Chef Akad Guepa

Private Chef In Mooroolbark

I have always loved cooking, watching and helping my mum cook traditional Middle Eastern food when we lived in Lebanon. I started my career in a fine dining restaurant in 2008, working for famous chef Neil Perry. The majority of my career has been working at high end restaurants including Rockpool, Spice Temple, Rosetta and Il Bacaro, as well as catering experience through Blakes Feast and the Melbourne Zoo.

I have experience in Modern Italian, French and Middle Eastern cuisine, and love cooking all types of seafood, Italian, Middle Eastern and Japanese foods. My favorite dish is homemade pasta! I believe the secret ingredient to an amazing dining experience is fresh farm-to-table ingredients cooked to perfection by a smiley, bubbly chef who is always up for a chat and a laugh!

For me, cooking is...

My favourite thing to do everyday

I learned to cook at...

At high end restaurants, the likes of rockpool, bacaro.

A cooking secret...

Using best quality ingredients and freshest

My menus

Mediterranean

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Baked brie, prosciutto, honey, figs & sourdough

Baked scallops, herb garlic butter & bread crumbs

Brioche prawn roll, herb mayonnaise, heirloom tomatoes & endive leaf

Freshly shucked oysters, mignonette & lemon

Croquette, pumpkin, goat's cheese & mayonnaise

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Linguine, squid ink, squid, parsely, garlic & chilli

Hand made Gnocchi with lamb shank ragout and pecorino cheese

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Chicken roulade, prosciutto, sage butter

Market fish, beuree noisette, capers, heirloom carrots & parsely

Rocket salad: verjus, pears, shaved parmesan and mache

Spiced roast potatoes & lemons

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Lemon curd tart, french meringue & berries

Caramel tart, praline, chantilly cream & berries

Vanilla creme brule, toffee shell & blueberries

Vanilla pana cotta, poached rhubarb, meringue & white chocolate

Lebanese inspired

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Halloumi cheese cigars, spinach & sumac

Fried soft shell crab, harissa & chives

Grilled king prawns, zaatar spice, smoked eggplants, pita bread & pine nuts

Marinade olives

FIRST COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Hummus, coriander chutney & flatbread

Muhammara, a smokey capscium dip served with fried zuchinni & flatbread

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Slowly cooked lamb shoulder, Moroccan spices & goats cheese

Baked market fish, tahini, yogurt, almonds & croutons

Side: Traditional fattoush salad, heirloom tomatoes, crisps & onion

Roast cauliflower, pomegranate & labneh

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Malabi almond pudding served pomegranate & pistachio dust

Halva semifreddo served with rosewater custard & fairy floss

Turkish delight

French

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Chicken liver Pâté, baguette & pear jam

Freshly shucked oysters, mignonette & lemon

Steak tartare, pickled shallots, herb mayonnaise & sourdough crisps

Brioche prawn roll, bechamel, dill & gruyer

Baked scallops, herb garlic butter & bread crumbs

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

French onion soup, gruyer & croutons

Heirloom beetroot, baby carrots, black olive powder, goats cheese

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Confit duck leg, parsnip, cherry sauce & silverbeet

Eye fillet cooked to medium rare, cauliflower puree, kipflers & cafe de partie butter

Beef short ribs, demi glaze, gratin, rosemary

Market fish, beuree noisette, capers, heirloom carrots & parsely

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Lemon curd tart, meringue & berries

Vanilla creme brule, toffee shell & blueberries

Lemon curd tart, french meringue & berries

Caramel tart, praline, chantilly cream & berries

Japanese inspired

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Brioche lobster roll, sesame soy dressing, fresh seaweed, bonito flakes

Crispy pork belly, fermented chilli sauce wasabi leafs & caramel fish sauce

Freshly shucked oysters, wasabi & finger limes

Tofu, chilli oil, shallots & salted chilli

Tempura heirloom zucchini served with kewpie mayo

Fried soft shell crab, wasabi mayo & chives

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Kingfish carpaccio, lime, sesame soy dressing, caviar & pickled ginger

Wagyu tataki, horseradish, pickle daikon & soy dressing

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Baked wild barramundi, black bean, miso sauce and garlic shoots

