James was wonderful to work with as we planned our intimate wedding in the poconos. He was super responsive, answering my many questions and putting my mind at ease. The food was INCREDIBLE. He prepared a perfect filet roast, lobster tails, and three different veggie dishes. His team's service was impeccable. I didn't have to lift a finger, they did everything for us. Hire James- you will be very happy. read more

James provided a wonderful in home experience for 8 of us for my wife's 60th birthday. The food, service and general ease in working with him were exceptional! Can't recommended him highly enough! read more

James made our night SO special. He was professional & our food was incredible. I can't wait to use his services again in the future. I highly recommend booking with him! read more

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My family had a wonderful experience with Chef James! We hosted an intimate dinner party for 7 to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday in the comfort of our own home. Chef James worked with me to curate the perfect menu and accommodated all of my requests. We had four courses -- peaches and burrata, tuna tartar, poached pear salad, steak and scallops, riosotto and mixed seasonal veg, and creme brulee. Each was better than the next. My sister actually said she wanted to "drink the brown sauce with a straw" -- it was that good! Chef James is incredibly professional and he left our kitchen spotless -- the same way he found it. He was quick, communicative, and served around our wonky schedule (that included bed time for toddlers between courses). And of course, all of the food was absolutely delicious. Highly recommend! read more

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Amazing chef for our Lake Harmony girls trip. Highly recommend food was delicious. Service was excellent, kitchen and dishes were cleaned right after dinner. Will be hiring again for my private chef needs. read more

NOT FOR CORPORATE CATERING - We cater weekly lunches in our office and I must say this has been the worst experience we've had thus far. The Passionate Chef may be good for a small dinner party or gathering, however, when it comes to corporate catering, especially portion sizing, I would steer clear of this caterer. It was just embarrassing, for the amount of money we paid, to receive so little food. I stated I was ordering food for 40 guests. I ordered 3 mains (chicken, ribs, fish) at 28 portions EACH; 2 starches, 1 veg & 1 salad. Typically, in a lunch buffet setting people will either take a little here/ a little there or focus on 1 main. So when a caterer advertises that a tray of food feeds 7 people, it should actually contain 7 FULL portions of that item and be priced accordingly. As an example, we ordered 4 trays of the baked flounder. It should've contained 28 FULL portions of flounder. Some people may want the full portion while others may just want a piece since they're having either the chicken, ribs or both. What we got instead was maybe 30 2-3 inch pieces of fish floating in some sauce. All of the fish we received could've easily fit (with room) into a half tray. Barely enough for 10 portions let alone 28. The mac & cheese arrived dry and we had to mix it up before serving (sauce somehow on the bottom only). What about the parmesan breadcrumbs you ask? Nope, none. Smoked ribs? Nope, just boiled and baked. How do I know? Well, smoked pork ribs are pink when actually smoked (not liquid smoke) and these ribs were ashen gray. We received a full deep tray of salad (yay!) but 1/3 of a quart of dressing and ran out by the time the salad was half done. I've worked in corporate catering for over 10 years, and managed restaurants the 10 years before that. I've been a part of the planning, production and execution of thousands of events (large & small) in my career. This has seriously disappointed me and I cannot understand how he was able to drop this food off with pride. Advice to the Caterer: Portion your food properly and price it accordingly. Give an accurate description of the item being sold and please no excuses. read more

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What can I say about my experience with Passionate Chef and Chef James? It was a dream! I recently worked with Chef James to provide a private dining experience in the Poconos as the culmination of my best friend's Bachelorette weekend. I wanted the occasion to be something truly special, and they delivered above and beyond! First off, Chef James was super communicative and accommodating in the run-up to the event, so even though I had never hired a private chef before, I had every confidence the night would be a success! He assured me that, though we were staying at a rental in a kitchen I wasn't personally familiar with, he'd be able to make it work. What an understatement! From the moment he arrived with Gabriel (our server for the evening), I was immediately put at ease by their confidence and friendly demeanors. Bringing printed menus to mark the occasion was an especially classy touch, and it was just wonderful what Gabriel did in taking our bachelorette decorations strewn through the house and setting a beautiful table with them. Minutes into Chef James's arrival, the house was filled with such delicious scents, our entire party couldn't wait! We began with a cocktail hour, with delicious appetizers and were then seated for the salad, entree and dessert courses. Gabriel was a wonderful server - kind, warm and attentive without ever being intrusive. Everything we ate was scrumptious, served at the right temperature, and the plating was also beautiful (see photo for the filet mignon entree with bordelaise sauce)! As previously noted, I had never hired a private chef before and this meal was to be the centerpiece of the weekend. Chef James and Passionate Chef have now set the bar very high for me, and they truly worked seamlessly to make the night a once-in-a-lifetime experience that left us all (bride-to-be included) deeply impressed and moved. If you are in the market for a chef, look no further than Passionate Chef! I'd recommend it in an instant! Thanks again Chef James! read more

Passionate Chef - Filet Mignon with Bordelaise Sauce over Garlic Asparagus and Herbed Garlic Roasted Potatoes - Caterers Near Me - Wantage, New Jersey

Chef James made a wonderful dinner for us. He made our meal inclusive, delicious, and served it beautifully - both in terms of plating and acting as our waiter. read more

We hosted a picnic for our office and Chef James did a wonderful job. I didn't have to lift a finger. He had a server, who did all the extra work. The food was delicious, and we worked out wonderful menu that served everyone. I would recommend Chef James to work your kitchen. By the way, the kitchen was outstandingly clean after he left. Thank you, Chef James, for the wonderful experience, and we will hopefully be reaching out to you again. read more

