Reviews
Out of the 655 Personal chefs in Chicago, MENU FOR YOU℠was ranked in the top 13 in 2022 by expertise.com.
Chef Vahe,
You are gifted! What a wonderful meal! The Halibut was divine. The sauce was exquisite and it was perfect with the pasta. Loved the chilled Asparagus. Our daughter raved about the turkey. A complete home run. Thank you and your team.
~JG Lake Forest IL
Dear Chef Vahe,
Echo everything JG wrote…and this from a very picky eater…and when our daughter who is even tougher pronounced your turkey, “delicious!” my spirits soared. We are so grateful to you and Lili for this exceptional experience.
Gratefully,
~CM Lake Forest IL
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Chef Vahe,
I give the experience an A++++
Everything was amazing. Ate every last bite.
I got the boys to drink all the juice!!! Having broccoli and fruit available was also a big hit. The ranch dressing was beyond amazing after it had a day to kind firm up. I want to drink it!
Everything was very easy to finish making and cooked perfectly. I am also excited that I still have meatballs in the freezer. Sizes were perfect except we would love more juice and more raw vegetables.
Thank you Thank you Thank you.
~TS Northfield IL
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Chef,
Thank you! So far we have loved all of it!
We have had the Turkey Burgers with Tomato Jam and Feta for the last two days and they are DELICIOUS!!!! Thank you. We’ll see you soon!
~AS Highland Park
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Chef Vahé,
Thank you for another day of your amazing talent! We look forward to all the goodness.
-MEJ, CHICAGO
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What a fun experience having you and Lili in our kitchen yesterday! We enjoyed the red snapper dinner last night. The best part was that my son, really liked the fish! Before he tried it, he was asking me what he was going to have for dinner because he doesn’t like fish. I encouraged him to try it and it was a success! Please put us down for May 15th and send me your ideas!
Thank you!
p.s. The potatoes and chicken wings were a HUGE hit last night!!
-NB, GLENCOE
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“OMG!
Hi Chef Vahé,
Before we ate your dinner, I was just going to write Thank You in the subject line. But, having eaten your marvelous food , I have to exclaim how wonderful it was. It was so easy to prepare, exactly as you directed, and it was not only gorgeous,, but incredibly tasty. It appealed to all our senses, so many colors and foods, and did not disappoint in any way. It will be hard to go back to eating my mundane food preparations now.
Again, thanks so much for the delicious dinner. “
–NS, WILMETTE
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Thanks Vahé!
The enchiladas & guac were awesome! James thinks he alone ate half the pan. The quantities were perfect-we finished everything off. We already ate the sirloin & kabobs today (girls have back-to-back sports so I filled their bellies ahead of time). I just realized that I forgot to get the tzatziki sauce but I’ll get it out for James. It too was just perfect-great flavor, great quantity and low-carb…just the way I like it! So appreciative of your help and expertise!
– NR, WILMETTE
I wanted you to know the dinners were excellent. We look forward to the next week you can come. We definitely need one meal as a frozen meal. The Beef Barley soup was AMAZING! My youngest had about 8 bowls this weekend. Thank you. I think a soup or stew for a 3rd meal is a great fit for our family needs.
– KM, PARK RIDGE
We were thrilled with all of the cooking and my husband was so happy. He was even happy with me (even though I did not cook it)! He just loves his food and having healthy snacks ready to go has been good for all of us!
We are thrilled! And looking forward to your next visit and this next amazing menu!!!!
– MS, WILMETTE
The meatballs in the lettuce wraps were amazing….a big hit. The chicken was a big hit!! We ate 2 of the three containers. We even put the cilantro on top for everyone (including the boys) and they gobbled it up, so bravo. My wife and I were both particularly fond of the cucumber salad….a real treat.
You have delivered everything you promised to us (delicious food tailored to our tastes).We appreciate all you have done for us and are looking forward to the rest of the meals!!
– NF, KENILWORTH
The Thai Basil Turkey Meatball Lettuce Wraps were absolutely amazing! Other than some leftover lettuce and ginger dipping sauce, every last morsel is gone, including the cucumber salad! My son had two dinners last night, and the meatballs for breakfast. My daughter also had the meatballs for breakfast. My husband finished off the lettuce wraps for lunch, and I polished off the salad! The desserts are going fast! I’m glad we decided to freeze some.
Thank you so much. I will definitely recommend you! I can’t wait to enjoy my other two dinners.
