Chef Chris Exceeded my expectation! He was easy to work with. He communicated & responded quickly! The food he served was exceptional! He help make a very special surprise engagement dinner spectacular! read more

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Chris, of My Private Chef, was the caterer for our wedding of 120 people at the Emil Bach House in Rogers Park in May. The Emil Bach House is a Frank Lloyd Wright house that is available to rent for vacations or events. I highly recommend the venue. Chris immediately stood out from the other caterers who we talked with initially. As we worked together to develop a plan / proposal, he was quite helpful in developing a custom fusion menu that highlighted our respective Scandinavian and Mexican heritages. He went far beyond his competition by offering to do a free tasting of portions of the proposed menu with no commitments, confident that his food would speak for itself. He provided a full range of services beyond catering, going with us to the décor rental company to select the dishware, silverware, linens and tables / chairs to rent for the event. He was also the point of contact for the tent rental. He handled getting all of the necessary insurance and permits required to hold the event, working closely with the owners of the Emil Bach house to ensure everything went flawlessly. We could not have been more pleased with the results. From the attention to detail with regards to table setup, to the quality and flavor of the food to the attentiveness of the My Private Chef staff, the day was extraordinary. We had many guests rave about the food. My father said he could have just keep eating the appetizers for dinner. Several were impressed by the Magic of Roses iced tea station. The food tasted fresh and hot, much different than a normal buffet. The flank steak with chimichurri sauce was very tender. The grilled chicken breast with roasted poblano and red onion sauce was super moist. Even the bread and butter was impressive with three types of bread and two butters - a truffle oil infused butter and a salted herb butter. Chris certainly left a lasting impression through his food on our guests. read more

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The dinner party was a smash success! Everybody loved the food. It was delicious! Chef Jacob and Tom were outstanding! They worked hard to accommodate the stops and starts of the party, while making sure the food was perfect when served. They did a great job cleaning up! A big thank you to both of them! And many thanks to you for being understanding and accommodating when we had to reschedule! It was a wonderful experience! Thank you Chef Chris and My Private Chef for a wonderful evening read more

For our one year anniversary, my boyfriend and I decided to celebrate by using a gift certificate we had won for an evening with My Private Chef. MPC, owned by Chef Chris Tong, offers a unique and special experience for those who are looking to celebrate an occasions, entertaining guests, or take cooking lessons. The meal began with a refreshing salad with blue cheese, pears and candied walnuts, followed by lemon zest/asparagus risotto and scallops and topped off by the most incredible molten chocolate cake we've ever had. Chris brought all utensils, ingredients and cooking ware and even cleaned up afterwards (I'm pretty sure it was cleaner when he left than when he arrived)! He was friendly, informative and very talented in the kitchen. Wouldn't think twice about hiring My Private Chef again! read more

There are no words that will adequately describe how incredible Chef Chris and his lovely assistant were for our NYE dinner last night. My friend hosted a dinner at her home with 5 couples. Chef Chris is the complete package deal if you want elegant, delicious food in the comfort of your own home. I wish we got a chance to talk to him more, and learn a bit more about everything that we were eating, but I have no qualms about hiring him again for a special occasion. Check out his website for all of the amazing dishes: I guarentee, no matter what you choose, you can not go wrong. read more

We have used this service 2 times. EXCELLENT! Food is delicious and presented beautifully. It is such a wonderful treat, to have someone come into your home and prepare the food. We had a small dinner this past summer, and EVERYONE raved about the food Chef presented us! The food was mouth watering, magazine quality. You can also catch Chef Tong around town, giving lessons and classes, on occasion. read more

My Private Chef is absolutely amazing! They catered our wedding about two years ago and people continue to rave about it 'till this very day. Chef Chris was very diligent in making sure the menu was perfect for us. We met with him on several occasions and he answered any questions we had and worked wonderfully with our budget. He's extremely professional and well prepared. The food was everything! The presentation was beautiful and the attention to detail was out of this world! Hands down THEE BEST wedding food ever. If you're looking for amazing food, great service and an unforgettable experience, I would definitely recommend My Private Chef. My husband and i are truly grateful for such a wonderful experience. Thank you Chef Chris! read more

My husband and I were given an anniversary gift - a cooking class and dinner in our home with Chef Chris. We had a wonderful time and the dinner was DELICIOUS, really perfect! My Private Chef is one well organized operation. Chef Chris arrived with his tools and the groceries in a refrigerated unit on wheels. He gave us recipes for each dish to follow along and learn. It was so valuable to watch a pro at work. We learned a lot and ate one of the finest meals in life. Just do it. Paula H read more

Chris was the caterer for my wedding of 95 people this weekend at the Emil Bach House (a Frank Lloyd Wright House and a venue I highly recommend which he has also worked at several times). The food was EXCELLENT. I was truly blown away by his ability to make such high quality food for such a large number of people. Everyone remarked that it was the best food at a wedding they had ever had (and I have a family full of Italian foodies so they were not an easy crowd). Not only that but his pricing was very reasonable and really, in my opinion, a bargain for the level of attention he put in to both me and my fiancee and the food. From the beginning he was extremely attentive to what I was looking for in my menu. I really liked the fact that unlike other caterers who have their preset generic menus we created a menu together that was totally unique and tailored to what I wanted. He also took the very specific ideas I gave him and put his own touches on them adding a real level of elevation (even the water station had cucumbers and lemons and looked gorgeous). Through the entire process he was always easy to get in touch with and quick to get back to me with quotes and info. I had a fairly short timeline for planning my wedding and so had already individually booked my other vendors when Chris came into the picture. I would recommend letting him handle the rentals of all of these things (tent, serving wear rental etc..) because dealing with everyone separately was very difficult and after seeing the level of execution he had with the food I would imagine he would have been a pro at the other stuff as well. I was a little thrown by the fact that he did not offer tastings as other caterers do, and so opted to pay for a meal of several of our menu items to be cooked and privately served for us at our venue. I ended up not being able to make it and so my fiancee went by himself. I reheated the food that night when I got home and the decision was simple. I knew that if his food tasted delicious out of the microwave I was in good hands. In the end I'm not bothered by the fact that I had to pay for the tasting because the overall pricing for everything came in below the budget we gave him. In addition my fiancee told me that he really put great touches on it, so I imagine if I had been there it would have been a really fun experience anyways. I will say that if you do not want to pay for the tasting, in my opinion, it is not necessary, because he really will deliver on what you're asking for. read more

