Last weekend our friends hosted the weekend at their new vacation home in Murieta and hired Chef Jim to cook for all of us for the day. Chef Jim was amazing and I was so impressed. I'm write restaurant reviews for a living and was not quite sure what to expect but Jim was spectacular. Our group included 9 adults and 5 children. For breakfast we awoke to breakfast potatoes, fresh fruit, bacon, sausage and made to order omelettes customized to order. Lunch was a delicious halibut ceviche and tostones (smashed fried plantains) with a spring salad topped with mango, red peppers, sunflower seeds and goat cheese. Dinner was a surf and turf of beef tenderloin with a chimichuri sauce, whipped potatoes, fresh zucchini, and grilled halibut. The plating was beautiful and the tenderloin was cooked to perfection. If you are looking for a private chef for any occasion, I give his service 5 stars. I also appreciate that the food was fresh, healthy, and incredibly delicious. I included some photos. read more

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Just when you think it can't be any better.....Chef Jim astounded our family day after day. The short version: BEST Chef I've ever hired, period: continue reading if you want the full details. Day 1: Edemame perfectly cooked. Lovely miso glazed halibut with charred bok choy. The charred bok choy was a new taste to me, brilliant. Followed by the best Key Lime Pie I've ever had in mason jars. Day 2: Chef Jim continued to impress. Avacado toast appetizers fabulous. Dinner of beef tenderloin with chimchurri - the meat was like butter. Silken mash potatoes and grilled veggies were massive hit even with the kids! Dairy free lava cake for dessert super fantastic. Day 3: He cooked pork belly for 30 hours in a sous vide. After one bite of his pork belly in Char Siu sauce my wife said, "just when you think it can't be any better, he does it again." Day 4: We will finish our family trip with a Seafood Boil. Can't wait. His menu offerings provide a nice ecclectic list of choices from super healthy vegan to what can satisfy the demanding carnivore. I hope to have the opportunity to hire him again in the future. read more

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I don't have a high opinion of chefs. 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.) Gourmet Guru isn't any of those things. Chef Jim was beyond anything I could've expected. Our breakfast was buffet style with Crème brûlée French toast Hand-whipped cream / caramel / berries Chilaquiles Salsa verde / crema / queso fresco / avocado / cilantro Oven-roasted potatoes Fresh herbs / spices Smoked bacon Breakfast sausage links Assorted bagels Whipped butter / whipped cream cheese Assorted melon Watermelon / cantaloupe / honeydew assorted juices Orange / cran-pomegranate / tomato Coffee Flavored creamers / sweeteners Spa water Cucumber / citrus Omelet bar Before dinner he prepared a beautiful assortment of charcuterie boards with Assorted fruits / cheeses / charcuterie / nuts / olives crackers / crostini / spreads Dinner began with a Salad Roasted red & golden beets / sherry vinaigrette whipped goat cheese / toasted pistachios / mint / parsley Entrée Sous vide beef tenderloin with chimichurri / micro herbs Sides were Whipped potatoes / grilled farmer's market vegetables. The beef was flavorful, without overdoing it on the spices and the chimichurri was a perfect touch. I was blown away by the quality of the meals that Chef Jim made and especially that it was made from scratch. How do I know it wasn't pre-cooked? Chef Jim doesn't just bring food to your dinner party, he makes everything fresh on the spot. I'm talking total kitchen takeover and table service. Table service! In our Airbnb! Mind. Blown. I fully recommend the services of Gourmet Guru. It was a wonderful experience and I can tell that Chef Jim loves what he does and has such dedication to quality and creativity. Now I just need to invite more people over for another dinner party. read more

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Words can't even describe how amazing Chef Jim is. He has excellent communication and gave us the best culinary experience. From start to finish everything was 5 stars. The food was soo delicious. Our employees are still raving about how good every bite was from appetizer to dessert. We did not have to do a thing. He came and prepared everything, explained each dish, plated, served and cleaned up and left the home immaculate. We can't wait to book Chef again. It truly was the best dining experience. read more

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Chef Jim was great!!! He was punctual , clean, and very nice. He really takes his time to make sure everyone is taken care of. Our seafood extravaganza was beyond what we expected, we plenty left over for our whole weekend and we are a party of 10! He also took great care of our vegan guest, everything was just perfect. Very considerate of the house that we were renting and he even took out all our trash afterwards. Definitely will keep his contact for future trips. It was our first time ever having a private chef, and I must say he made it the best experience ever. No complaints! read more