Eye fillet cooked to medium rare, broccolini leafs, heirloom carrots, black garlic butter & shitake mushrooms

Steamed rice

Miso glazed eggplant & Sesame oil

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Coconut panna cotta, ginger crumble and lime

Peanut butter, caramel, tart, whipped coconut cream & mango

Italian

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Baked scallops, black garlic butter, pangrattato, chives

Grilled king prawns with gremolata

Kingfish crudo, finger limes, capers, pickled baby cucumber & parsely

Freshly shucked oysters, white balsamic & lemon

Brioche prawn roll, cocktail sauce, heirloom tomatoes, endive leaf

Croquette, pumpkin, goat's cheese & mayonnaise

Steak tartare, pickled shallots, herb mayonnaise, quail egg & sourdough crisps

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Goat's cheese filled ravioli, sage, walnuts & gongorzola sauce

Tagliatelle, prawns , chilli, garlic & rocket

Hand made Gnocchi with lamb shank ragout and pecorino cheese

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Lamb backstrap, leek, carrot, broccoli leafs & olive tapenade

Duck breast, orange honey sauce, spinach

Eye fillet cooked to medium rare, cauliflower puree, kipfler potatoes & salsa verde

Market fish, heirloom carrots, parsely oil & sicilian herb filling

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Vanilla pana cotta, poached rhubarb, meringue & white chocolate

Traditional house made tiramisu, biscuit & Mascarpone

Lemon curd tart, meringue & berries

Caramel tart, praline, chantilly cream & berries

Show me more

Chef Akad's reviews

4.86

•

112 services

Akad was fantastic from the very beginning. We worked through a menu that was both innovative and delicious. He communicated well and was always responsive to any queries or changes that needed to be made. As it was a big sit down dinner (30 guests), Akad assembled a team to ensure the dishes were served professionally and aesthetically. My guests raved about the quality and quantity of the food. So very pleased with the outcome and made for a memorable 40th wedding anniversary. Would hihgly recommend Akad and will definitely be using him again.

Our experience with Chef Akad was amazing. We planned a night for my wife’s 30th and were extremely happy with how it turned out. Akad was punctual when replying to enquires about the menu, along with working on any changes we requested. He was engaging with the guests, his food was fantastic and the clean up was impeccable. I would highly recommend Chef Akad to anyone interested in a private chef experience

Our chef Akad was amazing right from the Minute we spoke. After not being able to find a chef where we lived for a few years and multiple tries we decided to try a different location. The communication and accomodating for us from Chef Akad was second to none. His food was well presented and delicious. Could definitely recommend him to anyone.

Akad cooked us a beautiful dinner for our group’s weekend trip away. He was polite, professional and easygoing to interact with. Thanks for making our night so special!

Aked was great to work with in the lead up to our event - offering a menu to our brief, and tweaking things based on our requests until we collaboratively reached an option we were happy with. His responses to questions in the lead up were thorough and timely. Aked arrived in good time on the day, and was friendly to myself and the rest of my guests, asking questions and engaging without being intrusive. The food was incredible, well timed, and he explained each dish as it was served. The kitchen was spotless when he left, which was a real treat! We would definitely hire Aked again for a special occasion. Thanks!

Delicious Tasty food. Chef was friendly and polite.

Akad was a champion. Super flexible and the food was delicious. What more could you ask for.

We engaged Akad as a chef for a small private dining event in the Yarra Valley. From our initial email contact through to the completion of the event Akad was a pleasure to deal with - responsive, polite, professional and patient. He created a menu that perfectly met our brief and on the night really went the extra mile, delighting our guests with a beautifully presented and sumptuous array of gourmet dishes. If you’re looking for a chef to create a unique and memorable dining event with that personal touch - Akad is the perfect choice. We look forward to engaging him for future events.

Absolutely incredible evening with Akad. We were celebrating a birthday and he was very respectful, professional and the food tasted fantastic! He consistently went above and beyond, thank you Akad!

