Chef Horacio Coutinho

Chef At Home In San Diego

I am an experienced professional chef with a remarkable 15-year journey in the culinary world. My culinary foundation was established at the prestigious European Center in Curitiba, Brazil, where I studied in 2008. Simultaneously, I embarked on an exciting venture by opening my first restaurant, which soon earned one of Brazil's most significant awards for its exceptional Brazilian Cuisine.

After three successful years, I decided to explore new opportunities and joined the esteemed Durski, one of Brazil's most renowned European restaurants. During my tenure there, our team garnered four national awards, solidifying my reputation as a top-tier chef.

Beyond restaurant experiences, I have also honed my skills in creating menus for various occasions, including retreats, weddings, birthdays, and meetings. This versatility allows me to craft tailored culinary experiences that leave a lasting impression on every guest.

With a passion for culinary artistry and a dedication to excellence, I am always eager to embrace new challenges and continue my journey in the ever-evolving world of food.

For me, cooking is...

My passion and a way to bring happiness to people.

I learned to cook at...

My mom (she's also a chef), European Center Culinary School, and at the restaurants and chefs that I worked together.

A cooking secret...

Treating the ingredients with care and enjoying cooking.

My menus

ITALIAN TAGLIATELLE - Indulge

STARTER

All inclusive

Balsamic Bruschetta - Ciabatta, Tomatoes, Garlic, Olive oil, Balsamic and Basil

Caponata Bruschetta - Traditional eggplant caponata with ciabatta bread

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Classic Caprese Salad - Fresh Mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil and olive oil

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Handmade Green Tagliatelle al Pesto - Fresh Handmade Tagliatelle (Spinach Pasta) with Pesto Sauce (Basil, Olive oil, Garlic, Parmesan and Pinolli)

Chicken Picatta

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Fresh Tiramisu

Chocolate Mousse

ITALIAN TAGLIATELLE - Exclusive

STARTER

All inclusive

Stuffed Boursin Mushrooms

Balsamic Bruschetta - Ciabatta, Tomatoes, Garlic, Olive oil, Balsamic and Basil

Caponata Bruschetta - Traditional eggplant caponata with sourdough bread

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Classic Caprese Salad - Fresh Mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil and olive oil

Baby Arugula

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Handmade Tagliatelle Marinara

Chicken parmeggiana

Bolognese Lasagna

DESSERT

All inclusive

Fresh Tiramissu

BRAZILIAN SURF AND TURF EXPERIENCE - Basic

STARTER

All inclusive

Cheese Garlic Bread - French baguette with handmade garlic and parmesan cheese cream

Mix of Grilled Sausages - Chicken and Pork grilled sausages

Salmon Ceviche

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Tomato risotto

Seasoned Grilled Chicken

Grilled Tritip with cheese sauce

Farofa - Toasted Yucca Flour with butter, onions and bacon

Grilled garlic shrimp

DESSERT

All inclusive

Passion Fruit Mousse

Seafood / Fish Menu - Indulge

STARTER

All inclusive

Creamy Clam Chowder

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Citrus Shrimp and Avocado Salad

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Baked Codfish with Mango Salsa

Coconut Jasmine Rice

Roasted seasonal Vegetables

DESSERT

All inclusive

Coconut Mousse with raspberry sauce

BRAZILIAN SURF AND TURF EXPERIENCE - Exclusive

STARTER

All inclusive

Stuffed Boursin Mushrooms

Cheese Garlic Bread - French baguette with handmade garlic and parmesan cheese cream

Mix of Sausages - grilled pork Argentinean sausages

Salmon Ceviche

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Mix Green Salad, Cherry Tomatoes and Mangos - dressing

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Seasoned Grilled Chicken with chimichurri sauce

Grilled Picanha (Brazilian Cut) with cheese sauce

Grilled Short Ribs

Grilled garlic shrimp

Tomato risotto

Baked veggies (eggplant, mushroom, zucchinis, bell peppers, onions, olives and seasoning)

