This was a Once-in-a-Lifetime Culinary Experience!!! Hiring Chef Julia Shelley of French Chef at Home was truly one of the best decisions I've ever made.From the moment she arrived, her energy, professionalism, and attention to detail set the tone for what would become an unforgettable evening. I knew the menu I selected would be challenging, but for Chef Julia it was handled with effortless precision. Every dish was executed flawlessly, presented beautifully, and layered with flavors that genuinely changed the way I interpret food. It wasn't just dinner, it was an experience. Her artistry and skill level are unmatched, and the passion she brings to her craft is evident in every bite. This experience completely elevated my perception of what a private chef can be. If I could have her cook for me every day, I absolutely would. I'm already looking forward to the next opportunity to work with French Chef at Home. Thank you, Chef Julia, for a night we will never forget. Please come back soon. read more

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This business is just the best!! We have used them for many years and can't recommend them highly enough. Chef Julia is creative, wonderful, and authentic. She is the real deal and will go the extra mile to make your event special. Her knowledge of French cuisine is extensive, and she is a joy to work with! She also does other cuisine from all over the world and Kosher too. Don't miss the chance to use her for your next special occasion! read more

Best food ever ! Chef Julia is so talented. She is amazing and her team too. We had a wonderful experience with her. I would definitely recommend her. read more

Had a sit down 4 course meal for 12 and it was fantastic!! I picked the meat and had Chef Julia create the perfect sides. My only request was that it be Christmas themed with lots of color! She did not disappoint me. WOW!!! Her partner Carla (a pastry chef) was just as wonderful as Chef Julia. They make a GREAT team!! I will be seeing them next year for another memorable dinner party. A BIG thank you to Chef Julia and Carla from my husband and I and all of our guests!!! read more

Amazing experience !! All the guests are still talking about it even weeks after. Chef Julia knows what exactly I want. She cook 4 courses for adults and 2 courses for kids. She even made birthday cake for our party. Dining table was nicely decorated. Food was beyond words. Everything was just perfect !! read more

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I wanted an original, multi-course French meal served for a private dinner party, so I hired Julie and Souad with "French Chef at Home" to cook for a celebration at my home in University Heights. All together, the meal and experience was excellent. These two came highly recommended by a friend, so my expectation drifted to thoughts of a personal tasting menu by true French chefs presented on my dining room table. I set the bar high and they completely delivered. Julia and Souad, in genuine French fashion, allow the natural profile of quality ingredients to accent their food in its purity. In my (albeit limited) experience with finer French cuisine, fresh and simplistic flavors are intentionally left to shine as the central culinary theme rather than be buried in an overture of complexity. This meal held true to that tenet, reminiscent of tasting menus I've enjoyed at the acclaimed French restaurant "Blackfish" in Conshohocken, PA (right outside my hometown of Philadelphia). The meal started with a fruit and fine cheese plate with fig and apple compote (cheeses were selected specifically for the menu and wine), served with toasted French baguette from Bread & Cie bakery. This hors d'oeuvre was a straightforward, yet deliciously creamy mix of cheese and sweetness that prepared the palate for the courses that followed. Next, a long brown rice pilaf was served two ways. One was prepared with buttery, pan roasted whole and chopped prawn. Cooking prawns whole allowed the sweet, mild flavor of the shellfish to come through the sticky rice texture in a singular flavor profile - simple, yet defined and delightful. The prawn pilaf was adorned with sautéed purple fingerling potatoes and fresh tarragon. The second rice pilaf was prepared with fresh saku cut tuna (center cut, sushi grade), seared rare, sliced, then plated with a saffron garlic aioli. The two pilaf dishes were a well thought mixture of protein and staple grains: light, yet filling. A summer salad and gazpacho were paired with the seafood pilafs. A refreshing adjunct to the starchy rice dishes, especially the crunch of romaine and sharpness of fresh dill in the salad, smoothed over by ripe avocado, baby mozzarella, and floral cantaloupe. The salad was a mix of silky sweet and bitter, purposely unimpeded by heavy dressing so the dill would sit on the nose before fading with the combined tones, finished by a garlic parsley olive oil. The gazpacho was a cool relief in the warmer weather - an assertive zest on the back of the palate emphasized by onion, garlic, cucumber and celery. A bite and contrast to the rich, savory flavors rolling off the tongue from the rice pilafs. These dishes together were paired with Macon chardonnay - just enough citrus notes to accompany the seafood and piquant soup and salad. The entrée was a roasted Chilean sea bass, cooked in a Sauvignon Blanc sauce, then flayed and stuffed with lemon caramelized yellow onion and red pepper. The sea bass was light and flaky, yet moist - melted in the mouth with the sweet, sour taste of vegetables slowly sautéed in olive oil and fresh lemon. This dish was absolutely delicious and perfect in texture. Good fish can easily be ruined if not cooked properly, and the sea bass was baked to perfection. Lightly seasoned on purpose, the fish could synergize with the wine and other savory flavors. Accompanying the fish was thin sliced, sautéed purple fingerling potatoes and fresh tarragon: a soft, salty texture, with a welcomed hint of bittersweet anise from the tarragon. For dessert, we were served white chocolate and raspberry coulis cheesecake with vanilla wafer crust. To say the cheesecake was superb is a monumental understatement... The crust was light and fluffy with a hint of vanilla and just enough crunchy texture on the exterior - the necessary base for the cake itself. However, the filling of an artisanal cheesecake needs to straddle the fine line between decadent cream and agreeable sweetness. Too much richness can be boring and heavy; too much sweetness can be cheap and obtrusive. Julia has worked as a trained pastry chef in the past and it was rather obvious - this is the best gourmet cheesecake I have ever had. Period. The balance achieved in this dessert was exceptional: it made me want to throw every other cheesecake I've eaten directly in the trash. In sum, this meal reached beyond my expectations. And the depth of culinary knowledge displayed by these two women was immense. The personalized menu they designed specifically for our party was as enjoyable to converse about as it was delicious to eat. The menu ideas were discussed with me beforehand; they purchased all the ingredients, prepped and served each course, and then cleaned up after. I would definitely recommend "French Chef at Home" to anyone looking for an upscale, personal chef experience for your next party or event. read more