Chef James is the man! For a wedding on short notice, Chef James came thru with all the delicious food. All of our guest were raving about the selections, especially the rice jollof. All in all the from the consultation, to the setup, service and delivery, Chef James and his crew is highly recommended. Can't wait to have another event to have Chef James and crew host. Thanks Al and Sharonda read more

James is absolutely amazing. His food is cooked so deliciously, every single thing we ate. The steak was so tender, the short rib fell off the bone. My step son who can be a picky eater sometimes loveeeed everything including this delicious chicken and bacon grilled sandwich he made us for lunch - omg my mouth is still watering. Not even exaggerating at all. James was so lovely to have around, I had no worries at all leaving the house and just letting him work his MAGIC!!!! I would HIGHLY recommend you work with him, you would not regret it. I feel so lucky we found him. read more

The best and worth every penny! Chef James and his beautiful partner catered my, 38th, birthday dinner. The food was delicious! We had soup, an appetizer, an entree, plus dessert! He prepared a menu, and we chose our own individual entrees. There was plenty of food leftover, so we were able to indulge and try every dish! I will definitely use his service again. They cleaned up afterwards and left the kitchen spotless! They were very professional and friendly. Please have them cater your next event. You will not regret it! read more

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Spectacular! To sum up Our experience! Passionate chef was excellent ; we hired passionate chef for my husbands birthday, they were amazing. From the time they arrived , they were extremely professional. Exceeded all expectations. They were responsive prior to the event, planning the menu and accommodating all requests. At day of event they arrived prepared, and had absolutely everything they needed. The stove top we had was difficult , but they knew exactly what to do !!! The food is was delicious and creative and everyone loved it. Not one complaint or even comment , except "sooo good" The presentation was beautiful ! Couldn't recommend them More! For any event. We had an 8 person event. They set the table , made the food and cleaned up. Thank you for making my husbands birthday so wonderful! read more

We just finished a brunch that these gentlemen catered. It was fabulous. James is a consummate professional. They came, set everything up, Made several dishes in the house. Then they cleaned up. Everything was delicious. I will be using them again! read more

I placed a order for my small group Christmas party and I was very pleased. Chef James is gifted! With fairly short notice, He put together a menu that everyone could enjoy. We are a diverse group with different backgrounds and tastes but everyone agreed the food was delicious. Customer service was excellent and the price was very reasonable. I'm looking forward to ordering again. read more

They catered a breakfast event at my son's home and it was FANTASTIC! Everything was perfectly prepared and their attention to detail was impeccable. Everyone there could not say enough on how great the food was and when all was done, they left the kitchen cleaner than when they arrived (they used the kitchen to prepare so everything was freshly cooked and not reheated). Final thoughts- great food, great service, and attention to detail. You can't ask for better! read more

I cannot say enough how amazing James and his team was to work with! They made our wedding weekend truly special. James was super responsive while picking the menu and he even came to my house to do a tasting which was AMAZING! He catered a three day weekend wedding event and I didn't have to lift a finger or worry about one thing. His crew even helped my coordinator to set up the tables and style the table settings. Most importantly, everyone RAVED about the food! The food was delicious! The chicken saltimbocca was so tender and the filet didn't even need a knife to cut it was that tender. I would highly recommend the Passionate Chef if you want a stress free event with amazing food and staff! read more

Was recently at a wedding where it was catered by Passionate Chef. Unfortunately it felt very disorganized and felt as if they were not prepared. The servers seemed very inexperienced, even at one point a guest went behind the bar to assist in making drinks. Additionally, they did not make the drinks that were on the bar menu. They told us that that they were out of liquors and mixers when they clearly weren't because I would see them make the same drink I wanted a minute later. Their servers also asked the guests if they had any pot and also were seen making themselves drinks. The worst was when I saw a server eating the appetizers while serving the guests. They made me very uncomfortable and I felt for the bride and groom who spent a lot of money hiring them. read more

I cannot say enough wonderful things about James and Maggie! From start to finish, organizing a beautiful surprise dinner to celebrate a 30th birthday was made so seamless. James created an amazing personalized menu for the occasion, fielded many many questions I had speedily, and the setup on the day of the event was excellent. They arrived so prepared, and were a great presence from the moment they walked in the door. Not to mention the food was absolutely phenomenal! Everyone enjoyed each course more than the last and had such a great time at that. After the most delicious dinner we didn't even want them to leave! Highly, highly, highly recommend! read more

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If you are looking for a personal chef to come to your home and prepare an amazing meal for a special event, your search should start and end with Passionate Chef. We thought a gourmet dinner for four prepared by a professional chef in her home would be the perfect gift for my mother's birthday. From initial consultation through event cleanup, owner James and his team were an absolute pleasure to work with. With just one week of lead time, James was very responsive during the planning phase, designing the perfect menu (short rib ravioli, Caesar Salad, choice of steak or salmon, NY cheesecake) for my parents and their foodie friends. James and his team arrived on time, the delicious meal was perfectly prepared on site and cleanup was impeccable, leaving not a shred of evidence that they were even there. No detail was too small, right down the personalized menu that was presented at the table. During the event, James and his chef were extremely personable and friendly, providing a fun evening for all. Passionate Chef exceeded all expectations, delivering a wonderful experience that will be talked about for years to come. I wish Yelp would let me add more than five stars to the review. Hire Passionate Chef today for your next event! read more