DESSERT

All inclusive

Passion Fruit Mousse

Seafood / Fish Menu - Basic

STARTER

All inclusive

Salmon Ceviche

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Grilled shrimp tossed with mixed greens, fresh avocado, orange segments, and a light honey-lime vinaigrette

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Herb-Crusted Seared Salmon

Garlic mashed potatoes

Sauteed Aspargus

DESSERT

All inclusive

Key Lime Tart

BRAZILIAN SURF AND TURF EXPERIENCE - Indulge

STARTER

All inclusive

Cheese Garlic Bread - French baguette with handmade garlic and parmesan cheese cream

Mix of Sausages - grilled pork Argentinean sausages

Salmon Ceviche

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Mix Green Salad, Cherry Tomatoes and dressing

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Seasoned Grilled Chicken with chimichurri sauce

Grilled Picanha (Brazilian Cut) with cheese sauce

Grilled garlic shrimp

Tomato and Basil risotto

Baked vegetables - eggplants, zucchini, onions, garlic and seasoning

DESSERT

All inclusive

Passion Fruit Mousse

ITALIAN TAGLIATELLE - Basic

STARTER

All inclusive

Balsamic Bruschetta - Ciabatta, Tomatoes, Garlic, Olive oil, Balsamic and Basil

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Classic Caprese Salad - Fresh Mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil and olive oil

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Handmade Green Tagliatelle al Pesto - Fresh Handmade Tagliatelle (Spinach Pasta) with Pesto Sauce (Basil, Olive oil, Garlic, Parmesan and Pinolli)

Chicken Picatta

DESSERT

All inclusive

Fresh Tiramissu

ITALIAN TAGLIATELLE - Indulge

STARTER

All inclusive

Balsamic Bruschetta - Ciabatta, Tomatoes, Garlic, Olive oil, Balsamic and Basil

Caponata Bruschetta - Traditional eggplant caponata with ciabatta bread

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Classic Caprese Salad - Fresh Mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil and olive oil

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Handmade Green Tagliatelle al Pesto - Fresh Handmade Tagliatelle (Spinach Pasta) with Pesto Sauce (Basil, Olive oil, Garlic, Parmesan and Pinolli)

Chicken Picatta

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Fresh Tiramisu

Chocolate Mousse

ITALIAN TAGLIATELLE - Exclusive

STARTER

All inclusive

Stuffed Boursin Mushrooms

Balsamic Bruschetta - Ciabatta, Tomatoes, Garlic, Olive oil, Balsamic and Basil

Caponata Bruschetta - Traditional eggplant caponata with sourdough bread

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Classic Caprese Salad - Fresh Mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil and olive oil

Baby Arugula

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Handmade Tagliatelle Marinara

Chicken parmeggiana

Bolognese Lasagna

DESSERT

All inclusive

Fresh Tiramissu

BRAZILIAN SURF AND TURF EXPERIENCE - Basic

STARTER

All inclusive

Cheese Garlic Bread - French baguette with handmade garlic and parmesan cheese cream

Mix of Grilled Sausages - Chicken and Pork grilled sausages

Salmon Ceviche

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Tomato risotto

Seasoned Grilled Chicken

Grilled Tritip with cheese sauce

Farofa - Toasted Yucca Flour with butter, onions and bacon

Grilled garlic shrimp

DESSERT

All inclusive

Passion Fruit Mousse

Seafood / Fish Menu - Indulge

STARTER

All inclusive

Creamy Clam Chowder

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Citrus Shrimp and Avocado Salad

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Baked Codfish with Mango Salsa

Coconut Jasmine Rice

Roasted seasonal Vegetables

DESSERT

All inclusive

Coconut Mousse with raspberry sauce

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Chef Horacio's reviews

4.86

•

238 services

Our entire family really enjoyed Chef Horacio (Toko)! He was professional and kind. He accommodated our desire to eat around the fire table in a non-traditional setting. The food looked and tasted amazing. He was a large part of the reason we have such sweet memories of our evening together celebrating my husband's 60th birthday! It's a night we will never forget!