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Chef Julia is absolutely incredible!!! She was able to curate the exact menu we were looking for for a family birthday dinner for 8. Her food was beyond and her energy is so warm and fun. I wish she could cook for me every weekend. Such a treat! read more

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Our original wedding was postponed due to Covid, and in a pinch, we decided to plan a small elopement at a rented house in Newport Beach (we're from San Diego). I found Chef Julia online, thanks to her great reviews, and was impressed from the get go by her. She was exceptionally responsive and accommodating. Not only for the last minute nature of the event, but also with some of our flip-flopping on guest count. When it came to picking the menu she was sure to find ways to mix in our favorites while also lending her expertise to recommend what would flow and taste well together. She also provided recommendations for wine pairings for each course. We landed on a four course meal: caramelized onion puff pastry tart, butternut squash soup, goat cheese and apple salad, and pan seared sea bass with a leek fondue. (The exact fish choice was a surprise up until day of as she wanted to go with whatever was freshest at the market, something I greatly appreciated). Every course was impeccable! I wanted to eat the whole meal again the next day, and my (now) husband stands by the entree as being among the best he has ever eaten. Chef Julia and her assistant, Shelley, were punctual, clean, professional, but also so charming! My family and I could not have picked two more perfect people to be a part of our intimate wedding dinner. I would hire Chef Julia & Shelley again in a heartbeat. read more

I had the benefit of working with this wonderful chef back in 2015 in San Francisco in her early stages of development . I was the beneficiary of the culinary experience first hand. I had a specific meal prepared and catered to me while I was healing from surgery. I was overwhelmed and overjoyed all at once as each meal that was created had the essence of time, detail and overall farm to table freshness. The taste was astounding and unforgettable! It is so awesome to see a dream and a gift come into reality. French Chef at home has social media in a frenzy displaying many exciting new dishes that appear to have gone viral on the web. Julie is worthy of the praise, she takes her time, she is a magnificent planner and an exceptional artist that thrives on perfection. Personally i believe she is from another world and her mission is to teach us something about French culture and love of food. Her craft is to be appreciated and experienced throughout the planet. If you never make it to France to dine, plan on calling French Chef to bring the flavor to your doorstep! read more

