Luxury

How to Book a Private Chef at Villa Punto de Vista

  • October 18, 2024
  • Villa Punto de Vista

 

Luxury food dishWith its lush landscapes and vibrant culture, Costa Rica is a dream destination for many. It becomes even dreamier for many when you aren’t responsible for cooking! 

Enlisting the expertise of a private chef is the perfect way to elevate your stay as part of our villa’s bespoke services. From gourmet happy hour bites to beach picnics to exquisite multi-course dinners, having a dedicated chef means indulging in personalized culinary experiences tailored to your preferences and needs.

However, some guests have never worked with a private chef before, and to make it simple, we want to share everything you need to know for seamless service. 

What Does a Private Chef Do? 

Before we get into how to work with them, what even is a private chef

Unlike a restaurant, where service is shared with a menu to order, or a catering service that prepares food offsite, our private chef tailors each meal to your unique preferences and prepares everything on-site, ensuring every dish is fresh and perfectly timed. This seamless blend of restaurant-quality dining and personalized in-villa service offers an intimate, unforgettable dining experience that is truly your own. 

It’s important to know that your group will choose a select menu each day. The chef doesn’t take orders like restaurants do because they shop specifically daily for fresh fare to suit the menu. Each meal is limited to 1-2 main entrees and/or 1-2 appetizers per group to ensure the highest quality and personalized service.

So, before you arrive in Costa Rica, the WOW Chef Service team will help you finalize the week’s menus.

Some wonder if the private chef is worth adding to the itinerary, and we’ll let Katherine, who stayed with us in May 2024, answer that for you:

“We splurged for the private chef, and it was totally worth it… incredible delicious food at every meal. We’re from Los Angeles, and these LA foodies were more than happy; we were licking the plates!” (TripAdvisor)

Steps to Make the Most of Your Private Chef Experience

So, let’s break it down! Here’s a step-by-step guide on seamlessly engaging the private chef services at Villa Punto de Vista and making the most of your luxurious retreat. 

Step 1: Define Your Dining Requirements

The first step to enlisting the services of a private chef is to establish your dining needs throughout your stay. 

Villa Punto de Vista’s private chef company, WOW Chef Service, offers incredible flexibility. You can choose between different types of meals, such as snacks, lunch, and dinner, and fun options like beach picnic fare.

Begin by specifying which meals you want the chef to prepare during your stay. But remember, breakfast is covered every day by the villa’s incredible breakfast chef, so you don’t need to add that!

Be sure to communicate any special occasions or themed dinners that could enhance your villa experience. You can work directly with the chef team or with your villa pre-arrival concierge, who will then work with the chef team on your behalf if you prefer.

It can get complicated with a group, so you can send out a survey asking for opinions on what meal to serve and create a checklist similar to this (or create a copy of this template to use) to note for the chef service which meals you’d like throughout your stay—or send it along in a simple email! It totally depends on your point person’s preference.

Step 2: Select a Chef Package

Once you’ve outlined which meals you’d like, the next step is selecting the appropriate package that best suits your group’s preferences and budget. Villa Punto de Vista offers Deluxe and Premium packages, each providing an elevated dining experience but with different styles of cuisine and added tapas with deluxe and premium options. 

Luxury Menu Options

 

No matter which package you choose, you can depend on high-quality service, attention to detail, and restaurant-grade meals, all in the comfort of your private villa with views of the sea.

Step 3: Communicate Your Group Size & Dietary Requirements

Just as you make a dinner reservation at a restaurant, the chef needs to know how many people they’ll be serving! They want to tailor meal portions accurately and accommodate any specific requests. To make sure everyone’s preferences and allergies are covered, it’s best to give a full list of names with corresponding dietary information. 

Remember, you can use this spreadsheet if you’d like!

Step 4: Schedule Your Dining Experiences

Properly scheduling your dining experiences is helpful to create a seamless and enjoyable stay. We like to make this easy with a client login system. 

In your private client portal, you work with Gloriela, who can coordinate with your private chef to arrange meal times and locations. You can dine on the covered rooftop terrace, in the guest kitchen, or any of the social areas—wherever your heart desires. But it’s great to nail this down ahead of time because our team cultivates beautiful tablescapes each evening for your meals, so having this in advance allows us to serve you to our best ability!