I hired My Private Chef to cater an event to commemorate the life of my friend the photographer Art Shay. I pitched the idea to owner/chef Chris Tong with only 10 days notice. We discussed menu budget setup et cetera and in two days he sent a proposal that sounded perfect. On the date of the party his crew of 10 or so cooks/waitstaff/bartenters completely took over and by 1:00 pm when the 175 guests started arriving everything was perfectly ready to go! I can't tell you the amazing feedback I received about the quality of the food and how great the service staff was treating the guests. I highly recommend Chef Chris, My Private Chef, and his expertise in making your party a monster success! Thanks again Chris read more

Chef Chris just prepared the most amazing meal for us in the comfort of our own home! I wanted to surprise my husband for our 2 year anniversary and this was a fantastic way to accomplish that. We started off with a pear, blue cheese and candied walnut salad followed by perfectly cooked scallops with risotto garnished with caviar. The dessert was indescribable: dark chocolate, mocha and white chocolate mouse over a flour less cake surrounded by a dark chocolate shell with chocolate sauce. He was on time, professional, and a pleasure to be around. He cleaned up everything and it was like he wasn't even there! I would absolutely use him again and would highly recommend him. Bon appetit! read more

I hired Chef Chris to surprise my boyfriend for our anniversary. It was so great! He gave us a private cooking lesson and cooked us a fabulous meal! Would definitely recommend his services! read more

Chef Chris and his staff were friendly and helpful. They showed up right on time and helped the whole evening to run smoothly. The food was delicious. All communications beforehand were prompt and thorough. I would definitely recommend My Private Chef. read more

Chris was easy, professional, efficient and provided delicious food for a 40 person fund raiser. From the first contact to his vacuuming my kitchen the process was terrific. His bartender Tommy was also great. I would recommend My Private Chef without reservation. read more

Chris Tong made our weekend! We hired him to cook us a nice "hangover" breakfast during a very long bachelorette weekend. We rented a private house in Lincoln Park, and Chris showed up on time (which I was not prepared for, as I slept through his first couple calls that he was downstairs!) I let him in, he told me to go back to bed, and come back down when we smell the BACON!! I followed his instructions, and we all (13 ladies) started floating to the kitchen (which was now immaculate because Chris had cleaned up after us!) and found a bunch of Vitamin packets for our water to help with the hangover - another treat Chris brought us! He cooked for us and left us alone as we tried to retell the stories of the night earlier. Everyone thought he was a perfect addition to our bachelorette weekend! Working with Chris from the beginning was easy and he was flexible to work within our budget and what we wanted to serve. I would definitely recommend his services and hope to hire him again! read more

Chef Chris was great. Surprised my sweetie with private cooking lesson. It was fun, food fantastic and I still remember and use the cooking tips he taught me. read more

Chef Chris and his assistant made my parents surprise 35th wedding anniversary dinner the event of the year! He was easy to coordinate with, extremely professional at all times, and really worked with me to achieve the perfect menu for our small group (pescatarian-friendly options too!). Each dish was better than the next - amazing quality and gorgeous presentation. It was hard to stop taking photos of the food and the evening. Chris was very punctual, and each course was perfectly timed and orchestrated. He even ended the night leaving us delicious gourmet chocolates. I'd highly recommend Chris and plan on telling all our family and friends about My Private Chef! Thanks again, Chris!! read more

Chef Chris and his team are absolutely fabulous! I hired him to cook passed hors d'oeuvres for our party of 40, and there wasn't one thing I would change about the food, service, and staff. The bartender and attendant did it all - they made drinks, passed the food, hung coats, answered the door, made sure everyone constantly had a drink in their hand, and they cleaned up so well!!! Very hard to do with so many people. The two chefs cooked the food to perfection, and presented it beautifully. I had so many people comment on how delicious everything was. We will be using My Private Chef for future events, they are the best we have ever experienced!!! read more

From the beginning planning to the actual party, Chef Chris did it all! The best food for my 50th birthday party! I can not wait to have him cook for me again. The BEST!! He did a fantastic job! His crew that came to serve us were so great, nice, and did a fantastic job! LOVED every single thing about my party! read more

We received a gift certifcate for Chef Chris Tong to come over and cook a 3 course meal for us in our home. We chose to do it on our anniversary. We were able to choose from a few options for an appetizer, entree and dessert. We chose Crab cakes, steak and chocolate lava cake. It was SOOOO good. We order crab cakes all the time at good restaurants, and this was by far the best I have ever had. The steak and dessert were beyond amazing too, but i was so full from the appetizer. His portions are huge, the ingredients fresh, and he is very interesting to talk to. We had a great experience and would defintely call him again. read more

Be Our Guest Event Services had the pleasure of working with Chris and his team on July 16. They were an absolute pleasure to work with. The food was delicious. They took such a personal touch and pride on the food they presented. They were neat and left their space immaculate. We would highly recommend them and look forward to working with them in the future. read more