Review: Making at-home entertaining easy with La Belle Assiette private chef service

Before our dinner guests arrived last Tuesday Daddy T and I were sitting down on the sofa chatting, and hoping the guests would be on time. This has never happened before.

We usually count on friends being 15 minutes late, as we always end up running out of time and race around the house to get ready in the minutes before the doorbell rings.

The difference this time was that there was nothing to prepare, as a private chef from La Belle Assiette was in the kitchen doing it all for us. We had been invited to try La Belle Assiette to review, and since I hadn’t used their easy-to-book private chef service before, I was originally a tad concerned about what to expect.

I had no reason to worry, however, as chef Adil Achahbar turned up a few hours before the guests and had brought everything from fine ingredients to cooking equipment. He changed into his chef uniform upon arrival and seemed to have it all under control, keeping the kitchen clean and tidy while preparing a delicious and interesting menu for us and our guests.

While he finished cooking we had a rare chance to enjoy a drink with our guests in the reception room, and he called us down to the kitchen when the dinner was ready. Chef Achahbar first served an amuse bouche consisting of foie gras bonbon with coke gele and peta zeta, which I think showcased his culinary skills and varied use of ingredients.

We then moved on to the starter, Moroccan hummus with homemade harissa yogurt flat bread–a dish I wish I could order again some time as the hummus had a fluffy texture and was tastier than the ones I usually eat.

For the main course, chef Achahbar served duck breast with crunchy potato and secret wine sauce, which again was beautifully presented and looked like it was from a top restaurant. We finished the meal with a treat, an amazing chocolate fondant with pistachio halawa and vanilla ice cream.

I’ve not looked at getting a private chef for an at-home dinner party before, but after testing La Belle Assiette last week and seeing that it starts from £39 per person, it’s something we’ll look into again. It was such an enjoyable experience, and for Daddy T and I it was amazing to sit down and be able to chat with friends instead of running around trying to get everything ready on time.

I would be delighted to book chef Adil Achahbar another time too, as he was not only a great professional chef but also discreet and a lovely person to have around the house.

A stress-free and truly enjoyable at-home dinner party experience!

Tags: Entertaining, French cuisine, Fulham, La Belle Assiette, London, Moroccan cuisine, Private chef, Review