How would you like a personal chef to cook your dinner tomorrow? Now, it’s possible through a new app launched this week by a Bay Area company.
Kitchit has provided personal chefs on demand before. The company says that service is mostly for special events. The new feature “Kitchit Tonight” offers friends and families to make reservations up to 1 p.m. the day of the dinner. People can host 2-12 people at $39 a plate. Hosts provide the silverware, plates, drinks, and some cookware. The chef handles the meal and cleanup.
I spoke with Kitchit Executive Chef Alicia Jenish as she prepared a meal at a condo in San Francisco. She says Kitchit Tonight offers a different kind of experience for both guests and chefs.
"It's definitely more intimate with the guests. You get to see their reaction. You get to explain the food and talk about the menu and where the ingredients were sourced,” she said.
The menus are set by the company each week. Jenish chooses each three course meal. For this dinner she made fresh shrimp and rice spring rolls, five spice chicken over steamed spinach and black rice. For dessert, banana and rice pudding.
"We have a commissary that preps things to get it to a certain level," Jenish said. "So it's really easy for the chef to execute the meal once they get in the home. That helps us give a really consistent dinner."
As Jenish cooked, host Samantha Duvall proposed a toast with seven of her friends. Duvall says reserving a chef is easier than last minute reservations at a restaurant.
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“It's really intimate to get all your friends around the table, in your own home,” Duvall said.
She also enjoys throwing dinner parties without having to go back and forth from the kitchen.
"I know a lot of people get intimidated with the idea if they have to cook and get ready and they have to set the table and everything. It's kind of a big deal."
“Lunch for tomorrow,” Jenish said placing the leftovers in the fridge.
She wiped down the counters and put the two pans she used back in the cabinets as Duvall and her guests sipped champagne.
Kitchit Tonight is currently only available in San Francisco.