Since my last email, we have had the pulled turkey with peach glaze, and the mac and cheese. Both were a huge hit with everyone. We still have a tiny bit of the pulled turkey left, which I will enjoy tonight for dinner
I can honestly say, I wouldn’t change a thing. The food was amazing; the re-heating instructions were simple and detailed; and there was plenty of food (which is key around here.) Of course, the cookies are long gone. But I’m glad we still have the second stash in the freezer.
Next up…turkey lasagna rollups and garlic bread! I’ll be in touch following that meal. I’ll also send out the email to my friends once I have finished all three meals so I can pass along my rave reviews of everything you prepared. It has been such a luxurious treat!
The turkey lasagna rollups and garlic bread were (again!) amazing! Everybody loved all of it. The lasagna fed almost all of us for 4 days, so that was really convenient. Not everyone was around every night to eat dinner for 4 days, but it was so great to have it handy for my younger two. The garlic bread was gone in one night. Now that we have enjoyed all of my “birthday meals,” I am going to send my friends an email letting them know how much I appreciated and relished the whole experience, and that I highly recommend you!
– MM, WILMETTE
We were so lucky to be gifted with having Chef Vahé cook for us in our home. Everything that he made was delicious and healthy. The rice was the best rice we had ever tasted and our 2 year old daughter loved the tzatziki so much she ate it with a spoon! As a working parent it was so nice to know that we would have a healthy and delicious meal to feed our family. The portion sizes were very large and we were able to freeze several portions to reheat at a later time. 3 weeks later we are still enjoying the Chicken Curry and Beef Stew. What’s been really wonderful is that everything has tasted just as good defrosted and reheated as it did fresh. I would highly recommend MENU FOR YOU℠ to any busy family who enjoys having a delicious healthy meal together in their home. Thanks again!
– RACHEL AND BILLY, PARK RIDGE
Chef Vahé’s meals are unbearably delicious. You’ll need a moment of silence when you take your first bite. Contact him today to get this good food in your belly!
– BC, EVANSTON
The fish was amaze-balls!!! I had three more bowls of the soup after you left. Fish is my favorite protein dish so far. Mind you, getting busy on those ribs tonight!!
Thanks again for the incredible meals.
– DB, WILMETTE
Oh my gosh-amazing! I came home starving and had some soup and a meatball. So good! My family LOVED every bite! My husband so appreciated the options (particularly with me gone). The girls ate and truly enjoyed everything, including Bonnie’s cake!
– KO, WILMETTE
I have absolutely been enjoying my meals. I of course had the chili last Tuesday night. It is my favorite. I just love chili and your vegetarian version is just so good. I even got my son to try some and though loaded with cheese he liked it. Victory!
Last night I had the Moroccan stew, another winner. I will be eating well for some time.
We do have a problem. My son now wants to have Chef Vahé’s meals made for him. I’m sure that will be in our future one day.
I look forward to seeing you soon so I can properly thank you for making my evenings delicious.
– EA, WILMETTE
We have loved all three meals. Had some friends over Saturday-one is a chef. He agreed that your food is great!
Looking forward to next week!
– EL, LAKE FOREST
We absolutely loved all three meals–there was so much food that it lasted the entire week. The quality of the ingredients was outstanding, including the cuts of Pork chops and Mahi Mahi. I love to cook, but it would have taken me days to try to put together menus like this, which struck a perfect balance between the entrees and side dishes, and clearly required hours of preparation time. Everything was made from scratch, even the fabulous barbecue sauce on the pulled turkey. The meals were very easy to heat and serve, and were packaged perfectly for this, with instructions on the containers. It was such a treat to have professionally-prepared meals all week without having to spend so many hours in the kitchen. I will definitely use MENU FOR YOU℠ on a regular basis.
– SANDY I., CHICAGO
Everything is amazing!! Thank you so very much for all of your work yesterday and for following all of my restrictions!
– LC, DEERFIELD
Our family thoroughly enjoyed not only the meals prepared by MENU FOR YOU℠, but the caring service and attention to detail that was provided was way beyond our expectations. During our initial meeting, Chef Vahé carefully explained the process and made sure he understood all dietary concerns and preferences. We selected our meals from a comprehensive menu and Chef Vahé explained how each of our choices would be prepared and how they would need to be packaged and reheated.
The cooking date was amazing. They came to my home bringing everything necessary and left no trace behind at the end except convenient, delicious and easy to serve meals in my refrigerator. Everything was clearly marked, including the little packages of condiments and sour cream. It was so fun!
The first of Chef Vahé’s meals that we enjoyed was on Cinco de Mayo for my daughter’s birthday. Chef prepared enchiladas that made her birthday dinner special. There were enough servings to freeze a whole pan to enjoy another day. No small feat with two teenagers in the house.