We hired gourmet guru for our surprise engagement party and it was the best decision we could have made. Jim was the best chef we could have asked for and the day would have not been the same without him. First, the day began with breakfast. He prepared butter cream Carmel french toast, chilaquiles, and made to order omelettes. It was completely incredible. The next meal was a entirely next level but before dinner there was a unbelievably ornate and beautiful charcuterie board loaded with figs an assortment of jams, cheeses I don't know how to pronounce, and so many fine cuts of meat. The night ended but really only began with dinner. Jim completely nailed a sous vide chateabriand topped with chimchirri sauce on a whipped potatoes and oven baked medley of farmers market vegetables. Most importantly, he had great energy and was wonderful to spend the day with. Jim for president. read more

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Jim is a great chef with a fantastic demeanor. He cooked for 9 of us for four nights and it went flawlessly. Food was excellent, clean up was pain free. Great experience! read more

Chef Jim was fantastic - he prepared a gourmet dining experience from appetizers to dessert for our group of ladies. The food was delicious and he was very professional! We could not have been happier! read more

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Chef Jim made us all an incredible 3 course meal and made us all feel like we were at a five star restaurant (but all in the comfort of our own home so even better!) He was extremely flexible in helping us choose the perfect meal for our group. We will absolutely be booking him again! read more

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Jim was our dinner chef for 4 days. He was extremely friendly and we all enjoyed his meals. I particularly liked that he tweaked a meal after we mentioned one of the guests was gluten free and made sure we all were happy. read more

Chef Jim is the bomb. Cooked for our girls weekend. Amazing food. He was very attentive to our needs, gluten free, and thoughtful. He took pics and was a super good sport in a house full of ladies. Delicious fish and filet mignon. I Def recommend this over going it in Temecula. So lovely. Thanks chef! read more

I cannot say enough good things about Chef Jim! Where to begin...when I reached out to him about booking a private dinner for 8, he responded quickly and professionally. He scheduled a phone call to collaborate on a menu that was customized for our group. After our discussion, he followed up with a beautifully formalized version of the menu we created and a clear (and reasonabe) itemized invoice. He sent the payment request via PayPal, which was quick and easy. On the day of our special meal, Chef Jim arrived on time and got to work right away. He came prepared with all his required equipment and the most exceptional ingredients. We had 4 courses: appetizer, salad, entrée (with sides) and dessert. Every single thing he served us was incredible! We were incredibly impressed with his skills and creativity, and we highly recommend him to any group who wants to feel incredibly spoiled by a local master Chef! read more

Chef Jim catered a beautiful 5 course dinner for my boyfriend's 30th Birthday. I was nervous to have a chef come into his sister's house, as she is a clean freak. When Chef left, there was no evidence he was even there. He was so clean, organized, and prompt. He brought his own trash bag that hung on the side of the counter which I loved! His truffle risotto and sous vide filet was literally perfect. I have only had one other truffle risotto that was done right. I was so nervous he wouldn't make it "traditional" Italian style, but we communicated about this and he over exceeded my expectations. He was so flexible with me changing menu close to the date, and he went above and beyond to have so many options for me. He was extremely clean, professional, and caring. Every single guest at the event texted me the following day for his information. He is my go to chef for all future events. We love you Jim! And Fish Eye! read more

Chef Jim was wonderful to work with. He was very responsive and paid great attention to our needs and accommodated all special requests. He was more affordable than other private chefs and yet every bit professional. Chef Jim prepared a delicious 3 course meal for 9 women on a reunion trip. Each course was beautifully presented, well balanced, complimented our wines, and tasted fresh and of the highest quality. He was also very personable and thoughtful. For us ladies, it was fun to have a 5 star restaurant experience prepared and served to us at our own rental home. Thanks for contributing to a great experience Chef Jim! read more

The Gourmet Guru prepared a wonderful Italian dinner for 11 family members in our home this week. It was a birthday celebration for my husband and myself and I couldn't have been more pleased. Jim was very professional, the food was delicious, the price was very reasonable and we both were able to enjoy an evening with our family instead of cooking, serving and cleaning. I highly recommend Gourmet Guru!! Thank you Jim!! read more

The best of the best! Everything was prepared perfectly. The appetizers, the steaks, the dessert and even the breakfast be prepared for us. I would highly recommend his service, we used him for a private party of 15 and look forward to doing it again! read more

Gourmet Guru Chef Jim prepared a recent dinner party for 16 people at our home and we were extremely pleased with the food quality, food presentation, cooking and clean up. Everything was completed in a friendly professional manner from the moment he and his Sous chef arrived to the end of the party. We will definitely recommend Chef Jim for all events! read more