I would like to thank you Chef Julia Shelley and her assistant Frederique to prepared our special 20th Anniversary. Absolutely mouthwatering. I requested not to make the cake sweet. Raspberry Dark Chocolate cake with raspberry sauce was delicious. It was pretty yummy yummy. I will suggest for who have diabetic. I would bring or hire her in again for our events. read more

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Working with Chef Julie was wonderful. We hired her for our 10th wedding anniversary to create a dinner for 12 in our home. We wanted a blend of sophisticated and casual that's not easy to master, but Chef Julie has a great sense of fun and entertaining, and she got it right away. She and her staff were so on top of everything, and really took care of us and our guests. The food was delicious and gorgeous, and everyone had a fantastic time. read more

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Chef Julia was wonderful to have join our group of 10 friends to prepare a fab meal. Our tuna tartar, sea bass with chinese slaw, and chocolate fondant were wonderful. Chef Julia went above and beyond to find the best sea bass and cooked it to perfection - just like butter on the fork - and the taste was wonderful! She was kind, personable, considerate, professional, fun, and thrilled with the positive feedback. Thank you Chef! Until soon again.... read more

French Chef at Home - Tuna Tartar with wonton - Personal Chefs Near Me

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Hired Julia to cook up a dinner for my parents' 40th anniversary while we were in town on vacation. It was absolutely fantastic. Julia was very easy to work with from the beginning and made excellent suggestions to accommodate some of our dietary restrictions. She even went out and bought some delicious wines to pair with our meal. And of course, the food was fantastic. Easily the best meal of our trip. My mom was practically in tears, she was so happy. Prices were a touch higher that I expected, but given the quality and quantity of food and the excellent service, it's hard to complain. Highly recommended! read more

I've never hired anyone from the Yelp site before, but based on Chef Julia's outstanding reviews, I gave her a try for a dinner party at home. Chef Julia is the best! I've hired her twice now and have an upcoming event for her to cater. Julia is so easy to work with, has an extensive menu and my guests and I all agree that her food is the best we've ever had. She's also really enjoyable to have at your dinner party. You can't go wrong by having Chef Julia cater an event, large or small. read more

Hire this spectacular woman immediately. Her and her team delivered an extraordinary culinary experience for myself and 12 guests. It was the best meal of my life! Highly recommend pairing it with the wine service as well. read more

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First and foremost 5 STARS hands down! We wanted a memorable experience for our closest friends and family celebrating my wife's birthday and our "Kitchen Reopening". We wanted a fine dining experience in the comfort of our home such that we could enjoy the experience as much as our guests. Julia delivered and exceeded all of our expectations! Our three course meal and wine paring were superbly prepared by Julia and presented by her assistant Tom in a manner to rival the finest French restaurant. We look forward to many more dining experiences with the French Chef at Home. read more

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I highly recommend Julia for any events or dinner parties you are thinking of having! She is SO talented and truly has such a passion and skill for cooking. She is so versatile in what style of food she can make exceptionally well so that your event is just perfect! I think the best thing about it is not only her delicious food but also her amazing, joyful& fun personality! She will truly make your event SO good, memorable and one your guests will talk about for years!! Also, her food presentation is one of a kind! Do not hesitate to book with her! You'll want her to make your dinner every night for you once you realize her skills :) read more

Amazing and Delicious!! Had contacted Julia for a bachlorette party and she was very accommodating, thoughtful, and easy to work with. Everyone enjoyed the French inspired breakfast and to top it off, we had crepes! I will def contact her for any of my future at home catered meals. Watching them pkate was also another treat! Oh and her and her assistant made sangria for us (i didn't have bc im pregnant) but everybody raved about it! There was even a whole pitcher of it left over that we got to enjoy later in the day! Thank you again Julia to you and your assistant! We enjoyed every minute of it!! read more

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Chef Julia and her team were awesome! They had a great attitude, amazing food and service! It was such a fun experience for everyone having a gourmet French dinner and desserts. I Highly recommend read more

Best experience ever!! I was invited by my friend Jessica to her bachelorette party in San Diego and this is how I discovered French chef services. My GF hired chef Julia to make the dinner. The food was unbelievable. We started with an asparagus velouté, then had the filet mignon with potato gratin (the best I ever had) and Bordeaulaise sauce. The strawberry tarte was a beautiful note to finish the meal. We spent less money than going out to dinner. Didn't felt rush. Chef Julia provided us a server so we didn't have to move a finger. What a treat. They left the kitchen cleaner than ever. I highly recommend her!! Thank you again for bringing France into my plate read more

