Private Chef Dining

Degustation with 12 Courses

$395.00

Fine Dining 12 Course degustation meal:

Sample a carefully curated range of our chef’s signature dishes in an artful 12-course degustation. This fine-dining experience is the best way to discover each of our chefs’ unique and innovative cooking styles and best local and seasonal produce. The degustation will include 12 courses, each specially designed by a private chef based on your tastes & requirements.

The price is per person, inclusive of GST, a minimum of 4 guests applies, includes 12 courses per person. If your event has less than 4 guests, check out the Intimate Fine Dining package.

What’s included?

  • 5 entrees, 4 mains, 3 desserts per person
  • 1 Private Chef travelling to you
  • All ingredients needed for your event
  • Shopping, preparation, cooking, service & clean up

You can find a few sample degustation menus by scrolling further below. 

Book in 3 easy steps:

  1. select add to cart,
  2. enter event details,
  3. secure pay online.

If you would like to book this package and add service staff or additional products please add this package to the cart and then go on to add the additional packages. In case you want a different package simply go back to the main shop page and view the rest of the Private Chef packages. 

Your menu will be fully customised based on your requirements by a Private Chef.


Degustation menu sample

1. Chef Winston’s Modern Japanese example menu: 

  1. Crab mouse
  2. Quail egg, caviar
  3. Signature oysters, green shallots vinegar, finger lime
  4. Soy scallop, rice cracker, pickled apple, avocado, squid ink cracker
  5. Umami salmon, wasabi cream, pickled shallots, sorrel
  6. WA lobster, asparagus, buttermilk, white miso, shiso oil
  7. Hokkaido sea urchin, caviar, puffed rice
  8. Glacier 51 toothfish, smoked tomato, beurre blanc
  9. 1829 wagyu rib eye mushroom, red wine jus
  10. Miso soup, shiitake, tofu, gold
  11. Black Lip Abalone brown butter, caper, citrus
  12. Melon soup, fresh melons, matcha ice cream

2. Chef Sailesh’s Spanish-fusion example menu: 

  1. Chorizo quesadillas (DF, GF)
  2. Kangaroo skewers, burnt honey-roasted rice (DF, GF)
  3. Barramundi taco, avo puree (DF, GF)
  4. Charred octopus, nduja mousse
  5. Blue swimmer crab mac and cheese
  6. Beyond burger slider (VEG)
  7. Buffalo fried cauliflower, ranch dressing (GF, VEG, DF)
  8. Moroccan spiced prawns, pea puree, orange salsa (DF, GF)
  9. Yuzu popcorn chicken, honey mustard aioli (GF)
  10. Teriyaki meatballs, mozzarella sumac, tomato relish (DF)
  11. Olive sourdough, garlic bread, Mari olives
  12. Wild mushrooms san-choy bao

3. Chef Manuel’s Modern Mexican example menu: 

  1. Snapper Sashimi, fresh limes, tequila, avocado, English cucumber bites, blue corn tostada
  2. Mini lobster slider, sundried tomato pesto, onion jam, green tomatillo relish, arugula
  3. Crispy pork belly, dark soy sauce, wild mushroom, bourbon guajillo glaze
  4. Mini pizzetta, tender corn dough, bocconcini, truffle salami, olive oil, fresh basil
  5. Zucchini flowers, sweet corn shot, a drizzle of dry chilli oil
  6. Duck black mole empanada, twenty-five spices, plantain puree, dark chocolate, earthy dry chillie sauce
  7. Scampi skewers, fresh mango & cilantro salsa, citrus reduction, agave worm salt
  8. Slow roasted lamb sponge maize, goat cheese mousse
  9. Wagyu bites, adobo marinade, chilli blend, roasted spices
  10. Bruschetta, caramelized Spanish onion, goats cheese, truffle blend, San Daniele prosciutto
  11. Fresh oysters, shallots, vinegar, shiraz, fresh chervil
  12. Mushroom & parmesan arancini, white truffle oil

CHEFIN Booking process

Next Steps

  • Secure your booking by paying in full. If using bank transfer/EFTPOS, please ensure you use the order number as a payment reference.
  • CHEFIN will email you a booking confirmation and calendar invitation. This will include a form to collect your information and particular needs/requirements.
  • Once you have filled in the form and sent it back to us, and your booking is sooner than in 3 weeks, we will assign a Chef based on your needs and desires.
  • Your assigned Chef will design a unique menu tailored to your brief, event, dietaries and tastes.
  • You can preview this menu, provide feedback, and advise of any menu & event changes along the way.

Frequently Asked questions

Can I choose my menu items from a pre-set selection of menus?

Your private chef will custom tailor a menu for you when your booking is confirmed. We are 100% certain you will love your menu or we will return your money-back guarantee! Our Chefs LOVE to create dishes and every menu they construct is fully exclusive for your taste buds.

Can I select a specific Private Chef for my event?

Once a booking has been secured & confirmed our sophisticated algorithm will take your preferences & match these with the available Chefs in your area. You will be presented a choice of Chefs, though during busy periods/last minute bookings you will be assigned a Chef to work with.

How does booking a Private Chef work?

Once you book online with us you’ll receive a Booking Confirmation email with your order details & the next steps. You will need to fill in your dietaries, food preferences & desires and an algorithm will then identify and match you with the best-suited Chef who will tailor a menu for you.

Do you have Chefs available to cook for my event?

As a platform with more than 250 available Chefs across Australia, we always have availability – or your money back guarantee! Our team works relentlessly to ensure we have the largest selection of Private Chefs across the country and are able to fulfil every single guest’s request.