We engaged Akad Guepa some weeks out for our very special 60th celebration. He worked with us on the menu (Asian fusion) to meet our requirements, both food choices and to meet our budget. He continued to communicate over the weeks prior to the big day so we knew exactly what was involved. Punctual, courteous, meals on time, plated up magnificently and was absolutely delicious. The attention to detail, the personal touch and magnificent food turned our celebration into a fantastic day with our family. We highly recommend Akad to anyone.

I recently had a dinner party hosted by Chef Akad, and it was an absolutely unforgettable experience. From start to finish, every detail was meticulously planned and was perfect! Chef Akad’s expertise truly shined through each dish served. The food was wonderful and beautifully presented. The attention to detail was evident in every course. What made the evening even more special was Chef Akad’s warm and personable nature. He took the time to interact with guests, it was clear that he puts his heart into his cooking, and that passion translated into an unforgettable dining experience. If you have the opportunity to attend an event or host a gathering with Chef Akad, do not hesitate. Thank you, Chef Akad, for an evening filled with delicious food and wonderful memories!

Chef Akad was a really lovely guy, the food was delicious, everything was cleaned up at the end of the night and we all had a fantastic evening. Highly recommended, we are so happy with our first private chef experience for my mums 70th. Thanks so much Akad! We loved it ????

Chef Akad was so amazing!! He was so professional and so helpful with everything we needed. We had a few dietary requirements but nothing was too hard. He even gave us enough to have 2x appetisers. He was so friendly and showed great communication and professionalism. The food was so yummy!! The Eye Fillet and Cauliflour with potatoes was my favourite. It was so worth the money and so great that you don't have to do any of the clean up. I can't express how grateful I am for his service!! Thanks again and can't wait to work together in the future :)

The experience with Chef Akad was perfect. Amazing food and presentation. His years of experience in some of Melbourne’s best restaurants certainly shines through in his cooking and professionalism. Could not have hoped for a better dinner to celebrate a birthday.

Akad was excellent in every manner. The food was delicious, presentation excellent and the assistants were polite and eager to help with anything. Highly recommend Akad and the assistants to anyone looking for a top quality food experience.

Our Chef, Akad, delivered a standout Italian banquet. He stayed in touch throughout the process with regular emails and accommodated all of my requirements for an Italian themed meal for 22 people. The food was abundant with lots of variety, it was beautifully presented and very tasty. Thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. I would highly recommend Chef Akad.

We hired Chef Akad for our office Christmas party. This was the first time I was using Take a Chef services, and the platform made it very easy to compare proposals from different chefs and finally hire a chef. Chef Akad was great at regular communication, for any question or confirmation. He was very professional right from the beginning, from selecting the menu, to arriving on time, getting settled in a new kitchen, working with the available cookware, to serving. Akad was extremely patient and helpful while selecting the menu. He provided us many different options of dishes, until we were happy with our selection. He also catered for a vegetarian and a pregnant lady in our team. Akad and his assistant made sure all the courses were served seamlessly, without a hiccup. They kept cleaning and clearing up in between courses, so there wasn't a pile of dishes at the end to tackle, for the host. Everyone in our team loved the food and presentation (some of us took pictures of the amazing food, to show off hahaha) We all had an incredible evening, thanks to Akad and his assistant. It felt like fine dining at home :)

Akad was very diligent and helpful in the lead up to our private chef night for our christmas party. each course was prepared onsite in front of our eyes adding to the experience. The food and experience was next to none. we look forward to sharing a meal with Akad again. 5 stars.

We celebrated a special occasion with a small family lunch. Our selected chef, Akad Guepa, was wonderful throughout the entire engagement process - menu options & selection, attention to detail prior to the event, punctuality, lovely food beautifully cooked and presented and meticulously cleaned-up after the event. Most importantly, Akad was a pleasure to have with us in a family setting. A most engaging person who fitted so well into our day. We will certainly promote the idea of engaging a chef in one's home to our friends. Thank you Akad.

Akad was amazing! He surpassed every expectation we had and was a delight to deal with throughout the whole process. The food was amazing and there was so much! We all have very happy tummy’s by the end of the meal. He was super professional and when he left the kitchen was cleaner than when he arrived! We would definitely recommend and would love to be a return customer for our next event!