This service is so great for a busy family. Late game? No problem. 20 minutes to a healthy homemade dinner. And no mess!
Chef Vahé shows a dedication to his clients that can’t be matched. He offers a service that is specific to our needs, the food is healthy and delicious and we feel special and cared about when we sit down to enjoy his work.
The service is really phenomenal. There is love in it which we always say is the best ingredient.
– CS (SAUGANASH), CHICAGO, IL
I received the best gift from my husband recently– the gift of having a personal chef come to my house and cook 3 amazing meals! The entire experience from choosing my menus to sitting down and enjoying our meals is something everyone should experience. Vahé brings EVERYTHING ( pots, utensils etc.) to your house that is needed for preparing the meals and does the shopping. With my busy schedule this was the perfect gift. Vahé put together delicious choices for us and packaged them to enjoy right away and some for the freezer. Our 3 meals broken up into the portion sizes we wanted actually is more like 10-12 meals for us and we are still enjoying them. Anyone looking for a gift for birthdays, Mother’s day, or just because I highly recommend. You won’t be disappointed. Thank you so much Vahé . We look forward to seeing you again soon!
– MB, NORTHBROOK, IL
OMG, OMG. Just had lunch by Chef Vahé Mekhitarian of MENU FOR YOU℠ at Northbrook Chamber Ambassadors meeting. DELICIOUS!!! We had chicken Caesar meatloaf, green beans in the most awesome vinaigrette, and mashed parsnips/root vegetables. Incredibly, it was also healthy and organic! I can’t wait to have Chef Vahé prepare meals for my family. If you’ve been sitting on the fence about hiring Vahé — just do it! You won’t be disappointed!
– JY, SKOKIE, IL
The meal was fabulous. It was so tasty and delicious but very filling. I couldn’t even finish one piece of fish. The good news is I have a fabulous lunch for tomorrow. Thank you again for your professionalism and your time. We loved it!!! … We had the second meal last night. The pulled turkey was so phenomenal!! We ate it all it was so yummy. Thank you again for another fabulous dinner. You’re the best.
– MG, RIVERWOODS, IL
I drove over to deliver Liz’s scrumptious gift. All the containers were laid out on the kitchen table and counter when she arrived home. She was so surprised and delighted. She chose the vegetarian chili for dinner and graciously gave me a few shells for my dinner. I ate every single tasty shell-more than I thought I would. The smells lingered in my kitchen after you left and greeted me when I awoke this morning-a lovely reminder of yesterday’s activities. Your chili got two thumbs up from Liz. Soup is on the docket for her dinner tonight. What a pleasure having both you and Jenna in my kitchen yesterday.
– JA, EVANSTON, IL
…the food is great and the convenience of you setting us up for the week is tremendous. It’s a bit ironic that with the idea of simpler meals, I think ‘heck, why don’t I just cook more?!’, but the idea of you coming in and even just doing simple meals can keep us on a better track. And, for that week, it can hopefully be inspiring so that we start to cook more in general.
– DN, WILMETTE, IL
It was FABULOUS!! yum yum.
– CS, NORTHBROOK, IL
The food was out of this world and that fact that it was healthy is a great added bonus!
– DG, RIVER WOODS IL
Chef Vahé is a master at his craft!
– KK, PARK RIDGE, IL
Chef Vahé’s food is the best! If you have not called him, you are missing out!
– JN, PARK RIDGE, IL
We were all really impressed with your delicious food! When talking with friends and those in my circle I will not hesitate to recommend you. You are truly an artist and your love of what you do is transferred through your cooking.
– KC, NORTHBROOK, IL
Well you did it again. We have now added two additional meals to our list of Vahé dishes prepared for us and both were fabulously yummy and so sophisticated. You are truly a genius in the kitchen can’t wait until next time. Thank you.
– MG, DEERFIELD, IL
It was such a pleasure to come home to the comfort of the Cabernet braised short ribs and mashed potatoes. Perfect for a cold February day. We also enjoyed the curry and pulled turkey and have frozen a few containers for the days we are all busy. As always it was all very delicious. Thank you.
– TN, PARK RIDGE, IL
WOW! Everything was great. The four of us grown up enough to “eat” loved the beef bourguignon. It was great and we had one serving left over. Seeing how they ate it, I would rank the chicken loaf a medium of like by the 2 older kids (my husband and I really enjoyed it). That had about 3 – 4 servings leftover. I have also had a cold run through the house, so a couple of Chicken soups have been reheated.
Thanks again and WOW!
