping consultations, Chef Yu seems like your man on anything food-related! +bacon-wrapped dates +Chef Alvin Yu read more

Fyusion Dining - Caterers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We hired Chef and team at Fyusion Dining for one of our immersive multisensory whiskey experiences at Whiskey Stories LLC. While we are based in NYC we traveled to other cities for corporate experiences and when we travel to other cities we search for that perfect partner to help bring our culinary ways to life. Fyusion Dining was the perfect partner and help us make the evening a huge success. The cuisine creations which were discussed beforehand were incredible, beautifully prepared and expertly designed by Chef. In turn, his sous chef team and serving team were professional, sharp, polished and helped elevate the experience. Our experiences have a lot of twists and turns so everything needs to be carefully timed. The entire evening was smooth, elegant and with the flow only the most seasoned and talented to teams can provided. We are truly grateful and would love to collaborate again the next time we are in Chicago. Thank you Chef. Thank you team. We appreciate you all immensely! read more

My partner was referred to Alvin and his team through her coworker. It was my birthday and we wanted to do something special. It was hands down the best birthday party I've ever had! From the in person consultation weeks prior to the party, the quick email responses from the chef if we had any questions, to the day of professionalism, It exceeded my expectations. The whole team is super efficient in executing the whole night, I didn't have to lift a finger. Starting with the cocktail hour, to walking us through the 5 course meal as it was served, then the team cleaning and packaging everything after, I was amazed. And I haven't even started with the food yet!! Alvin gave me a list of 20+ items to curate my personal menu. When I didn't see a pasta dish that I really wanted, he said he could absolutely make it for me, no problem. My guests and I were so blown away by the whole night, I would hands down refer this team to anyone! read more

Fyusion Dining - Caterers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We agree with all of the 5 star reviews. He was so responsive-incredible walked me thru everything and we ended up with a perfect evening!! We had 25 of us from 8-80. We celebrated my husband's 80th with our 5 children, there spouses and our 13 grandkids and a very close couple friends. Chef Alvin introduced each course with an explanation-every course was delicious and presented exquisitely! Chef Alvin is a superb chef and so easy to deal with-true, the kitchen was sparkling when they left. I have to comment on his staff-they were perfect! We all agreed, we could not have found anyone better than "Fyusion Dining". Thank you, Chef Alvin read more

Chef Alvin was amazing. He prepared a wonderful menu that had our guests wowed from start to finish. He also worked with several dietary restrictions and made these guests not have to skip a course because of it. Recently I asked Chef to come back to my home to give a cooking class to my daughter. He genuinely cares and listens. I give him and his team the very highest recommendation read more

Chef Yu exceeded expectations. He worked with us to design a multi-course tasting menu to be served in-home for a family celebration of 15 people. The food was exceptional, as was Chef's calm interactions with all of us (including explaining preparations to us food nerds), and he and his assistant left us with a spotless kitchen and a fridge with food for the next day. This was my first experience with a chef preparing an in-home dinner, and I don't see any reason to go elsewhere in the future. Personable, charming, relaxed, and exceedingly professional. read more

If I could review more than 5 stars, I would. Chef Yu catered my friend's wedding a year ago, and I was blown away by her rave reviews and accolades of chef and crew. So when I was looking for a caterer for my wedding, I couldn't imagine using anyone else. Alvin and Fyusion Dining recently catered our 200 person wedding, and our wedding was beyond perfect, due mostly to the food that is nothing short of perfection by Chef Alvin and the great job of his staff. From helping me plan my wedding to the day-of: the set up to the break down to everything in between, it was better than I ever could have imagined. Regarding the food itself: every single person who I talked to went on and on about how amazing the food was. Chef Alvin doesn't make a dish more than 3 times, which keeps his food new and constantly reinvented. Every dish we tasted from beginning in the process to the day-of was mouth-watering delicious. We had a list of people with dietary restrictions, and Alvin catered to everyone's needs. He is such a great person to be around and a calming influence, which is what every bride needs on her wedding day. A wedding is nothing more than a big party, and Alvin helped me put on the best party I have ever been to and will ever have. Working with Fyusion Dining was the best wedding decision I made (aside from choosing my husband, of course). read more