What do I need to prepare for my event?

You need to prepare a space in your fridge (1-2 shelves), clear your kitchen bench and introduce the Chef to the kitchen & dining areas. Depending on your booking you will need to prepare crockery/glassware/cutlery & set the table if no wait staff are included in your event booking.

What time does the Chef arrive on the day?

Your private chef will arrive 1.5 hours beforehand with all ingredients, and begin preparing your dishes. Waitstaff arrive separately. The team will take care of all the food and drinks (as advised). After the event is over, the team will clean the kitchen and event area before leaving you to bask in the afterglow of a wonderful event.

What is a degustations menu?

What’s the difference between a dégustation and a chef’s tasting menu?

There is no difference between a chef’s tasting menu and a degustation. Dégustation is simply the French word for a tasting menu. Both refer to a series of small dishes that allow you to sample a chef’s signature cooking style, a restaurant’s specialty, gastronomic trends, every dish’s flavour, or a type of cuisine.

What’s the difference between a dégustation and an Omakase menu?

Similarly, the Japanese term omakase, which means “I’ll leave it up to you,” is another style of dining that shares many similarities with degustation menus. However, while omakase often focuses on seafood and raw fish, degustation menus are more varied and showcase the flavour of a range of ingredients and cooking techniques.

How long does a degustation meal take?

The length of a degustation menu can vary depending on the number of courses and the pacing of the meal. Typically, a degustation menu will take between two and four hours to complete, with each course served at a leisurely pace to allow diners to savor each dish.

Does a dégustation menu get served individually? 

Yes! Each individual at the dining table will be served 12 different dishes to explore and enjoy on their own. No fighting for food!

What’s a good occasion for a dégustation?

Not sure if a dégustation is the right choice for your event? Book a dégustation whenever you want an extended fine-dining that’s luxurious and sure to impress every guest at the table. It could be an anniversary, romantic dinner, birthday, or loving gift to someone close to you.

Dégustations are great for special occasions with family or friends, for paired wine-lovers, or for newlyweds. They’re elaborate food experiences that make eating fun, interactive, and intriguing. You and your fellow diners will enjoy a steady stream of food and have the chance to chat about each dish as it comes out, exploring the range of flavours and sensations.

You don’t have to worry about choosing what’s on the menu when it comes to a dégustation. The chef will typically showcase his specialities over several courses. You can expect an exceptional meal that’ll last on the palate as well as the memory. Of course, with CHEFIN there’s always the opportunity to input your own special ideas, favoured cuisines, and ingredients you’d like to see on the plates.

What you can eat at the world’s best dégustations

Want to know what kind of food you can expect at a dégustation? World-class executive chefs around the world are renowned for their course tasting menus, and it’s a feature at almost every Michelin-starred restaurant. Here are just some exquisite meals you can get as part of a dégustation at the world’s best degustations restaurants.

  • Test Kitchen, Cape Town:

    Amongst the 12-course dégustation you can find such dishes like home-dried tomato with sesame and eggplant puree and smoked goats cheese mousse; African beet rosti with Amai curd, wood-fired onion stock and quail egg; and barbecued broccoli with blue cheese and salt-baked celeriac with smoked red onion foam.

  • Dinner, London:

    This Heston Blumenthal restaurant features a dégustation with traditional English delicacies like chicken oysters served with marrow bone and horseradish,  savoury porridge with frog’s legs, or powdered duck breast with blood pudding.

  • Minibar, Washington DC:

    With more than 20 dishes, this dégustation is one of the most elaborate you can find. Dishes include sweet BBQ eel cocooned in peppery cotton candy and ‘dragon’s breath’ frozen popcorn that makes the diner’s mouth steam. For dessert, there’s coconut milk ice cream with frozen peanut powder and lemongrass-tamarind gelee.

  • Saison, San Francisco:

    This intimate restaurant has a playful menu with dégustation dishes changing every night. Some dishes you might be served include foie gras toffee, oyster leaf with cream, and thin slices of aged beef with soy vinaigrette.

  • Guy Savoy, Paris:

    Officially the world’s most expensive dégustation, this 18-course feast includes dishes like razor clams with lemon and sweet garlic puree, caviar with green asparagus and a smoked sabayon egg, and lobster served in its shell with a cooked heart of palm.

History of degustation

The concept of a dégustation, or tasting menu, dates way back to Ancient Greek times. In those days, it was common for royals at the Pantheon to feast on several smaller dishes in an attempt to appease the multitude of gods. It was thought that each Greek god had their own favourite dish, and one had to dine on each of those dishes in order to please them. The Ancient Romans were also known for their large degustation-style feasts, as the civilisation was known for its love of gluttony and indulgence.

In the 9th century England, small inns on the travel route between London and Newmarket were known to serve dégustation-style meals that highlighted the best a restaurant had to offer. The reason behind serving smaller dishes was that they were lighter and more easily digestible for travellers than a large, heavy meal. Throughout the Middle Ages, it was popular for the elite to consume anywhere from 12-20 courses in a single meal. This was considered to be the height of sophistication and grandeur at the time, and a showcase of wealth and opulence.

However, the closest thing to a dégustation as we know it today is the dishes served by great French executive chef George-Auguste Escoffier, who cooked for Europe’s nobility and had restaurants in both London and Paris Ritz Hotels. Escoffier’s job was to impress the wealthiest and most elite residents of Europe, and he did so by drowning them in great food. He would typically start serving his dégustations in the evening, pacing out the courses until diners left in the early hours of the morning.