There should be a 6th star rating for French Chef at Home (Chef Julia)... Julia was basically the "culinary director" for our San Diego visit starting out with a night of cocktails/appetizers the night of our arrival, followed up by a decadent brunch the following day. She and her staff exceeded expectations in every way (food, presentation, clean-up, service with a smile)...She was extremely responsive, and anticipated our needs/planning and very clear about pricing. Food was made from scratch and she's clearly trained well. All the guests are still talking about it (e.g. we really didn't need to leave our house to eat). We want her to be our chef for any future west coast vacations :) Highly recommend! read more

The food was great but unfortunately we were supposed to have 1 vegetarian meal and she forgot about it. Disappointing since I paid so much for the service. read more

Julia is amazing. She is so skilled and so personable I recommend her to anyone. I asked her to cook a combo of vegan items and non-vegan dishes and she made the most delicious dishes for both requests. I will be hiring her again for many many more occasions. read more

Can I just sum it up in one word? Perfection! Chef Julia was such a pleasure to work with--from initial planning, to her price points, to the service, and to her dishes! I had a birthday dinner planned for a party of 10 adults, and I mentioned we would have our kids there, but they would be eating Papa John's :)) she them offered to make them crepes! She's amazing! And her assistant Tom was also amazing! Very sweet and thoughtful with his service! We were able to come up with a menu that blew everyone away!--Croissant filled with creamy mushrooms, shrimp with polenta, ribeye steak with potatoes au gratin, AND chocolate hazelnut crunch cake!!! She even made a delicious white sangria to begin the evening then provided a wine pairing to go with each course AND a digestive drink in the end (phew!) One last thing--she hooked the kids up with fancy lollipops too!!! Ok one more: kitchen was spotless before they left! I WILL definitely book her again for our next party! Thanks sooo much Julia (and Tom)!!! You guys are amazing!!!! read more

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I hired Julia for my best friend Bachelorette party on December 8th. I engaged myself to plan the whole event for 17 of us and i have to say i was a bit stressed. Julia was kind and listened to my needs. We chatted for few weeks prior the event by email to make sure everything was going to be perfect. Her menu to chose from was incredible. It was hard to decide! She showed up to our rental house early in the afternoon and started prepping. We went for the shrimps Flambé with some type of French alcohol and a salad for appetizer, a beautiful French cheese plate With fruits, nuits, honey comb .. Sole meunière and Duck magret with plum sauce for main course, it was DELICIOUS and beautifully plated. The Bride to become was beyond surprised and happy. If you are planning a party, looking for good food, great organization and stress free i recommend to talk to Julia and let her help you! read more

I don't even know where to begin about my experience with lovely Julia and Souad... I am super grateful to have found them through a friend because I couldn't have found better people to cook for my parent's 25th anniversary! My parents were visiting me from San Jose and I wanted to surprise them for a nice treat at my house. As I talked to Julia to plan the dinner, I told her about my parent's favorite herbs and types of foods and left everything else up to them. She also offered to bring utensils and plates for the courses and that was an absolute relief because I was worried about not having enough matching utensils and dishes for everyone since I wanted everything to look just perfect! When Julia and Souad arrived they looked very professional and they brought everything they could possibly need with them. They only used my stove basically. I think that's amazing to see how overly prepared and organized they were. These two ladies really take their job seriously. It's also nice to know that everything, literally everything is included in the price Anyhoo, they created 5 different kinds of dishes all made from scratch including appetizer, main dishes, and dessert. My parents and I were in disbelief with how tasty every single dish was. They were absolutely spectacular. The words don't do it's justice at all. I highly recommend them to anyone who wants to have a fun and classy night with the best French food on earth!!! Can't wait to have them over again for more occasions! read more

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My wife found Julia to cook for our son's birthday party and we couldn't have been happier with her service. Her food is mouth watering and her service is great. Highly recommended. read more

Chef Julia is a pleasure to work with, and even though I decided to go a different route on cuisine for my event, she was courteous, friendly, and professional throughout our planning process. She is super busy with events and cooking classes, but was so easy to talk to and I could tell that she really cared about doing a great job. I will definitely keep her in mind for future events! read more