Chef Yu has catered two events for me. For my birthday ten years ago, he prepared and served a marvelous in-home meal. When I returned to Chicago for a relative's graduation, Chef Yu faced the greater challenge of preparing a meal in a short-term rental flat, and serving it in the backyard to people who wanted to socially distance. Chef Yu and his assistant not only rose to the challenge, they made it look easy. While wearing masks. They were flexible about the date (last minute change! rain!), the lack of a proper oven, finding the right serving items, people moving around and changing seats, etc. The menu was innovative and the food was delicious. On a different note, Chef Yu has ALSO been providing in-home cooking lessons for some of my other family members. He's friendly, timely, patient, and everyone loves the lessons. Chefs have a reputation for being difficult and temperamental. Chef Yu is warm and easygoing. Working with him is a pleasure, and dining with him is an even greater pleasure. read more

We can't completely explain what an incredible role Alvin and his team played in the success of our daughter's wedding day! Our daughter and son-in-law are foodies and restaurant people, so the meal was incredibly important to them, and needed to reflect their tastes and heritage. They also lived half-way across the country. Alvin was the calm in our storm in figuring out how to create a wonderful, cost-effective meal in a home that wasn't exactly a chef's paradise. He listened, offered options, took feedback, and skillfully course corrected us when necessary. He was accessible, thorough and a great communicator. Throughout the planning, it was clear we had selected the right guy - his goals were our goals. The resulting meal had vegans, pescatarians and carnivores all asking for more! When I'm not the Father of the Bride, I'm a business exec and leadership coach. In more than 30 years of leading companies and teams, Alvin is among the best I've witnessed in creating an environment that allows people to excel - he should be a case study in leadership and team effectiveness. His team was a big part of our day's success, and we would welcome them as friends into our home. And when the event was over, our kitchen, home and backyard looked as if no one had been there. His team packed up, gave us hugs and went about their day. It was magical. Should you be fortunate enough to work with Alvin, know that you'll be in very good hands, and you'll have wonderful memories for years to come thanks to him! read more

We worked with Chef Yu and his team for my birthday dinner at home. We were a group of 6 and EVERYTHING exceeded EVERYONE'S expectations. The food was gorgeously presented and absolutely AMAZING I have not before or since had a risotto so good. The service was incredible and to top things off, they left the kitchen absolutely SPOTLESS! I really can't say enough good things about Chef Yu. If you are looking for a private chef for any reason, just go ahead and call them! I cannot wait to hire them again!!! read more

I am still in awe of our wonderful experience with Chef Yu! He created and executed what I can only describe as a Michelin rated dinner for my Mom's Special birthday. He was a joy to work with and his food looked and tasted outstanding! We had numerous little children and he adapted everything for them as well. Highest of high praises for him! read more

We have had the pleasure of working with Chef Alvin on several events, ranging from an 8 person dinner, up to a 65 person engagement party. All I can say is we have never experienced this level of dining before. Chef Alvin takes an immense amount of care into preparing his menus and creating an unbelievable experience from beginning to end. Take the best restaurant you've ever been too, then add another notch--that's how good Chef Alvin's cuisine and service is. He and his team are incredibly easy to work with, and are happy to tailor the menu to your budget. A special shout out to Brad, Tracey and the rest of his team, they are out of this world! I would highly recommend Chef Alvin and his team to make your next event one for the record books. read more

We have had the pleasure of working with Chef Alvin and his team for both events and weekly food service over the years. Chef Alvin is our go to Private Chef. The best! read more

Alvin and his team catered an intimate outdoor wedding for our daughter and her husband this past weekend. During a week of wildly fluctuating weather forecasts that frayed nerves and made final preparations a challenge, Alvin was a flexible and calming presence, and his team worked together to make sure service was perfect without being intrusive. They were friendly and creative, taking care of things without being instructed (finding and lighting candles, indoor and out, arranging flowers whee needed, saving the bride and grooms place cards and other signage, preparing extra appetizers when wedding photos prevented the bride and groom and his parents from getting to sample all), and so much more. Outdoor seating during the ceremony was seamlessly changed to beautiful dining settings while guests enjoyed delicious appetizers indoors. Dinner service and the entrees were perfectly coordinated and the meal was truly fabulous across the board. Breakdown while guests were still here was unobtrusive and well done. Our home was left in wonderful condition at the end of the evening. We are so grateful to Fyusion for being such a great partner in the creation of a wonderful memory. I cannot recommendation them highly enough and would absolutely use them again. read more