Chef Toco did an amazing job! Food was fantastic and ample for a special birthday celebration. He pulled it off with aplomb despite our rental house having a terrible stovetop that I worried would be unusable - Chef magic for the win!

Chef Toco + Caroline are an absolute delight! They are ultra attentive and discrete as they curated are perfect meal and ambiance. We were so appreciative to have them as a part of special celebrations!

Chef Horicio was amazing! Very professional and the food was beyond our expectations! Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a chef experience!!

Go look at the photos and previous menus. If those photos look appetizing to you, then stop reading reviews and book him. Everything was exactly like in the photos. His Brazilian dishes were inspired and unlike anything we’ve ever had. Couldn’t be happier! Thanks Chef!

We had an amazing night, with his delicious food! So many different options to accommodate everyone and loved the home cooked feel!

Chef Toco was absolutely fabulous. The dishes he and his assistant prepared were so tasty and thoughtful. He explained each dish to our group and they reflected exactly what we discussed. We would gladly ask him to cook for us again should we return to Del Mar.

Chef Toco was everything we were hoping for. He was on time, polite, explained the dishes to us when anyone was peeking in to see what he was up to. Our kitchen is smaller, so we didn't get a lot of personal interaction, but it was perfect. I hired him so that I could participate in our friendsgiving instead of being in the kitchen cooking the entire day/night. He brought everything needed and made use of what we had to offer despite our smaller kitchen. He even helped with some advice on a cake I had made. We highly recommend Chef Toco, and will be sure to try and use him for future events.

Delicious meal, wonderful chef and very professional! Highly recommend.

This was an amazing experience! Chef was extremely friendly and willing to share stories and answer any questions we had for him. If you can treat yourselves and you enjoy food, I’d highly recommend having this experience with Chef Toco. 10 out of 10! Would totally do it again.

This was such an amazing experience! The chef was very kind, informative, and organized, and he timed it to where we had dinner at sunset overlooking the cliffs, and it was absolutely beautiful presentation. I would absolutely recommend this experience to anybody looking for an unforgettable experience. Private Feedback: This was an amazing experience! Thank you so much.

Chef Toco did a great job providing very high quality food deliciously prepared. He and his staff were friendly and very dedicated to proving our family lunch perfectly. Thanks again. Private Feedback: Chef. Thanks again from all of us.

Great chef. Was friendly, explained the food he was making, everything tasted great and very professional. Private Feedback: thanks so much, it was a great night and everyone had a great time.

He was so nice! And he not only is a great cook, his presentation is beautiful and he cleans up better than I do! Ha! A really pleasant and smart guy! It was so much fun and really comfortable to have him here!

My family and I loved the dining experience with Chef Toco. The food was delicious! Would highly recommend this experience!

Horacio was incredible! So nice and the food was delicious! Would absolutely use again!

This chef took our vacation from 5 stars to 10! His menu was versatile and easy to make adjustments to fit our needs. We had a large multigenerational group and every single person loved the meals. Being able to relax and enjoy my family instead of rushing to restaurants or cooking myself was worth every single cent spent. Food was absolutely perfect. The amount he made was like a magic trick, the exact amount needed every time. Professionalism was top notch. Would 100% recommend to anyone looking to book him, you won’t regret it!

Chef Toco was amazing. Every time we travel we hire a chef as we are a multi-generational family and going out is a lot of work. We’ve hired people all around the world for over a decade and Chef Toco was a highlight. He was very punctual, both when arriving and when food was served. You do not realize how important this is until you’ve had otherwise. He is by far the most observant of all the chefs we have hired. He noticed the small things, what we enjoyed, what worked, what made sense for our family on serving style, and then adapted through the week. He was incredibly accommodating and helpful. My family went fishing and he changed the menu to prepare the fish they caught. I would highly recommend him.

Chef Horicio was amazing! Very professional and the food was beyond our expectations! Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a chef experience!!