– KT, WILMETTE, IL
We absolutely loved everything! It was extremely easy to reheat the meals and I look forward to the nights we are having a meal that you prepared. On those nights, not only do I know we are going to have a fabulous meal, but it is also such a treat when I don’t have to plan out, prepare and cook a meal from start to finish.
Portion sizes and flavors were right on regarding the short ribs and turkey. We loved the flavors of the meatball lettuce wraps but needed a side dish with that. The nights we had your meals it saved me a minimum of 30 minutes…but probably more considering not having to grocery shop for the food. What I would do differently…probably choose some other dishes just to be able to try more! My kids didn’t eat many meatballs. Our son loved the short ribs and the turkey…our daughter usually doesn’t stray from the typical kid foods, but she dipped some noodles in the short rib sauce and tried the turkey!! Our favorite aspect was enjoying a wonderful meal I could never make and the time saver….That time of day is always so hectic when I’m trying to make dinner and entertain the kids, so to be able to so easily reheat a meal quickly is a dream and makes that time of day more enjoyable.
Thanks again for a wonderful experience!!! I would love to use you again and would recommend you to a friend.
– LA, WILMETTE, IL
Check out his website & call for a cook date. I promise you won’t be sorry. First thing I noticed upon waking up this morning was the lingering scent of Cabernet braised short ribs that he made yesterday. So not only does the food taste amazing, the house will smell awesome for days.
– KK, CHICAGO, IL
OMG. My kids are raving about the chicken soup. The tenderloin with apricots was delicious. We LOVED the kebabs. The meal was truly elegant and you are a talented man. The best part is there was not one “I don’t like this and I’m not eating it,” comment. Thank you. Thank you for your thoughtfulness. I appreciate pushing the boundaries with my taste challenged family! Looking forward to the new menu.
– KB, PARK RIDGE, IL
My guests were effusive in their compliments. I think the butternut squash soup won the most praise, but all was enjoyed. Thanks so much for helping us with our dinner party. Thank you for making me look so good to my guests. We appreciate your expertise. …Looking forward to coming home from work with dinner already prepared!… The salmon was moist and tender and the flavor was wonderful. Veggies are out of this world. My husband enjoyed tremendously!
– TN, PARK RIDGE, IL
Hi. I just wanted to send you a quick note and let you know that we LOVED dinner last night 🙂 My son wanted to know when you were coming back!! That is great news. I really enjoyed being able to sit down with my family and have a fantastic, tasty dinner that everyone loved. Thank you so very much. I can’t wait to eat dinner tonight too 🙂
– KG, NORTHBROOK, IL
Vahé’s personal approach to preparing family meals combines professionalism, exquisite taste, and a focus on family values in one complete package. It is a priority for our family to gather around a table, share stories of our day, and enjoy a delicious meal. Vahé makes this possible for our family because the food he prepares is restaurant quality in the comforts of our own home. And to boot, our children love his cool chef outfit!
– THE NINNI FAMILY, PARK RIDGE, IL
We have been delighted with the 5-star meals provided by Chef Vahé Mekhitarian, and MENU FOR YOU℠. The quality is beyond comparison, as we came home, had a gourmet dinner, and did not have to drive home from the restaurant! All aspects of the menu are tailored to our palettes and dietary preferences, which enhances the dining experience even more! Don’t seek out Chef Vahe’s talents unless you really appreciate food!
– NANCY, PARK RIDGE, IL
Chef Vahé took the time to understand our family habits and preferences and made some nutritious recommendations to design a menu that would satisfy everyone. For instance, Chef Vahé suggested a soup to feed the kids after school and before activities, he prepared a delicious Morrocan Chickpea soup that not only fed everyone for the week, but we had enough to freeze and use later in the month. He also suggested to prepare Pulled Turkey Leg instead of pulled pork, we served it in sandwich with coleslaw, tacos and on a salad for a light lunch — we froze it in 4-5 portions and had delicious meals on the table for the rest of the month. I can’t say enough about the professionalism of Chef Vahé and his team who came to our house with all their equipment, left the kitchen as it was and our fridge was full of meals neatly packaged in reusable containers clearly labeled with preparation instructions. A weight was lifted off my shoulders, for a day Chef Vahé did efficient grocery shopping (everything he bought he used), prepared much faster and better meals than I would have been able to, and the best part is that I had a lot of left overs to freeze and use another week. Everyone was happy, and I had time for work, carpool, and play…
– SYLVIE, WILMETTE, IL
MENU FOR YOU℠ has impacted my family in many healthy ways. Vahé took the time out to encourage and explain the benefits of home grown gardening for my family. He educated us on how to start to build a structure and maintain the nutrition on filling it’s needs to grow properly. This has been a vehicle to help my family choose a healthy snack. MENU FOR YOU℠ has not only opened our eyes to living a healthier lifestyle but has given us a hobby to upkeep as a family.