We had a wonderful French meal cooked in-house in Lajolla. Julia is a pro and a pleasure to have in your home. I would highly recommend her to all my friends and family! read more

Julie was terrific! I was looking to have her make a meal for my wife and I to xcelebrate our 27th anniversary. She gave me some suggestions and I selected different courses for both my wife and I. Each dish was beautiful and delicious. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her! Thanks Julie! read more

Wonderful! I hired Chef Julia for a home catered birthday party. Everything was so delicious. We started with a tartine (little toasts with various toppings) buffet, a 3 course dinner, a beautiful cheese plate, and then dessert. If I had to choose a favorite, the scallop carpaccio was divine! Each course was beautifully plated, and the service was wonderful. Chef Julia is an authentic French chef with passion and talent, and is so lovely as well. She made the menu planning so easy and fun, I recommend her for any special event! I wish I had hired her as my wedding caterer but I didn't know there was such an amazing private chef option available... thank you Chef Julia for making my birthday so special! read more

Chef Julia is absolutely AMAZING. She made my family vacation so memorable by preparing and cooking our meals. Her food is fantastic, always prepared perfect, and bursted with flavor every bite!! I truly cannot wait to go back to California to hire chef Julia again. She deserves way more than 5 stars!! read more

I couldn't have imagined our vacation without Julia. She made it the most wonderful, relaxing and memorable experience; we will be forever grateful to her for creating such fabulous food. We took our children and grandchildren to a beach house in Sunset beach. With two young grandchildren, my husband suggested we hire a chef instead of going out for dinner every night or cooking ourselves. This way we wouldn't have to worry about them getting antsy at a restaurant nor have to cook on our vacation. I reached out to about 5 chefs and immediately like Julia. She listened to my request and made a menu tailored just for us. She would come every afternoon and make a delightful appetizer, dinner and desert. All of the meals she prepared were out of this world. Her care and presentation of the food was incredible, showing her passion and talent for cooking. Not only was her food incredible but Julia is an amazing person. She is genuine, thoughtful and personable; we felt fortunate to have her with us for the week and look forward to hiring her next time we are in California. 5 stars isn't even enough, If I could give her more stars I would. Thank you Chef Julia!!!! read more

It was a very special birthday for me, and I did not want a party. I wanted a celebration with my family including my new grandchild. They decided a private chef coming to our home and making a fabulous dinner served in our beautiful dining room was much better than a restaurant. After lots of research, they chose a glorious French Chef, Julia and her assistant, Tom to prepare dinner and serve. They arrived early and aromas began drifting from the kitchen almost immediately. Nothing in the world could have been the same experience as we all had with my celebration. Each course was an epicurean delight, and plated to perfection. The Sole Meniere was a huge highlight, and watching Julia perfect the doneness of the fish was amazing. It was dinner and a show! We progressed to our garden for desert of her own version of Banana's Foster which is my favorite desert. Chef Julia's charm and ease was appreciated, but her working to do a special meal for my husband's low sodium diet, was fabulous. She and Tom are an amazing team, and their French accents added to the charm and ambiance. My daughter wanted to use the family china, silver, and crystal, (of which Julia would be able to do) but the table needed one more thing, the charger, which Julia brought out and the table was gorgeous!! This evening will be cherished forever!! Thanks to the great Chef Julia. read more

French Chef at Home - Planted French Dinner! - Personal Chefs Near Me

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It was my husbands 40th birthday party and I wanted to surprise him with a four course dinner with wine pairing. From start to finish Julia was nothing less than VERY impressive in every way. She was thoughtful and quick to respond to my emails, she provided me with the perfect menu to accommodate the VEGANS and NON VEGANS and she booked us in straight away. I was so relived to feel like I was in good hands, this was a huge surprise for my husband but didn't know where to start, all i knew was that i wanted everything to be perfect. She is AMAZING, from doing the menu, to suggesting the wine, even making his birthday cake and providing some of the table arrangements and her professional staff that attended to our every need. AMAZING!!!!! Each course that came out was deliciously prepared and cooked to perfection. I have been to some of the best restaurants in the world (France also many times) and this was on par with many of their fine dining restaurants. Everyone at the event was blown away with the food and the service between her and her staff. I am so glad we found her and WE cannot wait to use her again for our next birthday event. I know that all of the guests that night will be using her in the future also. Thank you Julia and staff, seriously amazing. read more