Marco Rossi: Italian Private Chef Dubai

01 · Your myCHEF experience

Give the chef a regional or personal starting point

A favourite pasta shape, a memorable meal from a trip or a preference for lighter coastal dishes can give the menu a useful direction. Share what you enjoy and what you would rather avoid, then let the proposed chef recommend a coherent sequence.

If fresh pasta is central to the occasion, discuss preparation time and whether you want to observe, participate or simply enjoy the finished dish. A dinner and a lesson have different requirements. Agree the format first so the menu, timing and level of interaction all support the same experience.

03 · Your myCHEF experience

Translate a favourite cuisine into a focused brief

A cuisine name opens the conversation, but particular dishes and flavours help a chef understand what you mean. Italian might suggest handmade pasta to one household and grilled fish with simple vegetables to another. Middle Eastern cooking can mean a relaxed mezze table, regional home-style dishes or a more formal sequence. Share examples rather than expecting one label to communicate every preference.

Mention the intensity of flavour you enjoy, preferred ingredients and any dishes that have personal significance. If your household likes several cuisines, discuss how they should appear across the week or within an occasion. Variety can work beautifully when the menu has a clear structure and does not ask the kitchen to produce too many unrelated preparations at once.

Ask the proposed chef which parts of the brief best match their experience. A candid conversation about strengths is more useful than promising every possible dish. The resulting menu should feel personal while remaining realistic for the available time, equipment and service format.

05 · Your myCHEF experience

Let ingredient choices support the cooking

A menu should be built around ingredients that can be sourced to the required standard for the date. If you have a particular fish, cut of meat or specialist product in mind, mention it early. Availability, size and price can influence whether the original dish is practical or whether an alternative would produce a better result.

Agree how substitutions will be handled. Some households are comfortable with the chef choosing a similar vegetable; others want to approve any change. Essential dietary requirements should never be treated as interchangeable preferences. A substitution that affects those requirements needs specific discussion before it is used.

There is also value in keeping a few menu decisions flexible. A well-chosen alternative can preserve the balance of a meal without forcing the chef to use an unsuitable ingredient simply because it appeared in an early draft. Your final menu and proposal should make the agreed choices clear, including any premium items that affect the overall price.

07 · Your myCHEF experience

Give a trial or tasting a clear purpose

A trial is most useful when it resembles the work you want the chef to do. For household cooking, that might mean preparing a realistic family meal and a dish for later. For an occasion, a tasting may focus on selected menu items rather than reproducing the whole event. Explain what you want to assess before deciding the format.

Consider flavour, organisation, communication and how comfortably the food fits your preferences. An elaborate dish can be impressive without demonstrating the everyday cooking you need. Equally, a small tasting cannot show every aspect of service for a larger group, where staffing, equipment and timing introduce different demands.

Any cooking trial or tasting needs an agreed menu, location, duration and price. Ingredients, preparation and travel still involve work even for a small number of people. Afterwards, give clear feedback and discuss any changes before confirming a longer arrangement or final event menu. A successful trial is a useful decision point, not an automatic commitment.