– S. VOLPE, SCHAUMBURG, IL
MENU FOR YOU℠ is truly amazing! You can completely customize your menu and Chef Vahé always has amazing suggestions. Things I would never think of! I have used MENU FOR YOU℠ numerous times and have a family of 5 picky girls, but Chef Vahé satisfies everyone’s palates!!! Kids are asking when we are having MENU FOR YOU℠ cook again for us. Prices are amazing for the quality of food and service that you get! Love this company!!
– JOANNE, PARK RIDGE, IL
Vahe’s meals are the best! My whole family enjoys them!! Especially the chicken noodle soup, lemon turkey meatloaf, salmon burgers, and lasagna! Thanks for spoiling us! Food portions are great. We had soup again after school yesterday and I had some for lunch. Will give kids today after school. The bison kabobs were fabulous! I’ll have the eggplant tonight. They all loved the pork roast and squash too. So easy for me to serve!!
– JB, PARK RIDGE, IL
I can’t begin to express my gratitude for Vahe’s services. As a small business owner, my schedule can include a lot of late nights at the store. Knowing that I have healthy, home cooked meals waiting for me when I get home is a life saver. While I may buy healthy food intending to cook it, when I get home at 10:00 pm, the last thing I want to do is cook, so the food ends up going back & being tossed. So having Vahé cook for me actually saves me money.
Vahé is a creative chef & does a wonderful job coming up with delicious, healthy meals making sure not to repeat items unless I specifically ask for something again. Some of the items that I may have been lukewarm about going into the cook day always end up being absolute favorites!
While it may seem like an indulgent luxury to hire a personal chef to come cook for you, but honestly, it’s a huge help & relief if your schedule is jam packed.
– KRIS, CHICAGO, IL
Chef Vahé has cooked for our family of six for over a year now. It started as a birthday present for my husband. We loved his meals so much that we kept him on weekly. Not only will Vahé make our favorite meals, but he has also introduced new healthy items that we love. Also, we love the fact that Vahé shops at Whole Foods. My husband and boys love bison meat. He can make skewers, steaks, burgers, chili and soup out of this. We also have some food sensitivities in the family including lactose intolerance and cheese/pasta sensitivities. Vahé takes all this in to account to ensure the family’s diet restrictions are met. Since we hired Vahé to cook our meals, I’ve been able to give the kids healthier home cooked meals. With the kid’s busy sport schedules I can heat up smaller portion sizes for each child before or after their activities. This is so much better than the usual PBJ sandwiches, snacks or frozen chicken fingers when in a hurry. Now the kids have a piping hot bowl of soup waiting for them as they walk in the door. No wonder the neighbors keep stopping by!
The main reasons I would recommend Vahé as a chef are:
- Food is delicious
- Healthy meals while abiding by diet restrictions
- Ease of serving his cooked meals to accommodate different schedules
- Extra bonus – kids trying different foods and more open minded.
– JP, PARK RIDGE, IL
Our family was lucky enough to have MENU FOR YOU℠ come into our home on a weekly basis for almost 2 years. Vahé Mekhitarian’s passion for creating organic, natural and healthy meals provided our family with the most amazing food. Not only does Vahé & his staff focus on personalizing each and every dish for our dietary needs, MENU FOR YOU℠ provided impeccable professionalism. During the holidays, Vahé worked directly with us to create my grandmother’s special dinner. Vahé spent 2 days working on making the meal exactly the way I remembered it. He extensively researched the recipe and gave me the gift of honoring my grandmother. It is with great sadness that we can no longer use MENU FOR YOU℠ as we have moved out-of-state.
I would HIGHLY recommend MENU FOR YOU℠.
– JANEL LEHMAN
Chef Vahé is wonderful! Our first exposure to his cooking was when a family friend shared some of his delicious meals with us. Our kids LOVED them and were asking for more (which doesn’t happen often in our house!). So when my husband and I were leaving on an overseas trip, we decided to have Chef Vahé come and cook some nutritious meals for our kids to enjoy while we were gone. He not only spent time with me ahead of time to get to know my family and their likes and dislikes, but he also took care of the grocery shopping while I was gone as well. This made our time away much less stressful for us, the kids, and also the nanny. Oh, and by the way, he leaves the kitchen spotless! We are looking forward to having Chef Vahé fill our house with the pleasant scent of his cooking again soon!
Thanks again!
– CINDY & FAMILY, WINNETKA, IL