We recommend planning your meals at least a month before your trip, especially if you have certain timeframes in mind. This allows the chef to be well-prepared and deliver the freshest ingredients and most flavorful dishes. Whether you’re craving a leisurely brunch or a romantic sunset dinner, establishing a clear schedule ensures your culinary experience is perfectly timed!

If you have the WOW Chef team for multiple nights, the Maître d’ on the team will triple-check details with you each evening. So, things can always be changed as this is your home and your meals. But, it’s ideal to come in with a plan to make things more simple once you arrive.

Step 5: Customize Your Menu

The WOW Chef Service team can be as hands-on or hands-off with menu design as you’d like. If you have a point person who knows exactly what everyone wants, you can peruse the menu or make requests, and they will do exactly what you ask.

But, some families simply don’t want to think about mealtime at all. In that case, the chef will chat with you or Gloriela to get preferences, and then suggest some menu options that will satisfy everyone’s taste buds, as well as those with allergies or specific dietary requirements.

Due to Costa Rica’s tropical location, certain ingredients you’re used to from home may not always be available. However, the chefs are magicians in the kitchen, creating dishes that highlight the freshest local ingredients.

Step 6: Sit Back and Enjoy

Once all the details are confirmed and the chef is in place, all that’s left for you to do is enjoy! 

One thing to note about the private chef service at Villa Punto de Vista is that you don’t just get the private chef; you’ll also get a Maître d’ in charge of service for the evening. Plus, both of our villas are equipped with prep kitchens, so everything is done behind the scenes for ultimate presentation.

The beauty of enlisting a private chef team like WOW Chef Service is that it allows you to fully relax and focus on the more important aspects of your vacation—whether that’s spending quality time with family and friends, enjoying the villa’s breathtaking views, or reconnecting with yourself in paradise.

Your private chef team will handle all aspects of the meal, from preparation to clean-up, ensuring that you can savor each moment without lifting a finger.

Be Sure to Experience Local Cuisine, Too

The WOW Chef Service menu is filled with delectable international dishes, so plan a night that’s specifically Costa Rican fare! 

A sample menu might be: 

  • Starter: Tico Style Patacones featuring fried green plantain, served with re-fried beans, pico de gallo, mozzarella, avocado and jalapeño
  • Main: Traditional Costa Rican Casado with BBQ chicken, served with rice & beans, sweet plantains, and green bean picadillo
  • Dessert: Costa Rican Tres Leches Cake with vanilla sponge cake, a specialty blend of three milks, served with mango coulis and dried mango

Don’t Hesitate to Elevate with Pairings 

It’s important to note that WOW Chef Service works with Villa Punto de Vista so seamlessly that you can add-on wine or cocktail pairings from the villa team, too!

A recent guest shared, “The staff arranged a private chef dinner for my birthday, and it was on par with any world-class restaurant experience. We had the private chef, live acoustical guitar singer, mixologist bar set-up, and of course, a photographer to document the festivities. AMAZING.” We love arranging experiences that take the experience to the next level. 

As a part of the villa staff, we have an in-house sommelier, Erick, and an in-house bartender, Jackson, who can whip up the most magnificent pairings for any WOW Chef Service meal. Just let us know what your heart desires, and our team will cultivate a magical dining experience you’ll remember for years to come.

Always Maintain Open Communication

The last thing to remember is that communication is key to ensuring your dining experience aligns with your expectations. 

Throughout your stay and prior to your arrival, you’ll have access to both the villa’s concierge and your private chef team, ensuring that your preferences are clearly understood and delivered. Open communication also helps in customizing the menu, addressing any changes, and ensuring that all meals are served at your convenience.

Whether you want to modify a menu item, adjust meal timing, or introduce a last-minute request, keeping an open line of communication ensures your experience is as seamless as possible.

Savoring Time Together at Villa Punto de Vista

At Villa Punto de Vista, our private chef experience allows you to focus on what truly matters—quality time with your loved ones, friends, or colleagues. With each meal thoughtfully prepared and beautifully served, you can relax and enjoy unforgettable moments together, free from the stress of cooking or coordinating. Whether it’s a family dinner overlooking the ocean or a casual beachside picnic, every bite brings you closer, making your stay a true celebration of connection and togetherness in paradise.

We’ll leave you with a few words from another happy guest… “The food by WOW chef was five stars. Every meal we had was delicious. Our fellow travel companions could not stop raving about how perfect [it] was.”

Let’s chat about your upcoming trip, and we can share how a private chef can best be used during your time in Costa Rica.

 

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