Chef Yu catered my very small, in-home wedding last weekend. It was fantastic. Like other reviewers, I got to know Chef Yu & Fyusion via a friend who had used him for her much larger wedding over a year ago. He did not disappoint! I went back and forth on when and where, and he was endlessly patient. In the end, when I realized he could do a small service in-house, I hired him. He made up two different menus for me, based on our two favorite foods. I then chose a number of dishes off of both menus, so he had to work to make sure the styles blended. We had small plates (appropriate for an afternoon wedding). He told me what wines would work with each dish. His staff were so professional. Our best man, who is a stage manager for giant travelling musicals, was very impressed with the professionalism of the Fyusion staff. They passed the plates, cleaned up everything as we finished our drinks and plates, and then brought more. They poured the wine; they even made sure the bride got her single malt. When they left, the place was absolutely spotless. In addition, Chef Yu can make the arrangements for tableware (but once made, we paid and picked it all up ourselves). Chef Yu was also a font of information about timing, how to organize, etc. He ended up being my main adviser for organizing the wedding. Alvin Yu is a wonderful chef, very creative. The food was so astoundingly lovely. He is a lovely lovely person, and he sure knows how to pick his staff. If you are planning a wedding or a lovely in-home dinner, you cannot go wrong with this talented, professional, organized, gentle man! Thank you, Chef Yu for making my wedding day so smooth and pleasurable! read more

First off, I have to begin by saying that I went to culinary school (Kendall College), ran my own catering company and my own food tour business, so I was a little hesitant to hire a chef for an event that I was organizing. But, it was my girlfriends birthday and I thought that it would be fun to have someone else cook for us for once while we spent the evening relaxing and enjoying ourselves. So, I found Chef Alvin and asked if he would be able to make a fun and interesting Belizean meal (her favorite place to visit). Alvin was quick to respond t and was excited to help with the event. He asked what her favorite foods were and came up with a wonderful list of amazing menu options, many of which included her favorite items (coconut, plantains, and seafood). Chef Alvin was right on time to the event. He he kept the two of us entertained for the first part of the evening with interesting stories of his travels and food that he's eaten and cooked all over the world .He's a fun guy to talk to... very enthusiastic about food and excited about experimenting and trying new things. He prepared the appetizers (Seared Tiger shrimp with pureed corn and coconut milk as well as shrimp ceviche with olives and apple pears) while explaining what was in each dish. We eventually moved to the rooftop for dinner and Chef Alvin carried each dish up to us and did a wonderful job explaining the ingredients and how it was prepared. The food was RIDICULOUSLY AMAZING! For our entree, he prepared fish in the most delicious coconut milk and plantain sauce with chayote, Calabaza, and zucchini. For desert we had fry jacks with decadent tres leches ice cream and fresh strawberrys. The dishes were robust and filling, the food was perfectly prepared, the menu was unique and special, the chef was delightful and fun. We both had a wonderful and unforgettable night! I would hire Chef Alvin again in a heartbeat! read more

As a Christmas present, I received a gift of Chef Al as my personal chef to make 10 entrees and 10 side dishes. He is very accomodating as to where and when the meals can be prepared. But most important...and the reason why you hire a personal chef....is for the taste of the food -- and his is FABULOUS. Chef Al's entrees could rival any gourmet restaurant's food. It was that good. The only two negatives to Chef Al's service and they are small ones -- is that you can only pick two different side dishes for your 10 entrees. I can tell you that by the last two meals I was sick to death of the green beans and spinach had chosen as the sides. The other issue we had was the portion sizes. My husband is a bit on the larger size and we were finding that he was leaving the table still a bit hungry. However, Chef Al is willing to work with us on that in the future by providing more food for a slight increase in price. I highly recommend Fyusion Dining and Chef Al. Some of the dishes we had were truely some of the best food we've ever eaten and you will not be disappointed. read more

Chef Yu and his sous chef were amazing. They were prompt, reliable, organized, helpful, polite, and made sure that my guests were happy. The food was delicious and the presentation was gorgeous. I was so grateful for their helpfulness during prep time, so I could get myself and my kids ready. While I was helping my kids finish their homework before our party, Chef Yu was arranging flowers and setting the table without me even asking. It was kind of like having my mom in the kitchen with me. Like Mom, Chef Yu just looked around to see what needed to be done and he did it. Effortless! I highly recommend Fyusion dining for their professionalism, as well as their unique and interesting menu options! read more

My husband hired Chef Al to prepared dinner for my birthday. Every bite was fabulous, and the whole event was so much fun! He accommodated everyone from my 2yo with tiny portions and leaving out the spice, to my gluten-free mother. He even prepared a special dessert for her. We had a four-course meal, and I can't possibly decide which course was my favorite. All I can say is it was all amazing and I felt like I was on Top Chef! read more